Category: Student Life

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Ring by Spring: Content or Not?

From day one of freshman orientation, Grove City makes the light-hearted joke of “look to your left, look to your right, you may be sitting next to your husband or wife.” This is a statement made to lighten the mood and break the ice. But there is social pressure regarding getting engaged your second semester senior year. Said pressure is completely derived from the student body. Does this sound silly? Yes, absolutely. But I can personally attest as a second semester senior in a long-term relationship the pressure to get engaged is present.

Disclaimer, I do not think getting engaged your spring semester senior year is bad. Not at all. Heck, I would like to be! I just want to empathize with the future Grove City student who is in the same boat as I am. You are in a serious relationship with no ring yet – which is perfectly fine. And you are so happy in your relationship. Yet seemingly everyone around you is getting engaged and you cannot help but wish you were too. All of your peers will not stop asking you when you are getting engaged. Therefore, you become slightly discontent with the current phase of life you are in.

I am writing this to simply encourage you to be content with the specific relational season you are in. Being single is a beautiful time to develop your own sense of self and evaluate what you want in a partner. Dating is so fun because you get to experience the joy of doing life with somebody without the responsibilities of real life yet. Engagement is wonderful because you are planning your big day together, awaiting the day you no longer have to be apart. And marriage is the end zone where you finally get to spend everyday with the one your soul loves. The point is, there is beauty, growth, hardships, and really good things in all seasons of relationships. Do not allow what is going on around you to steal from the joy you do have right now in whatever relational phase you are in. If you are looking for what is next or what everyone else is doing, you will always be discontent. Focus on you, your relational phase, and you will prosper, be joyful, and content.

There is no right way to be in a relationship when you are about to graduate college. All of that to say, of course Grove City is a wonderful place to potentially find a loved one and grow in your relations with those at the College. All I am saying is that there is a time and a season for everything. You are in the season of life you are in because God has you there for a reason. Lean into that and not the pressure of being somewhere you are not yet.

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Almost Pro: Intramural Sports

Giving up your high school sport to solely pursue college academics can be a difficult and daunting task for a senior. Sports have an interesting way of grabbing our hearts and gripping tight until we completely fall in love with them. You start as a young kid, maybe because your parents forced you to, or you were sitting around the house bored. Whatever it is, the bonds and memories formed during the participation of that sport hold near and dear to your heart. However, God did not create every high school athlete to go on and play Division 1 or professional football, so like me, you go to college and those exciting sporting events become distant memories.

Going to college and deciding not to play soccer was a difficult decision for me. I constantly weighed the pros and cons of joining the Grove City Men’s Soccer team with my parents, coaches, and teammates. In the end, I decided that sticking to just academics and hanging up the soccer cleats was the best decision for me. This was truly a bummer because I had been playing soccer since I was 3 and felt that a part of me going to be lost. This could not have been further from the truth.

Within my first week at Grove City College, I had multiple friends, upperclassmen, and hall-mates excitedly describe and inform me about various intramural sports that happened on our campus! They explained to me that intramural sports, or IM’s, are a great way to continue playing your favorite sports competitively at a lesser than collegiate level, form new relationships with people, and take a study break from exams and homework. I was instantly intrigued and decided to form various IM teams myself. Everything I heard about IM’s was spot on. They were very competitive, made for a great study break, and helped me to make a ton of new friends. This was the perfect place for a washed-up high school athlete, like me, to go.

Grove City College proudly offers over 20 IM sports that any student can participate in. A few of these sports include but are not limited to soccer, football, basketball, ultimate Frisbee, spike-ball, softball, rocket league (e-sports), and tennis. Almost all of the IM sports offered have a men’s, women’s, and co-ed section. Within these sections, there are different leagues, such as A-League, B-League, and C-League to monitor the level of competition. Winning an IM championship means more than bragging rights over your fellow competition, as each member of the winning team receives a free t-shirt that you design. Grove City College has recently switched over to a fully functional website and app called IMLeagues, which allows for easy signups, game reminders, and stat recording availability. Participating in intramural sports has been one of my best college decisions, and I would highly recommend any incoming freshman looking for fun to give them a try.

This is a picture of my freshman year IM Soccer team winning our first championship. We have played together for four consecutive years now and the bonds could not be stronger.
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Young Life Spotlight: Bailey Mantzell

Young Life is a ministry organization with a mission to lead young children and teens to Jesus Christ and help encourage them in their walk of faith. Grove City College is highly involved with Young Life with over 70 leaders.

Bailey Mantzell, a sophomore majoring in Middle Level Math and English, is going into her second semester of being a leader on campus. She went to Young Life camps throughout her high school years, but dedicated herself to this ministry once she entered into college.

Over this past summer, Bailey had the exciting opportunity to be a leader at the Timber Wolf Lake Young Life camp. As I spoke with Bailey, she stated, “Young Life is such an incredible ministry, and the devil was so present throughout the whole week at camp, but God’s glory triumphed over all of the hardships, and unforgettable memories were made.” With many moving sermons given throughout the week, many lives are changed and given to the Lord; the ultimate goal of the week.

With many campers giving their life to Christ throughout this week, Bailey told me some very heart-warming stories. As she was at camp, she was reminded of the fact that you never know what situations some children or teenagers have gone through in their lives. Sometimes campers can look and act like they are fine on the outside, but once these leaders get to sit down and talk with them one-on-one, the brokenness inside of them prevails. These discussions between the campers and leaders can be life changing, Bailey described. One camper had an over three-hour long discussion with their leader, leading to the giving of their life to Christ.

Bailey’s camping experience also had some troubles, but the outcomes ended up overpowering them. The first night, unfortunately, started with one of her campers breaking her collarbone, but ended with that camper’s best friend (another one of Bailey’s campers) committing her life to Christ.

