Inside Student Life Archives

Posted on May 17, 2016May 3, 2016 by Sarah Logie — Leave a comment

Fashion at Grove City College

Fashion these days is a very subjective thing. What one person might think is stylish, another person might deem a fashion faux pas. A plethora of styles are seen and accepted in this day and age.

Across Grove City College’s campus, there is some uniformity when it comes to fashion. Several different styles emerge among students. Three styles in particular are evident, and many individuals find themselves dressing to these trends. Amidst other styles, there’s the preppy, athletic and hipster looks that resonate with students, freshmen to seniors.

#1 Preppy

For one, there’s the preppy look. This often includes Sperry’s or other boat shoes, patterned shorts, button-up shirts, jean jackets and jewelry such as pearls. This look above, donned by senior Amy Noll, features a simple jean jacket paired with a navy blue top tucked into peach and white patterned shorts, and Sperry boat shoes. Amy enjoys throwing this look together to head to classes or to hang out with friends on the weekend. Preppy brands worn on campus include J. Crew, Vineyard Vines, Ralph Lauren and Sperry Top-Sider.

#2 Athletic

Then there’s the athletic look. Grove City is a fairly active and athletic campus as a whole, so many students throw on their shorts, T-shirts and sneakers to head to class. This look is one of senior Alyssa Brossman’s favorites, and she can often be seen sporting this style around campus. It’s perfect for playing tennis, hitting the gym or simply heading to class in. Popular athletic brands found across campus are Nike, Adidas and Under Armour.

#3 Hipster

Lastly, there’s the hipster look. Grove City has its fair share of hipsters, often adorned in large framed glasses, hats, distressed jeans, sweatshirts and fashionable sneakers like Vans. It’s an eclectic style. The look above features a plain white T-shirt, khaki pants, canvas sneakers, a simple baseball cap and large framed glasses. Alumnus Mark Logie continues to sport this fashion even after leaving the walls of Grove City College whether he’s running errands around Pittsburgh or hanging out with friends on the weekends.

Posted on May 10, 2016May 3, 2016 by Rebekah Fry — Leave a comment

Behind the Scenes: The Unexpected

A friend and incoming freshman recently asked me a great question: What surprised you about Grove City College? Or in other words, what did you not expect and how did you adjust?

No matter your level of preparedness, you will experience a learning curve when moving to a new place. Grove City is no exception. Though there’s a sense of adventure in the unexpected, I’ve come up with a few things to keep in mind (just to help that transition run a little smoother)!

1. The Weather

Grove City weather is a wonder in itself. You’ll experience every season quite thoroughly and certainly want to be prepared.

During the winter months we experience quite a bit of snow, so you’ll want to invest in warmth: a coat, snow boots, hats, scarves, gloves, etc. I promise you that walking to class or downtown for coffee will be a lot more enjoyable with a few extra layers!

But fear not, spring does come! Rain boots and an umbrella are a must, but soon we’ll approach our summer weather and hanging out on the Quad, having class outside, going on a stream hike or playing Frisbee are essential.

2. The Community

All of our students are required to live on campus (with the exception of local commuters) and it adds to a fantastic sense of community! One of my favorite aspects of living at Grove City College is knowing that I have a family away from home. I certainly did not expect to find such a beautiful community, but I treasure its gift to my life!

3. The Need for Time Management

Grove City offers an abundance of opportunities for extracurricular activities, ministries and fun! Freshman year is often a time for students to develop good time management habits. Getting involved on campus is a great way to integrate yourself within the student body, but it does require some organization.

I did not quite understand how essential it was to create good habits early on, but I would certainly recommend it to any new college student. I promise it will make life a lot more enjoyable throughout your four years and allow you to truly get everything out of your experience.

4. The Intentionality

Coming from a large public school, I was not expecting how personable the staff, professors and administration would be during my time here. I was immediately blown away by their ability to remember my name and evident passion for our success.

