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Foundations and Filmmaking

The Kelly Barnes Dam broke loose and Greg Bandy’s life shook. The whelming flood took 39 lives on the morning of Nov. 6, 1977. As most people would after witnessing such a horrific event, Bandy asked the question “Why am I still alive?”

The scene sounds like a movie. And maybe one day it will be. Professor Greg Bandy specializes in teaching multimedia. He joined the Grove City College faculty this fall, previously working at Asbury University, where he received his undergrad in Secondary Education.

While at Asbury, he co-founded the Highbridge Film Festival in 2005 with Jeff Day. They were both professors in the Media Communications department at the college.

Before Bandy found his passion of filmmaking and screenwriting, he practiced journalism on a smaller scale. While writing a local newspaper, he developed a skill set which can be beneficial in business, non-profits, education, research and many other fields. “At the heart of solid creation is journalism skills,” Bandy said. But journalism is not bound simply to newspapers. Instead, journalism includes design, writing, production and multimedia. “Journalism today is content creation,” Bandy said.

“It starts with knowing how to write a story,” Bandy said. Therefore, he teaches his classes building up from the basics. First, his students will learn how to write a story. They may acquire six or so new skills. Then the next class they take they will add six more skills. The progression continues until students are fluent in the language of multimedia.

“We are not swimming in content, we are drowning, but liberal arts education is the key to that,” Bandy said. Learning about science, math, writing and language all aid in writing good stories. Though science may be difficult to fully grasp, it is an avenue for new writing. It is a new network for content creation. The liberal arts education at Grove City is one reason Bandy accepted a position here.

He currently teaches Journalism, Video Production, and Documentary Film. “The school has invested nicely in the production tools in the TLC,” Bandy said. These tools assist students in creating their own documentary films by the end of the semester. “Production is different,” he said. “It includes technology, people, art, writing, problem-solving, and creative, narrative production.”

He looks forward to building upon the Communication and Visual Arts department and driving it in a new direction. He hopes to create an intersession course in which students produce a film from screenwriting to the finished cut. Bandy loves story-telling and hopes his Rhodesian Ridgeback dog will join him in Grove City soon.

Check out Bandy’s Instagram at profbandy. He also has his films on Vimeo of his first and most well-known films is on C.S. Lewis. Find the film and others here: https://vimeo.com/16791969

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An RA’s Perspective: Katherine Nichols

Katherine Nichols, RA of MAP West

Katherine Nichols, a senior at Grove City College, balances a busy schedule between a major in Biology, a minor in French, and being a Resident Assistant (RA) for those living in Mary Anderson Pew (MAP) West. Living with primarily freshmen ladies, Katherine can offer advice from the perspective of not only a senior, but also a third-year RA.

She explains that since her first year as a sophomore RA, she has seen a few changes in the Student Life & Learning department. For example, a few Resident Directors (men and women who oversee a particular dorm) have come and gone while some have changed buildings. In her opinion, the changes that most directly affected the RAs, were amendments to Open Hours. Initially called ‘Intervisitation Hours,’ these policies govern how men and women may visit dorms for the opposite gender. When Katherine was a freshman, the guest was required both to be escorted through the building by their host and to register to the host’s room. Now, a visitor may go directly to the host’s room, but is still required to sign in – to the floor, not to the specific room. Katherine explains, “This change has given the students privacy and responsibility.”

Life as an RA comes with many unique challenges. Being assigned to a floor of residents, Katherine says, means that as many as 30 or 40 students “go to you as their first point person.” She has helped with stress and roommate conflict, offered prayer and tutoring, and has even smashed “that weird looking bug on the ceiling” in the line of duty. However, these issues are just a part of the job description. Katherine explains that the real challenge lies in finding a balance between fulfilling RA responsibilities, while also dedicating time to academic and other responsibilities. In her words, “I want to be able to take my residents out for coffee and shopping on a whim every day, and just live college like it’s camp, but I am pretty sure I would fail out of Grove City College if I did.”

