Category: Spotlights

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Hang-out Hot Spots of Grove City College

Grove City College is a much smaller school than most, and with a small campus comes a tight-knit community. As an incoming freshman, you will be practically bombarded with new friends–but once all the fun Orientation Board events die down, where can you go to spend time with your newfound friends? Here is a rundown of some of the best hangout spots on campus.

Several of the dorm buildings on campus also have lounges in them. Some of my fondest memories from here on campus are from movie nights in the lounges of Memorial Hall. Memorial is the freshman-only men’s dorm where I began my Grove City journey. On each of its three floors are lounges equipped with a TV and some comfy couches. While the second and third floor lounges are reserved for the building’s residents, the first floor lounge is fair game for anyone on campus and is a cozy spot for a movie night.

Any list of hangouts on campus would be incomplete without mentioning the Breen Student Union, which is commonly referred to as the SAC (Student Activity Center). The first floor is home to both our mailroom and the Gedunk café. The second floor has a lounge for commuter students and a multipurpose room called the Great Room, both excellent spots for game nights with friends. With plenty of tables and places to sit throughout, the SAC is home to many late-night study sessions. 

Our next spot lands itself among my personal favorites: MAP South basement. Belonging to the women’s dorm called “Mary Anderson Pew South,” this basement (also called South Rec) is one of the coolest spots on campus. It has everything: a ping-pong table, a TV, a full kitchen, several tables and couches, and a fully functioning jukebox. If you want a cool retro atmosphere for your game or movie night, South Rec is the place to be. The kitchen is also fully equipped with pans and an oven if you want to do some baking while you are at the Grove. On weeknights it is usually a quiet spot to study, but on weekends you might be out of luck. 

So far everywhere I have mentioned has been inside, but sometimes you might want to get outside and have some fun in the sun. This brings us to the Quad. The Quad is a large section of lawn situated between the chapel and Crawford Hall. A line of trees creates shade along the edges which makes for great picnic or study spots. Whether you need a spot to relax in the shade or just need some space to play frisbee with your friends, the quad is for you.

Last but certainly not least, is the biggest recreational room on campus: Ketler recreational room. Belonging to the men’s dorm Ketler, it is known by most students as KetRec. KetRec has two ping-pong tables, two foosball tables, three pool tables, a games cabinet, and two TVs, in addition to an adjoining kitchen that can be reserved for student use. KetRec is one of the only rec rooms on campus that is open to all students 24/7. On top of its many fun features, it also has several good spots to read to or do homework in peace.

These are some of the best and most popular spots on campus, but this is by no means a comprehensive list. There are many other spots for you and your friends to explore. Each student has their own personal favorite spots. I will leave it to you to find your own favorite during your time at Grove City. I hope you have as much fun exploring campus as I did, and I wish you well on your college journey!

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Student Athletic Training Spotlight: Gretchen Elsey

Student Athletic Trainer, Gretchen Elsey

Grove City College offers a myriad of career-focused internships and job opportunities on-campus. This past semester, junior Gretchen Elsey had the opportunity to work with the athletic training department as a Student Athletic Trainer. Academically, Gretchen is pursuing a major in Exercise Science and a minor in Nutrition. Outside of classes, she keeps herself busy playing varsity basketball and track and field, while also committing time toward the Exercise Science Club. In the following interview, I had the opportunity to sit down with Gretchen and learn more about her experience as a Student Athletic Trainer.

How do you balance working on-campus, playing two varsity sports, and academics?

Being involved in so many things teaches you time management. I think my high school experience has helped me prepare for the things I do now because I was always involved in a lot of things. Truthfully, I love working, playing sports, and focusing on my studies. I could not see my life without doing all of these things and they make me want to stay motivated to do them.

Tell me about your current role as a Student Athletic Trainer.

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What advice would you give a prospective student hoping to get involved in the STEM field?

The STEM majors are an up and coming career path. Being an Exercise Science major has taught me a lot about different sports and my sport as well. I also have learned about how different athletes can respond to different stimuli, and this will help me in my future career.

Who influenced you to work as a Student Athletic Trainer?

The head athletic trainer, Rick Hawk, needed help for the upcoming football season and he knew I was pursuing a degree in Exercise Science. So, he approached me and asked if I would be interested in learning more about athletic training and truthfully, I believe this was another way the Lord has opened a door of opportunity for me. Also, I work with two other Student Athletic Trainers and they have become very close friends.

Do you envision yourself pursuing a career in athletic training?

I could see myself making a career out of this. I look forward to going down and helping the football team every day, while also growing as a professional in this industry. Finally, I would highly recommend this program and other career-focused programs that Grove City College offers because the relationships I am making now will help me tremendously in my future career.

Thank you, Gretchen, for the great insight. I look forward to hearing more about your experience soon.

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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.

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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.