I’ve had professors invite my class to dinner at their home, vouch for me in the job search and grab coffee with me just to ask about life.

You are certainly not alone on this campus and it’s quite reassuring to know!

5. Spiritual Growth

Before coming to GCC, I knew that it was a Christian college. However, I did not expect how much I would be encouraged and challenged to grow in my faith. Yes, it is “Christian” by name and we offer countless opportunities to be involved in ministry, but it is so much more than that. Friends, professors, and staff inspire me to pursue Christ in a vibrant and deeply genuine way. Though we come from various walks of faith, I have found unity within the body. We’re all learning and growing, but we recognize the value in doing it together. And for that, I am forever grateful.

All the best 🙂

Posted on May 5, 2016May 7, 2016 by Nathan Chanski — Leave a comment

AEX Live Campus-Wide Music Event

Of course, most are aware of Greek Life within the Grove City College campus, and yet a significant portion of the groups on campus are very often overlooked. I’m talking about “housing groups.” Housing groups are groups of men that live together on a single hall, and operate very similarly to the fraternities on campus.

One of these housing groups calls themselves AEX, or “Alpha Epsilon Chi” which, translated from Greek, means “brothers in Christ.” These “brothers” enjoy heading up many different events on and off campus—some exclusively for the group members, and others are for the entire campus’ enjoyment.

Among the events, which includes the entire campus, is an event called AEX Live. This event features live performances from unofficial musical acts for four hours of an evening in mid-April. The only catch: each musical act must have at least one AEX man as part of their “band” that performs on stage.

AEX Live is an annual event that has become one of the biggest and most beloved by the campus community and is also held the night of April’s Junior Crimson Day! How can you go wrong with four hours of non-stop musical performances while eating free soft pretzels and root beer floats while you listen and chat with your friends?

Take a look at some photos for yourself of the 2016 AEX Live.

All photos taken by Drew Hayward, member of Alpha Epsilon Chi.

It’s like Grove City’s very own Coachella!

The best part about AEX Live is that students from all different parts of campus can get involved in the performances. All you have to do is get in touch with your friend in AEX and get the band together!

Hopefully, we might even see YOU performing at AEX Live next year!

Posted on May 2, 2016May 3, 2016 by Emily Hostetler — Leave a comment

A Quick Look at Grove City’s Inner-City Outreach Mission Trips

Every year the College helps sponsor mission trips so that students can have an opportunity to serve and use their talents and abilities to further God’s kingdom. This past year students had the opportunity to travel to places like Arizona and the Dominican Republic. In order to give you a little glimpse of the ICO Mission Trips, I wanted to briefly touch upon a few that happened over this past year.

During Thanksgiving break, the College sent out students to Rhode Island and New York City. During the New York City ICO they participated in a lot of street ministry. They spent part of everyday dedicated to interviewing people in various parks and train stations around Manhattan. They spent the beginning of their trip working with the Christian Youth Theatre (CYT) and the second half of their trip they spent time at the New York City Rescue Mission (NYCRM) helping with odd jobs around the organization. The trip itself was around $175 per person. In order to raise money for the trip, the group hosted a “Professor Bake-Off,” where some Professors submitted baked goods which were sampled and voted upon by students for $1. There were a total of eight professors that submitted baked goods and they were able to raise a couple hundred dollars in order to lower the overall price per person. And finally, in order to prepare for the trip spiritually, all the team members came together to share their testimonies, have devotions and spend time getting to know each other better before the trip transpired. On one of these nights, they had a Bonfire Worship Night in addition to their regular meetings.