Overall, being a leader at the Young Life camp was an amazing and eye-opening experience for Bailey, along with all of those who attended. This organization has become such a large part in Bailey’s life, and she cannot wait to see the new opportunities that will come from it in the future.

 

 

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For Free?

As a student in college living in such an advanced technological age, one may find it merely impossible to get work done without a laptop. Well I am very happy to inform you that upon enrollment you will receive a laptop for free!

Grove City College has partnered with technology giant, HP, to provide each of their students with HP 2-in-1 laptops. The computers are usually the most up-to-date PCs and are chosen for the students so that they can have them throughout their duration at the College and after graduation.

In addition to the tablet personal computers, the college also provides the students with a printer, book bag, and technology service at the Technological Learning Center. The technology service deals with both minor and major repairs on the hardware or software that is provided to the students. The problem and the repair is usually diagnosed and taken care of within a timely manner depending upon severity.

Aside from personal printers, each student also receives up to 50 dollars of printing that is re-loadable each semester at the Technological Learning Center. This option is very popular among students as it routine to print prior to going to class.

Additionally, the school loads the computers with the Microsoft Office suite. Each student is given an email through Outlook that can be used for both internal and external matters. Another popular application among the students is OneNote. This application allows for students to type or even write their notes with the smart pen that is also provided for the laptops.

Grove City College really takes the time to meet the needs of each and every one of their students. Purchasing a laptop, printer, and software can be added stress for families already stressed due to cost of education. The College understands this and meets each student half way in order to provide them with the materials to live up to their true potential during their time here.

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Warriors and Stigma – “By His wounds you have been healed”

Grove City College is truly a great place to be to grow spiritually. There are many different options when it comes to worship, and Warriors would definitely be high on the list. Warriors begins at 9 p.m. in Harbison Chapel every Thursday.

Most worship events at the Grove will have some incentive for students to come, like chapel credits, but Warriors does not, which makes it special. Everyone who comes to Warriors wants to be there.  When you are in Warriors for the first time you will notice that just about everyone is singing and the chapel is echoing with the sound of worship.

Warriors recently had a partnered event with Stigma that was dedicated to suicide prevention. In this event, the Warriors crew sang and read Bible verses, which is what they do on a normal Thursday night – but in addition, at the start and near the end they invited two speakers to come up and talk about their experiences with depression, loss, and suicide. This was kept short but was truly an important message. The speakers were sure to get the point across that we are not alone. We have a great community of Christian men and women who are there for each other. More im

portantly, we know that we have a Father in heaven looking over us.

Stigma is solely found on Grove City College’s campus, and they work to help anyone who has a mental illness. As a student at the Grove, it is really comforting to know that there are always people willing to help if someone is struggling. To learn more about Stigma, go to stigmagcc.wordpress.com.

“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.” (1 Peter 2:24)

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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.

 

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Grove City College Camp Fair Spotlight: Alex Berrios

One of the many opportunities offered at Grove City College is the Camp Fair, an event that takes place in the early spring, providing information to students about the various camp opportunities that are offered from many different areas. This is where Alex Berrios, a sophomore elementary education major with a minor in Christian Ministries, received her interview and job placement as a camp counselor at Camp Carl in Ravenna, Ohio.

Alex spoke to me about her experience at the camp fair and how it helped open the door to this amazing opportunity. Camp Carl is a Christian summer camp run by Tom Sullivan who is a resident of Ohio. Mr. Sullivan reached out to Alex and came to Grove City College to interview her for this position. Not only did he leave the Camp Fair with Alex signed up as a camp counselor, but with 12 other Grove City College students as well. With 13 students from one school, it resulted in one of the largest, if not the largest, population of student counselors from one school.

From the Camp Fair experience, Alex was lead into a very fruitful summer. Throughout this 12-week summer camp, there were new age groups of campers rotated each week. Alex and her co-counselor were given between eight to 16 girls each week in whom they invested. Alex stated that she was able to, “witness to them the life of Jesus and demonstrate to them what it meant to be a ‘child of God.'” She was also given the opportunity to form close biblical related relationships with other staff members which she will cherish for many years to come.

From this unforgettable experience the camp fair helped Alex receive, she not only got to help encourage many campers in their walk of faith, but also continue to grow and strengthen her relationship with Christ. She was even given a night to speak and share her testimony to the campers. Alex highly recommends not only Camp Carl, but attending the Camp Fair as a whole.

 

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New to Campus: The Gift of Bibles to All

Grove City College, being the unique Christian college it is, has many opportunities to offer. The College has many doors available to help bring more people to faith on this campus, being just one opportunity. One way this is done is by the accessibility of resources. This year, Grove City College gifted an English Standard Version of The Holy Bible to every student, along with the option to take multiple Bibles to hand out to friends, strangers, peers, and family members. Opportunities such as this are very unique and can touch the lives of many people, but it does not stop there.

After these Bibles were distributed, many Young Life (a club on campus that leads groups of adolescents to Jesus Christ) leaders took multiple Bibles to hand out to the young students in various Young Life schools and programs. With the idea of drawing more people to Christ, these College leaders, and friends of the leaders, took it a step further. Students began to paint these Bibles, with bright eye-catching colors, designs, a Bible verse, or an encouraging quote, which made it that much more intriguing and encouraging to the ones who will be using that specific Bible.

After speaking with some of these leaders, their desire was to not only use these Bibles for themselves in their walk of faith, but provide others with the gift they were given. Not only did the leaders get to engage in fellowship with one another by spending time together while painting, but they were able to put their work to use by taking these Bibles to Young Life club and outings.

With all of the opportunities available in ministry here on campus, gifting free Bibles to the student body was just one more step to help encourage students, and those surrounding, to be able to seek Christ further.

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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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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.