Category: Things to do

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Small Campus Big City

One of the main reasons I decided to go to Grove City College was its close proximity to downtown Pittsburgh. Downtown Pittsburgh is a short one-hour drive from campus which means if you have a means of getting to the city, you can access the many experiences Pittsburgh has to offer.

I will be the first person to admit that it is nice to get off campus once in a while, and with Pittsburgh only a short trip down the highway, there are endless opportunities. Pittsburgh has many great restaurants, bars, and great sports teams that you can generally find cheap tickets to. Another great plus to having the city is having stadiums that will facilitate great events and concerts. Earlier in the spring, a group of my friends drove down to Pittsburgh to see Tame Impala perform.

In my time at Grove City, I have been able to attend many concerts, and there are plenty of concert venues in the Pittsburgh area which make it possible to get off campus and experience the big city. One of the biggest misconceptions about Grove City is that it is remote and far away from any forms of entertainment, but this is not quite accurate. One of my favorite things I have been able to do as a student is drive down to Pittsburgh and see concerts, eat some great food, and spend time in a great city.

Another recommendation during the winter season is the Pittsburgh Penguins offer student rush tickets to college students. Tickets range from $20-$35 which would be a relatively cheap college weekend night. Overall, Grove City’s close distance to the city makes it easy to plan a fun weekend either with friends or a date. There are plenty of neighborhoods to discover in Pittsburgh so get out there and get exploring!

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Green Meadows: A Golf Course Review

Spring at Grove City is one my favorite times on campus. The cold and snowy days are quickly replaced with the warm and pleasant breeze of Western Pennsylvania. As the weather becomes more lively, so does the campus. There is a surge of students outside to enjoy the warmth, either by studying outside or just hanging out with some friends.

One of my favorite things to do when the weather shifts is to find some friends and play one of Western Pennsylvanians many golf courses. Last week, I ventured to Green Meadows Golf Course in Volant, PA. Green Meadows is a short 20-minute drive from campus and offers a fantastic golf experience for golfers of any skill level. Green Meadows was first opened for play in 1960, so its fairways and greens have had time to reach maturity.

Green Meadows provides a test to every golfer. The course layout is a tight course with four dogleg fairways and some grass bunkers. There are sand bunkers that come into play on most holes. The sloped greens are fast, and three of them are undulating. Par for the course is 72. From the forward tees the course measures 4,680 yards and around 6,500 from the back tees.  The longest hole on the course is hole 12, a par-5 that plays to 587 yards. The shortest hole on the course is #9, a par-3 that plays to 170 yards from the back tees.

From my experience, I would recommend watching out for #7, a 438 yard par-4 challenge and the #1 handicap hole on the course. Hole #7 provides a tee shot that favors a high draw due to trees that line the left portion of the landing area and dogleg fairway. It can be tempting to cut down the fairway and play over the trees but attempting this is dangerous and can often make your second approach shot more difficult. My success on this hole has been from playing a long iron to widest part of landing area and playing another long iron into green.

My favorite thing about the course is its lush fairways and rough. Last week was not my first time playing Green Meadows, and every time I have played in the past, the greens have been rolling and well-kept, and fairways are manicured and always lush. For $15 for 9 holes, the experience is unbeatable.

In the next coming weeks I will be providing more course reviews of local Grove City golf courses. Playing recreational golf is just one of the many ways that students can get off campus and enjoy the beautiful weather. I cannot wait for more students to experience the great time that Green Meadows offers.

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Thrifting in Grove City

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As a typical college student, you may not have an exorbitant amount of money to spend at the Grove City Outlets or other stores in the Mercer County area. Thrift stores are a great way to be able to get new clothes while barely spending any money, and it is also a great way to support local businesses.  In this blog, I am going to list some of the best thrift stores in the area, and some recommendations for stores in the Pittsburgh area.

  • Salvation Army: This is a Grove City College staple. Usually referred to as “Salvo,” it is a great place to get some quality clothes at a really good price. They will restock the new items on Thursday afternoons, so that is always the best day to go. Also, there are deals on Wednesdays, which is a fantastic way to get cheap clothes for an even cheaper price. Salvation Army is a great store that encourages you to give to a good cause.
  • All Good Things: This is a much smaller thrift store right across the street from Memorial Park. It is a nonprofit organization that has a great selection of clothing and other items. They have great vintage clothes and there is a building in the back that has old furniture which is great for furnishing your dorm room.
  • Thrifty Threads: This is the closest thrift store to campus. It is located right on South Center Street, and it is by Coffaro’s, a pizza shop that is home of the college special. It also very cheap for clothes there, though you may have to do some digging because they have a large selection of clothes, but you will definitely find some quality items.