During Christmas break the College sent out students to Jamaica, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic and Honduras. During the Jamaica ICO students worked for Robin’s Nest Children’s Home by building relationships with the kids, teaching in the onsite school, construction work around the building, as well as meeting immediate needs around the home. Each year they participate as a team in a big project for the Children’s Home. This year they built a shelter and a work bench as per the Children’s Home request and because it matched the skill set of the various team members that went. In order to go on the ICO each student had to raise around $1,100-1,400. The main way these students raised financial support for their trip was in the form of support letters. Given the steep financial load of the trip, the students had the entire summer to raise money. However, during the semester leading up to the trip, the team would meet for weekly bible studies, meals and meetings about the details of the trip. They also do something called “Iron Sharpens Iron,” otherwise referred to as ISI, where the team splits into groups of three. Each group then comes up with something fun to do together at some point during the week to help promote team bonding. This could include Sheetz runs, playing cards, coffee trips, Frisbee and more. They also participated in other various team bonding activities throughout the Fall semester like paint Twister, Christmas caroling at Grove City Manor, Christmas movie marathons, milkshake runs, morning yoga and more.

And finally, during Easter break the College sent out students to Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, Ohio, California, Illinois and Arizona. According to leaders Caroline Baker and Evan Gourley, during the Arizona ICO they participated in various work projects on the Life in Christ Church’s property. They also served in the community by painting, replacing ceilings, walls, and floors, as well as staining wooden fences and playgrounds around the area. They also helped serve in the church’s homeless feeding ministry, passed out fliers in the neighborhood for upcoming events and helped with a Palm Sunday service in the park. In order to fund the trip the students teamed up with local businesses like Hoss’s Steak and Sea House where 10% of every patron’s bill, that had a flyer supporting the ICO team, was given to the students to help fund their trip. They also used support letters to ask their friends and family to help them fund the $400-900 trip. They also sold pepperoni rolls to students, faculty and the local community in order to help fund their trip. In addition, the school provided around $150 to help each the students’ expenses. And finally, in order to prepare for the trip the team had weekly meetings that included get-to-know-you games, information about the location and the trip and emotional and spiritual preparation for the team and as individuals.

No matter where you go, or what you do while you are there, these teams always have a different experience than the last. Each ICO team is unique with different struggles and challenges, but all of them have the same desire to use their talents and abilities to serve the Lord.

To learn more about ICO, visit the ICO web page!

Posted on April 26, 2016 by Tim Lowrance — Leave a comment

My Bible Study Experience at Grove City

College is a smorgasbord of activities. But one that falls by the wayside, even at Christian schools, is the pursuit of God. A barrage of homework, friends and the enjoyment of activities often crowds out time to study the Scriptures or pray.

My encouragement to any Christian looking for well-spent years at college is this: don’t neglect Bible Study. Especially studying with others. It seems like a simple thing, but it is really important.

During my own time at Grove City College, I have experienced the various sides of community Bible study. Each of these has taught me uniquely and kept me from becoming overwhelmed with stress or the troubles of life.

College Group Study

Sophomore year, I was a member of the Orientation Board, a group of students who plans activities to welcome the freshman class. This was a stressful process, one that required us to work closely together as a team.

We held a Bible study as a part of our team meetings. I can say confidently that the perspectives, testimonies and vulnerability that this fostered between us was one of the main things that allowed our team to be effective together. It showed me that I was not alone in my failings and that others needed to learn the same things I was learning.

Many of the groups here at Grove City College provide this opportunity. Find one. It will be richly rewarding.

Roommate Study

No matter how much you like them, living with other people can be difficult. My roommates and I decided to study through several New Testament books together last year. It was hard to fit this into our schedule, and we ended up convening during the later part of a Wednesday night each week. But this was time well-spent. We all agree that it was the best part of our year together.

My encouragement is this: do not wait for a Bible study to just naturally happen. Seek it out, and even plan it yourself.

Men’s Hall Study

This year, the freshmen on my hall did just that: sought it out. They approached me, their RA, and said that they want to do a Bible study together.

I am currently leading this study. The book of Daniel has inspired us to live differently—for them as they begin their time at college and for me as I bring it to a close. Being on the leading end has really changed how I look at studying the Bible with fellow students. It takes preparation and effort, but also requires letting others lead. It has been incredible to see these new students support each other in prayer and grow in their faith together.