While RA life comes with challenges, it also comes with unexpected blessings. Katherine says that “it’s the little things like notes, a hug, or chocolate that keeps you going.” These are reminders that the sacrifices, like staying up until 3 a.m. or hours devoted to a fun program, are worth it. In addition, it is a blessing to “represent the school well, to foster community, and to minister to your peers.” She loves the opportunity to develop relationships with 40 ladies that otherwise she might not have met. As a new student at Grove City College, the prospect of making new friends can seem overwhelming, but having a familiar, friendly face on your hall makes the transition easier.

Though part of her job is to enforce the rules, Katherine explains that the stereotype of a strict, overbearing RA is a misconception. She says, “RA’s are not out to get you. Our job is just to help make sure that Grove City is a safe, functioning, and loving community.” After helping to foster a loving community for three years, she has excellent advice to offer freshman students. For her, patience was the biggest factor in gracious dorm life, as well as the ability to “walk in the other person’s shoes.” Being able to empathize with the other person, and to understand the personalities and experiences in play, makes it much easier to effectively address any problem in dorm life. She urges new students to “get to know your roommate, suitemate, or hall-mate as best as you can – it’ll make a world of difference.”

 

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Not Playing Sports in College, A New Way of Life

Grove City Women’s Tennis Fall 2015. Photo courtesy of Alyssa Jackson

During my last tennis match at Grove City, my strings broke and I used my coach’s racquet. The heavy feeling of a new object threw me off. I lost the exhibition match, ending my career in a let down.

Let me just say, this is no bashing of playing college sports. Playing varsity tennis taught me much. I learned time management, team development, and how to lead a team to play for the glory of God. I learned self-discipline both physically and mentally. And I learned that sports will always play a role in my life. I proudly look forward to future days as a soccer mom.

For 14 years straight I played team sports including soccer, basketball and tennis. When I made the decision to quit varsity tennis at Grove City, I stepped into unknown waters. What was life without daily practices, working out with the motivation of adding to my team, and proudly wearing my uniform to class on match days?

So, why did I leave behind these experiences? A shoulder injury definitely played a part. I tore my labrum and needed surgery, which I had the spring of my junior year. Talk about going from an athlete to a couch potato.

Time can only be used in so many ways before it is gone. Two to three hours a day of practice and two- to seven-hour matches during the week and on weekends filled my waking hours. Homework and some time with friends filled the rest. I realized that though I loved my team, competing and being in shape, I wanted to use my college experience to pursue other opportunities. One of my passions is writing, and after quitting tennis, I devoted much more time to improving my skills.

I am avidly pursuing a career in journalism. I accepted a job with the college newspaper and am now the managing editor until I graduate in December. As I move on from college, I have an internship with World Magazine, an answer to prayer and I am so excited.

Though I miss the accountability of being on a team, I know I made the best decision. Not only could I spend time interviewing and writing people’s stories, but I learned to enjoy assignments, freely attend evening lectures, and simply enjoy being surrounded by friends on this beautiful campus.

If you are a high school student deciding whether or not to play a varsity college sport, let me help you – There is no wrong answer. I split my college career of playing sports and not, and I am glad I got to dip my toes into two very different worlds. Though there is no wrong option, some are better than others. Keep in mind the time you spend at college cannot be duplicated.

Also know that our intramural (IM) sports program here at Grove City is nothing to joke about. IM soccer, volleyball, badminton, tennis, basketball, ping pong, and even flag football have all filled my four years. Though varsity sports may not be for you, alternatives abound. Do not fear when you no longer devote each moment to bettering your body and your team. Life after college is filled with marriage, jobs, travel – but the chance to play on a varsity team may not carry over. However, each of those other activities can be bettered during the formative four years of college.

Make time to enjoy God’s creation, watch a movie with your roommate, listen to a talk from a renowned guest speaker, play some IM sports and maybe go for a run. Each human consists of mind, body and soul. Each can be nourished by the choices we make. And no matter which choice you make about varsity sports in college, you will find your place.