 

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Campus Club Spotlight: Scherzo!

On Friday September 13th, the Grove City College men’s vocal ensemble Scherzo! (formerly the Men’s Glee Club) had their second set of open auditions for anyone interested in becoming a member of the club. After holding a handful of open rehearsals, bringing in eight for auditions, Scherzo! accepted four new members joining the club.

What does this year look like for “Scherzo!“?

Beginning the year with a new name and a new group of singers, there are many changes in store for the club and their upcoming repertoire of performances. Making an effort to move away from a number of their expected gigs, the group will be taking on performances in all new venues and organizations around the Grove City community with a plethora of new pieces guaranteed to represent the fresh start the group is undergoing.

What led the group to change their name?

The decision for the name change was long discussed within the group due to the normal connotation of the name Glee Club with the popular show “Glee,” which aired on FOX television. The group decided it would be best for their vocal ensemble not to be directly compared to the TV series due to very different approaches to what an acapella group looks like, as well as the various drama which the show dealt with. Scherzo! is an acapella group mainly focusing on the quality and range which a group of male singers can produce when solely focusing on the music itself, where the TV series is much more focused on the production as well as vocals. Seeing that Scherzo! is not a production centered group, they came to the conclusion that the best thing to do to help public perception of what the group truly is, would be to change up the name to something more intriguing and less correlated with a widely known series.

Scherzo! will hold their annual concert, containing their whole repertoire of music, in May 2020.

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Being an Undeclared Major – Katelyn Bartley

 

Sophomore Katelyn Bartley talks about coming to Grove City College without having a declared major. She says she decided to be undeclared because she was not confident in what she wanted to do for a career. Katelyn also felt that as a home-schooled student she had not explored all the options of possible career paths well enough to make an informed decision. She says she knew that she enjoyed some subjects she had learned about in high school, like English and History, but did not think that she wanted to pick a major based on that.

Katelyn says that as an undeclared major she was able to take different classes and learn more about her options for majors. She was able to avoid falling behind by taking a lot of required classes. One of these core classes was sociology and, from there, she developed an interest in social work. After taking more social work classes her second semester, she declared her major as Social Work.

Katelyn says she does not regret coming to college as an undeclared major. She says the decision was very helpful because she did not take classes she did not need by coming in as another major and then having to switch later on. She had the opportunity to take general classes that would apply to any major while exploring a few classes that sparked her interest. She credits this decision to not putting her behind in her major requirements now.

When asked if she has any advice for rising freshmen that are facing the same decisions, she says they should come in undeclared if they have a couple options and are unsure of one specific major. Katelyn points out that the professors are really helpful with students that want to explore options or have questions. She also says that student advisors are helpful in transferring from being undeclared to finding a major. She says that career services also personally aided her in her decision.

“There are always people here to give you advice and help you figure it out,” says Katelyn.

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Student Internship Spotlight | John Perry

John Perry is a senior Finance major with a minor in Accounting. He is from Vienna, Va. John is a member of the housing group Sigma Phi Omicron while at the same time a member of Delta Mu Delta Honors Society. John’s internship took place in the summer of 2018. The following is the Q&A session that I held with John Perry pertaining to his internship experience. This Q&A provides some insight on an internship for a Finance major.

 

Where did you intern?

Ryan Homes

What was your position?

Home Production Intern

Tell me a little bit about your experience? Likes/ Dislikes?

I loved the job. It was very hands on and interactive. They helped me along in the beginning in order to learn the home building cycle and process, but after that they let me take off and do the work independently. I managed subcontractors, met with inspectors and home owners, and was allowed to run the construction site on my own for two weeks. I can honestly say I have never learned so much in one summer. It was challenging, but I honestly believe the best way to learn is to do the task itself and I learned the ins and outs of the home building process and subcontractor relationships through experience. Running the site was the most fun I had because I got to shoulder all the responsibility while also feeling like I knew what I was doing and got to put it in to practice. The only dislike I had was that some days they didn’t have a ton for me to do, but I quickly learned I could walk the site on my own and learn by talking to the builders.

What skills did you learn?

I learned how to run a construction site on my own, which taught me how to handle a lot of responsibility. I learned the ins and outs of the home building process.

In what ways did Grove City College help prepare you for this internship?

Grove City taught me to work diligently and be proud of the results of hard work, a skill I practiced all summer. The college also helped me learn time management skills, which was a significant portion of my job.

Did Grove City College assist you in obtaining this internship?

Yes, I received this internship through the Grove City College Career Fair.

Upon closing out the Q&A with John, I talked to him more about what life after college looks like for him. John has received a job offer from this internship but is currently exploring his options within the finance field. In exploring his options John has been fiercely interviewing with many companies trying to find not just a job offer but a workplace which can challenge him and make a career for himself.