These are the top thrift stores in Grove City, however if you have a car you can go down to Butler you will find more stores. For example, there is a Salvation Army, Goodwill, and some other small business thrift stores that have great character and you can find some great items. I highly recommend going to thrift stores in the area; it is a great way to find cheap clothes that look great, while supporting local small businesses!

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Spooky Season Strategics: Your Horror Movie Guide

It’s October, you’re stuck inside your dorm room with nothing to do, how about a horror movie? As spooky season approaches, the weather gets colder, the days become shorter, and sleep schedules everywhere are thrown into chaos because of scary movies. Guys confidently ask girls to come over to watch “The Conjuring” or “Get Out” only to realize they can’t make it through the movie without frequently crying and nervously checking the dim lit hallway on the other side of the house. Having a boo to watch horror flicks with makes everything better, and a bowl of popcorn and a blanket doesn’t hurt either, but regardless of your tactics to reduce the fright factor, these five movies are sure to stick with you long after the credits roll.

1. The Shining:

An oldie but a goodie, this serial killer thriller stars Jack Nicholson in a role you won’t soon forget.

2. The Conjuring:

Warning: for experienced horror movie fans only! There’s no other way to say it, you will not sleep for at least a week after viewing this movie. Watch at your own risk, and with others. That said, it’s an excellent movie staring Patrick Wilson, a top tier actor.

3. Poltergeist:

Another oldie that illusively contains some considerably scary moments for a 1982 film. The shot for shot 2015 remake is good as well, and the advanced special effects make it even scarier.

4. Get Out:

Jordan Peele directed and wrote this psychological thriller that catapulted Daniel Kaluuya into the national spotlight. You might want to watch a Disney movie directly after this film for recovery because it plays with the mind and introduces true fear into a seemingly loving relationship in a way that will haunt you for days.

5. A Nightmare on Elm Street:

Everyone knows about Freddy Krueger, the burnt faced, claw handed, hat wearing, dream killer. The lines are cheesy, the special effects are elementary, and the scares won’t leave you trembling but for some reason, A Nightmare on Elm Street is a must watch in the horror genre.

As October rolls along and we creep toward Halloween, it’s vital to have a base foundation of go-to scary movies for the season. When asked about his horror movie preferences, Nick Grasso, creator of GrassyFilms said, “Scary movies are elite and effective, especially at Halloween. Watching some new ones and some old ones can make for a great time for a group of friends or a couple on a date. There’s just no feeling like being scared.” Don’t forget to do some research before hand and make sure to find at least 1 other person to watch with, because face it: only crazy people watch horror movies alone. Grab some snacks and soda and a seat on the sofa for a hauntingly good time this Halloween with any of the movies listed above, and don’t forget to check the cellar door before you go to bed! Happy watching, and happy Halloween.

 

 

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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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Fall Fest

 

One of my favorite events on campus is Fall Fest. It is exactly what it sounds like: a festival to kick off the fall season here at Grove City College. All the clubs, sororities, fraternities, and other organizations on campus make game booths in the Quad and you and your friends spend an entire afternoon wandering from booth to booth playing carnival games. To top off the fall experience, this year the student body government passed out caramel apples, popcorn, and other snacks. So here are some highlights from Grove City College’s 2020 Fall Fest. 

  1. Bunnies. Bunnies. Bunnies. Most years, some wonderful club or organization brings a petting zoo to campus. Yes, a petting zoo. In effort to make Fall Fest a little more sanitary this year, the campus decided against a petting zoo.  One club was a little more creative and  decided to bring some small rabbits to Fall Fest this year. I cannot tell you how many times I heard the question, “Did you see the bunnies?” during Fall Fest. It was a big hit, and I think we are all excited to hang out with some bunnies again next fall. 
  2. Duck Hunt. You have probably never heard of this game, but it is a Fall Fest favorite. Each player has a large bucket of assorted rubber ducks. When the person running the game shows you a rubber duck in a cowboy costume, you are on a mission to find the cowboy rubber duck in your bucket before your opponent can find a cowboy rubber ruck in their bucket. 
  3. Egg Roulette. If you have ever played the card game Russian roulette, then you might have a good guess as to what this game is. Every game has four players, and each player smashes an egg against their forehead. Hopefully, your egg was hardboiled and you can earn tickets. Unfortunately there are losers in every game, and the loser in this game will end up with a face full of raw egg. 
  4. Water Dunk. It is a classical carnival game and there is a good reason for that. There are not many other feelings as good as when you are  the one to nail throwing the ball at the target so that a large bucket of water falls on some poor booth runner’s head. 
  5. Bigfoot Run. This was a new booth to Grove City College’s Fall Fest. For this game, participants strapped on some massive feet and raced against one another to the finish line, while trying to not lose their toenails (some plastic balls attached to the giant feet). It was probably my favorite booth to watch.
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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.