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The Road to Self-Discovery: A Senior’s Unique Perspective

“I realized in life there are a lot of chapters that we go through. For me the chapters went as such: high school, the military, after that working hard to save money to move here, and now college. For me this chapter is closing, I’m already preparing to ‘write’ the next chapter. Each chapter seems longer than the other one, not by amount of years, but things that happen, things that matter, things that make me who I am.”

Daniel Peiffer is a senior Communication Studies major with a minor in Design. Over the past four years he has been involved in WSAJ, Grove City College’s radio station, and has pursued his passion for photography in his free time. While he seems like an average student, Daniel does not consider himself to be like the typical “Grover.” Daniel grew up in Israel, he does not share the same Christian faith as many students, and he did not intend on coming to Grove City College. Although these things made his transition to college more challenging, Daniel used this experience to grow as an individual.

While at the College, Daniel learned that being organized is the key to success. He noted that being unorganized and slacking will “show up in your grades” and that working hard leads to extra time to explore hobbies and to relax. He also discovered that each class, for better or worse, was a learning experience that helped him to determine his strengths and weaknesses and how to better manage them. He even spoke highly of the independent study that he took, commenting that the class helped him to “discover and learn a lot more about I want to do in the future.”

As this chapter of life closes for Daniel, a new one full of even more adventures will begin. Daniel longs to put his education to the test to pursue a career in video production and he hopes that future Grove City College students find their niche as well.

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Professor Spotlight: Dr. Cramer

I recently got to interview another member of the chemistry department here at Grove City: Dr. Susan Cramer. After attending Malone University and obtaining her undergraduate degree in chemistry, Dr. Cramer got her master’s degree from the University of Toledo. While she was on a trip home, she stopped by her alma mater (Malone), and was informed of a teaching opportunity, which she later applied for and accepted. After teaching at Malone for four years, she returned to the University of Akron to get her Ph.D. While there, she saw an ad for an opening in the Grove City College Department of Chemistry and has been here as a faculty member since the fall of 2002.

Dr. Cramer is involved in variety of aspects for the department. As an organic chemist, she primarily teaches that class and the lab that accompanies it. She was originally hired to teach polymer chemistry, as well as “baby chem” (chemistry for non-science majors), and she still teaches these classes periodically. Teaching class and labs is something she enjoys, and she mentioned to me how Grove City is unique because professors are the ones doing all the teaching, not graduate assistants.

Having grown up on a small dairy farm in Ohio, the small-town aspect of Grove City is just one of the things that is very attractive about the College to Dr. Cramer. She also enjoys the amount of equipment and instrumentation that Grove City provides for students to use to get “hands-on” experience. One of the things that originally drew her to Grove City was the resources the College is able to provide to students, since many other colleges do not have these same opportunities. Another thing that drew her to Grove City, and has kept her here, is the fact that Grove City is a Christian institution. Dr. Cramer wanted to stay at a small Christian college since this is similar to where she went to college. She told me that she “can openly share [her] faith” here, and that is something she was unable to do at other institutions she worked.

Unlike many other professors, Dr. Cramer is not actively involved in research at the College. However, this does not mean she is not busy filling her time with other things. She is a faculty advisor for the Grove City chapter of the American Chemical Society (ACS), as well as the chemistry honorary. She is also well known for her willingness to participate in different events on campus, the most famous being Faculty Follies (this year, she did an excellent dance number that her students loved). “I think it’s fun to give students a good laugh every once in a while.”

Something Dr. Cramer emphasized during our interview was the level of personal interaction that happens between students and faculty at Grove City. They both get to know each other well, and faculty will not only know student’s names, but they will know much more about them. She mentioned that she has lunch with different students regularly, and every year she hosts a fall party at her house for members of ACS. She also highlighted how students become very close with the other members of their class, and how that is fun for both the students and the faculty. She was able to recount to me many different stories of interactions with students over the years, and how that makes her job more enjoyable. Her care for students was evident even as I sat outside her office with friends a few weeks after this interview, and she took the time to come say hi to all of us and check in on how everyone was doing. Dr. Cramer has served Grove City well for many years, and will no doubt continue to do so.