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Student Internship Spotlight | James Sutherland

James Sutherland is a junior Political Science major from Washington, D.C. James is a member of the Sigma Phi Omicron housing group on campus while also being the Chief Editor for the Collegian, the College’s newspaper. James received an internship in 2017 with Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which is a non-profit law firm that specializes in religious liberty cases. The following is the Q&A held with James Sutherland pertaining to his internship experience. This Q&A provides some insight on an internship for a political science major.

 

Where did you intern?

Becket Fund for Religious Liberty

What was your position?

Communications Intern

Tell me a little bit about your experience? Likes/ Dislikes?

Becket was a superb internship. Very well organized, with projects for me throughout the summer. It was also a really good office environment, and a generally fun place to work. They did a good job of organizing fun events for the interns, like a tour of the Supreme Court or a visit to the office of a federal judge.

What skills did you learn?

Clear and concise writing, organization, and just how to generally work in a professional environment

In what ways did Grove City College help prepare you for this internship?

The writing and reading skills I learned were extremely helpful, as was the general understanding of the importance of faith

Did Grove City College assist you in obtaining this internship?

Career Services was very helpful, giving me rooms to interview in. The Poly Sci department also helped, with guidance and advice throughout the process

Upon closing out the Q&A, I talked to James more about his hopes for his future and potential jobs. James is graduating a semester early in the fall of 2019. He is currently exploring his options as far as jobs go and plans on beginning to study for the LSAT exam and taking the exam this summer (2019).

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Major Spotlight: History

history major grove city college

I spoke with Julia Wooldridge, a sophomore History major, about her experience with the Department of History at Grove City College. She has always had a passion for history, spurred by a childhood love for Indiana Jones, so when she came to Grove City she knew she would study History. She crystallized the major for those interested, and shared some of her favorite parts of the department.

A basic overview of the major starts with the classes. World History I and II are the first core classes for any History major or minor, going over everything from western to eastern history both ancient and modern. The classes then become more specific and diverse, including classes on specific countries and time periods, such as American history, ancient history, early modern Europe, and eastern history.

Each professor has unique knowledge and specializations that bring different views and opinions. Dr. Graham is affectionately considered the ancient history professor, but has a specialization in the late antiquity period. Dr. Mitchell teaches a lot of Spanish and European history, and Dr. Harp is very learned in American history. Julia mentioned that she loves the different frameworks that each professor brings to their classes, and it makes the classes more interesting with different approaches and methods of teaching.

The History major is perfect for bookworms! Julia spoke fondly of the supplementary materials that History majors read in many of their classes that bring diverse positions and thoughts to discussions about historical periods and specific countries. There are not many worksheets or daily homework, but instead class discussions and papers on the historical topics at hand. In terms of how the department feels, Julia said “It is a smaller major, so it is a tight knit community! Even if you are not close friends, there is still a connection there. You kind of know everyone. With professors, it is easy to get close to them because it is so small.” Julia recommends this major is for students who have a love for reading and learning about all different kinds of cultures across time.

If you think that the Department of History may be for you, learn more here!

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Major Spotlight: Mechanical Engineering

mechanical engineering grove city college

Rachel Ault is a junior mechanical engineer at Grove City College who spoke with me to shed some light on the Mechanical Engineering major for those who may be interested. She was interested in the major since high school, where she took some pre-engineering classes that she excelled in and enjoyed. With a strong background in math and science, Rachel knew that engineering would be a great way to apply her skills in a career.

During your first and second years as a Mechanical Engineering student, the classes you take are broad looks into different industries. These classes begin to give you a feel for the kinds of industries you enjoy and may want to focus on as you progress in the program. Rachel spoke highly of the variety of avenues and applications in engineering that you can pursue at Grove City College. She recommends getting internships to experience the industry in a real-life setting, and notes that the professors are very helpful in obtaining internships.

Rachel really likes that the professors all have different specializations that bring new methods and variations to each class. Dr. Bardy has had experience in the heating/cooling field, so his class in thermodynamics is highly detailed (and Rachel’s favorite class). Dr. Clauss is a chemical engineer, which brings a different perspective to the mechanical industry. Finally, Dr. Archibald and Dr. Allison both have experience with design and manufacturing, which rounds out the department with a variety of expertise.

The workload of a Mechanical Engineering student is nothing to sneeze at in Grove City College, which is recognized for having one of the most prestigious mechanical engineering programs in the United States. Rachel noted that the “one hour in class, three hours outside of class” maxim holds true, and you have to be a highly self-motivated individual to excel in the program. When I asked her what her favorite part of the department is, she responded: “I really like that with our labs we have experience in the shop, and that we get that hands on experience with mills, lathes, and various other things like that. I like that since it is a smaller college, you get more one-on-one time with professors, and professors are more willing to spend time with you and help you.”

If you think the Department of Mechanical Engineering may be for you, learn more here!