These are my experiences with Bible studies at Grove City College. There are many similar opportunities here, but they will only yield as much as you invest in them.

Posted on April 26, 2016 by Tim Lowrance — Leave a comment

The Free Market Cafeteria System

One of the biggest factors when choosing a college is food. “What is the cafeteria like?” asks almost every family that tours Grove City College. But what most people don’t ask is: “how responsive is the cafeteria?”

You see, though it is clearly important to go to a school that serves good food, it’s equally important to look at how it addresses the three major cafeteria issues:

“Good food” is relative. You can’t always please everybody.
Sometimes, well-intended food is just not good. Lobster Newburg cafeteria style may not always turn out as good as it was meant to be.
Duration. Just because something is good doesn’t mean students want it every two days.

How a cafeteria addresses these issues is extremely important

Here at Grove City College, I and many other students have observed the incredible responsiveness of our three cafeterias. Sure, they can’t please everybody, but good communication between students and staff allows them to please a lot of people as often as possible. Our cafeteria staff is all about learning what offerings are actually good and how often students want to have these offerings.

It’s a simple as this: my friends and I write a note on one of the response cards—something like “I like deez tacos”—and before we know it, there’s an extra meal each week where they serve tacos! I call it the free market cafeteria system.

Here are a couple examples of our free market cafeterias in action:

My friend Emily is lactose intolerant. The GeDunk cafeteria had previously offered only regular milk, but when Emily reached out to them, they began stocking almond milk as well.

Every month the cafeteria staff hosts a Food Feedback Forum—a specially prepared dinner with prizes for participants. At one forum I attended, students asked if there could be more protein options for the salad bar. The next week, the salad bar added cold meats such as turkey for salads.

Yes, we have three great cafeterias here at Grove City College. But more importantly, we have three responsive cafeterias.

Posted on April 26, 2016 by Sarah Logie — Leave a comment

An Incoming Freshman’s Thoughts on Choosing Grove City College

Spring is in full swing and the school year is coming to an end, which means college decision deadlines are coming up. High school seniors are faced with the choice of where they will spend the next four years of their lives, dedicating their time and energy.

IMAG0241 — Michael with his GCC acceptance letter

High school senior, Michael Logie, also known as my younger brother, recently decided to commit to Grove City College. Michael will be the sixth Logie to attend Grove City in the fall. Both of my parents, as well as my two older brothers all attended the school.

Due to all of my family members’ positive experiences at Grove City, the school’s attractive qualities and Michael’s personal appreciation for the school and its atmosphere, he decided this was the place for him. Similar to me, Michael grew up hearing about and visiting Grove City from time to time, so the idea of going here was always appealing to him. The affordability, quality education, atmosphere of the campus and the extracurricular activities offered sold him on the idea of coming here.

Michael’s looking forward to following in the footsteps of many family members and experiencing the campus for himself during the four years to come. He’s especially anticipating getting involved in sports like Indoor and Outdoor Track and Cross Country, as well as different intramural sports. He’s also interested in potentially participating in Greek Life as a way to build community and establish friendships.

He isn’t completely sure what he would like to major in yet, but he’s strongly considering something in the business or economics realm because that’s where his interests lie and he’d like to pursue a career in that area. Michael feels that the education offered by Grove City is unparalleled and adequately prepares students for the professional world.

He summarizes his decision to attend Grove City saying, “I decided to go to GCC in part because of the affordable tuition, but mainly because of the fact that GCC graduates are able to get jobs right out of college fairly easily compared to graduates at most other schools.”

While Michael also considered West Chester University and University of Pittsburgh, he settled on Grove City largely because of its outstanding ability to guide graduating students on their career paths. He reflects on Grove City saying, “Grove City offers a better education and a more favorable reputation than other schools.”