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Community Spotlight: Resident Director

The Resident Directors of Grove City College are some of the most influential community builders on campus. Resident Directors live in the student dorms full-time and focus their time on making campus life as comfortable as possible. RDs, as we lovingly call them, oversee the Resident Assistants, arrange events, and are available to residents whenever needed. Meredith Gross has been the RD of Harker Hall for four years. Here is what she has to say about the campus community from her aspect.

What was your education prior to coming to Grove City College?

I attended Messiah College for history and communications, and Taylor University for my Master of Arts of Higher Education and College Student Development.

What is your favorite/ most rewarding aspect of being a Resident Director?

Getting to educate outside of the classroom! Some of my most influential learning opportunities happened through applying what I learned in classes to my personal growth outside of my academic life. Getting to talk through these moments with students, seeing their growth, and cheering them on is by far my favorite thing!

Does the community aspect of Harker change per year or is it fairly consistent? 

There is some change, but much of it is the same because of groups. I love this!!! I love having many of the same residents for a few years. It feels like a very cool gift. Many times my students are not the same as they were as sophomores when they graduate and that is really cool to witness.

How do you try and build community in Harker?

I try to build community by being available, approachable, and consistent. Being a young adult is hard, anything I can do to help in that process is what I want to be about.

How would you describe the community at Grove City College?

In Residence Life we talk about three pillars we want to be about… presence, preparation, and partnership. I think that’s how I would describe Grove City at its best as well. At its best, our students are involved with events and each other, they are preparing for life after college through leadership opportunities and growth, and they are partnered in their educational journeys with the administration and faculty. I love this community! I have truly come to love all of it in the four years I’ve been here. It also means I seek its continual growth because I care about the direction it heads.

 

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Student Spotlight: Alyssa Jackson

Alyssa Jackson, a Communication Studies and Visual Arts major and a Biblical and Religious Studies minor, reflected on her time at Grove City College as her junior year dwindles down. She described her college search before freshman year with how she thought she would be a music major. Alyssa even auditioned via video for Grove City’s music program, but they only accepted her as a minor. With some encouraging from her father, she decided to switch to her current major right before school started.

When asked about her involvement with groups, organizations, or extracurricular activities, Alyssa described what she does in her free time. “I’m a member and chaplain of Women of Faith, which is a campus ministry directed towards women on campus and in the community. We have weekly meetings in which I lead a devotion. I was a member of the varsity tennis team for two years and was captain my second year. Each of these leadership positions have been very different and I have learned a lot in each. I am the editor of the life section of the newspaper. Each week I have multiple tasks that need to be done in order to produce an issue of the paper each week. I work with a team of editors that I love and respect. This job definitely has its challenges, but it is something I wanted to do in the future. So I’m enjoying the experience.”

Alyssa hopes to work for a local newspaper, preferably as a reporter or a writer. Having a class with Dr. Potter in creative writing broadened her usual writing skills and taught her to express creativity in different ways. Dr. Miller’s journalism class was furthermore influential on her passion for writing. She also discussed her sense of a calling to be a wife and mother, in God’s timing. With her minor, Western Civilization with Dr. Mitchell and Biblical Ideas with Dr. Moeller have been classes that were some of the best teaching she has ever received.

“Dr. Mobley has been so helpful in planning for the future and encouraging me to be a go-getter. I also sat down and had an encouraging conversation with her about being a wife and mother. Also, with how God can use every aspect of our lives for his Glory. Dr. Miller has been in helpful in academics but is also a good friend of mine. I feel like I can talk to most anyone in the Comm Department about anything I may need,” Alyssa said.

She hopes that the Communication Studies and Visual Arts Department continues to host more exciting events that showcase the great life lessons that students learn by having the major. The application of communication is pertinent for her future job and with any relationship, before or after college. With it being a key in every single aspect of life, Alyssa discussed how it is not just an “easy, blow-off major.” “After all, if the study of communication is so easy, why is there so much miscommunication in the world?” Alyssa asked. The most important point she stressed was that the education and organization involvement she has received at Grove City College have sparked ideas that will affect her for the rest of her life.