As senior year comes to an end for Michael, he’s excited to embark on the adventure that is Grove City College. He feels confident about his decision to attend a school that will both challenge and reward him, and he looks forward to being a part of the familiar and welcoming environment of Grove City.

Posted on April 26, 2016 by Nathan Chanski — Leave a comment

Annual Arts Festival At Grove City College

The second annual Arts Festival held at Grove City College has swept the campus in a frenzy of creativity.

2015 was the first year when an Arts Festival was held at Grove City College. Comprised of original work from the campus community, the Arts Festival is organized and curated completely by the students of the College.

And just in time for the Junior Crimson Day, held every spring in early April, the Arts Festival moves students, faculty, as well as prospective students and families through the many buildings within the campus. Each of the venues for the Arts Festival features original work spanning from photography, to paintings, to sculptures.

Pictured below are some of the beautiful pieces from the Arts Festival. The featured venue is South Lobby within the Mary Anderson Pew women’s dormitory. Take a look for yourself as a sneak peek into the vibes of this Arts Festival:

The artistic talent of the campus community at Grove City can often be one of the best kept secrets of the College. Students from all years are encouraged to submit their work to the festival. From there, a group of student curators then choose the pieces of art that are to be showcased at the actual festival.

I sat down and spoke with the head of the Arts Festival, Andrew Irving, about his thoughts on the festival, “The importance of the Arts Festival is to show the importance of art in the context of a Christian community,” Irving said. Most notably, Irving is very excited for the next year of the Arts Festival. New ideas are in the works for the Arts Festival, most of which I am unable to share this far in advance, but stay tuned to see what comes next year!

As Grove City’s very own President McNulty put it, “Our campus is blessed with extraordinarily talented artists as you will quickly observe when you stop and study the many works on display,” McNulty said, “Cultivating a love for art is important because its production and presentation serve an extremely important role in strengthening a community.”

Posted on April 20, 2016 by Sarah Logie — Leave a comment

A Look at PHYE 209, Tennis

Tennis Racquet Picturejpg — Picture from fitnessandtennis.com

Grove City College offers many different Physical Education electives for students to take, such as Volleyball, Bowling, Racquetball and Body Conditioning. My personal favorite gym class, and one of the most enjoyable classes I’ve taken during my four years at Grove City, is Tennis or PHYE 209. I’ve always had a love for tennis, so I knew taking this class would be a worthwhile experience.

This one-credit course, offered during both semesters, provides an introduction to the sport of tennis as a whole. The class is taught by Jeff Buxton, head coach of both the men’s and women’s varsity tennis teams. Different techniques like proper form, racket grips, volleying and serving are taught during the course of the semester. Each class time consists of various drills, games and eventually a doubles tournament spanning several class periods.

There are about 16 students in the class, and it’s held twice a week on the outdoor tennis courts on lower campus. In bad weather, the class is moved into the Intramural Rooms where nets are set up and indoor balls are used. Students are required to have their own rackets to participate in the class, but balls are provided.

No tennis experience is needed since the class caters to those of all skill levels. Tennis is a great class if you’ve never played the sport before because it introduces basic techniques and allows you to develop the necessary skills. It’s also a great class if you do have tennis experience because it gives you a chance to hone those skills. No matter what, it’s an opportunity to get out of the traditional classroom and have fun.

Senior tennis enthusiast, Alyssa Brossman, who took the course this past fall, reflected on the experience saying, “It was a great break from academic courses, and I loved the energy that Coach brought to class.”

All in all, the class is an opportunity to burn off some energy and have fun. It combines quality tennis instruction, friendly competition and good exercise.

Posted on April 20, 2016 by Sarah Logie — Leave a comment

4 Quick and Easy Dorm Room Recipes

While the cafeterias at Grove City College are great, they have limited hours, just like any cafeteria. When you’re hungry in your dorm room and need a little pick me up, it’s great to be able to whip up something quick right in your room. There are many delicious and easy recipes that only require a few ingredients and a microwave or refrigerator. Here are four awesome recipes!