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Myth Busted: If You Switch Majors You Will Not Graduate on Time, Chapter 2

Grove City College Chapel

It was not long into my second semester of college that I realized that I was again in a weird position. What is business management and why am I majoring in it? It was a good thing that at this point I was taking Principles of Management to find out. This only led me more astray though. I was again in the situation of, “What is this major and why am I in it if I do not know what I can do with it or if I even want to be a manager?” So, again I went in search of my calling. This second semester of college I took various types of business and economics classes trying to find my place in this big crazy world. Nothing “did it” (whatever “it” is) for me. I was forced to stay on this business track until I found what I wanted to do.

It was the first semester of my sophomore year that I found “it.” I was in Principles of Accounting with Professor Stone and I was not sure what it was but I was convinced that this “it” was in fact the “it.” At the end of that semester I decided to drop the business management major and pick up accounting (if you have not kept count until this point, this was my third different major). I continued on second semester of sophomore year as an accounting major and then into my junior year. I grew to appreciate the field and enjoy it more and more. That appreciation has led me to now, my second semester of my junior year, and I am still an accounting major.

Along this winding journey of major changes and confusion it was important for me to keep in mind my current position and what classes I needed to take to graduate on time, but this was the easy part. All three of my past and current advisors made this part of switching majors easy for me. They told me my current state and what I needed to take to graduate on time and even gave me pointers of how to spread the course load to minimize stress and maximize the value. I cannot stress enough that this was the easy part. You will figure it out, you will fit the classes that you need in. I am currently attempting to get a degree in accounting but to also acquire as close to 150 credits (128 credits is all that is required to graduate) as possible so that I can sit for my Certified Public Accountancy Exam (CPA Exam). I have made the classes fit, and so can you. No matter who you are, whether you switch majors six times or you do not switch majors at all, if you commit to finishing in four years (or five or six, whatever pace is most ideal to you) you can do it. In my journey to achieve 150 credits I have mapped out my schedule so that I will graduate with 146 credits. If I can do it, the kid who did not know what he wanted to do with his life and switched majors twice, then you can do it too!

Moral of the story is to have faith and meet with your advisors. It is funny how things come full circle. Did you notice how faith was one of the first things to come up when looking at how most people do not know what they want to do with their lives? This is because this faith is what allowed me and allows us as Christians to be joyful in times where we freak out because we have no idea of what we could do with our major and in times where we do not think that we can graduate on time. Faith is the overlapping factor. As Philippians 1:6 says, “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” This walk, and this mindset of trusting in God that he will lead us to where we need to be has led me to being a junior accounting major, somewhere I would have never thought I would be as a senior in high school. So, have faith and God will lead you. We, as humans, do not know what we want to do with our lives because our lives here on Earth are in hindsight not for us, they are for a bigger purpose which we may one day fulfill in Heaven.

If you are interested in hearing more about my story or simply want to just personally contact me about any of your specific worries feel free to at gosstd1@gcc.edu. I would be glad to help a worried younger high school me build up the courage to do things that I never did and to help you succeed to your fullest potential! God bless!

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Community Spotlight: December Graduate

When it comes to thinking about who makes up the community of Grove City College, often the first thought is students and professors. However, there are many more components – past and present – that play a vital role in the community here. I talked with Josh McFall, a December 2017 graduate. He studied accounting and participated in many camppus activities. Here is the interview that transpired:

Can you tell me a little about your academic journey?

I started my pursuit for higher education at Kent State University Trumbull Campus in the fall of 2013 as an undecided business major, after a semester I declared my major as Business Management before changing my major to accounting.

I stayed at Kent for two years before transferring to Grove City College. Three of my siblings had attended Grove City and I wasn’t convinced that it was the place for me. One of the turning points in my decision was at my sister Lizzy’s wedding at Harbison Chapel in the fall of 2014. I got to walk around the campus with my sister’s husband Joe, who also graduated from there. During this time, I got to talk with him about my preconceived notions and what I wanted from the remainder of my college career. Ultimately, that conversation and overall experience was the first event that led to my decision to attend Grove City College and I would end up applying about eight months later.

What has been the most difficult thing about graduating mid academic year?

Leaving my fiancée, sister, and friends in a rather anti-climactic way. I am a sentimental person, so I like having solid beginnings and endings as they help me compartmentalize my feelings and emotions. Graduating and leaving campus halfway through the academic school year is rather akin to walking out of a movie theater 10 minutes before the end of a movie while your friends all stay and watch it. You miss the last semester excitement and relief you share with other seniors who are about to graduate and walk to receive their diploma in May. I felt that excitement and relief mostly alone, and there was no fanfare or send off when I left campus. The vibe was just that of another winter break, and everyone else would see each other in a month.

Mind you, this is no fault of Grove City’s. There is nothing they could do to change the way things are. I was privileged to attend a dinner for the few seniors graduating in December at President and Mrs. McNulty’s house and it was a lovely time. Also, I will be back in May to walk, but if I’m being honest that is more for my parents than myself. If I had my way, I would choose not to walk simply because I have closed that chapter of my life and I am in a new one now (like I said, solid beginnings and endings).

What do you miss the most about Grove City?

What I miss may not be something unique to only Grove City, like chapel requirements, or jokes about rings by spring, but are unique to my personal experience and how it shaped my life. I miss the shenanigans and community of my transfer hall in Hicks, while living in the room with the window right above the trash cans everyone walks by to go to dinner. And I miss bonding with the guys of Pan Sophic while being their RA, and being given the opportunity to help foster community on my hall. And I miss having to amend my plan to get engaged multiple times due to inclement weather, another fraternity’s rush event, and a marching band competition this past October (I did finally pop the question and she said yes!). This is a tiny sliver of all that I value from my time and are they exclusively things that could have happened at Grove City? No, they could have happened at any college, but they didn’t, they happened at Grove City. And for that reason, I miss and reminisce about my time there. Those buildings and grounds will always be hallowed to me, not because they had uniqueness or specialness that was intrinsic to them (though they certainly do and that does play into it), but because that is the place where I built part of who I am today. So what I miss most is basically everything, the whole chapter beginning to end. I can’t think of one thing without being reminded of five other things.

What have you done post-graduation?

I work at Schneider Downs & Co in Pittsburgh which is a public accounting firm, and I am studying for the CPA exam.

How would you describe GCC’s community in your own words?

When people look at Grove City College, diversity is not necessarily the first thing that pops into their head’s, but to assume that the community here is totally homogeneous is very far from reality, I try to avoid making blanket statements for this reason. Like any other place, the overall community is like a patchwork quilt, and each patch in the quilt is itself another patchwork quilt, all the way down to the individual level. It’s true but ironic because I did end up just making a “blanket” statement… quilt… get it?

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Looking Forward to Junior Crimson Day

Calling all High School Juniors!

If you are a junior in high school, Grove City College would love to see you at Junior Crimson Day on April 21! The event will begin at 8 a.m. in the Physical Learning Center and will last until 2:30 in the afternoon. Up to 1,200 students and parents will be in attendance to get their first inside look at Grove City, and they will experience much of what the College has to offer.

After morning registration, optional sessions are provided to learn about financial aid and how to plan for college. Following these sessions, president of Grove City College, Paul J. McNulty (’80), will present a warm welcome to everyone. After listening to and learning from other respectable speakers, those attending will be able to explore the campus with various activities scheduled. Those activities include:

  • Major Interest Fair
    • Learn about the various majors at Grove City
  • Residence Hall Sneak Peek
    • A look inside freshmen halls and dorm rooms
  • Walking Tour
    • Escorted by student tour guides
  • Lunch
    • Provided by Grove City’s dining halls
  • Financial Aid and College Planning 101 Sessions
    • In case you missed the morning sessions!

Personal Experiences

After speaking with two current students about their experiences at Junior Crimson Day, I found that they were both impacted in a positive way. Attending this event helped guide them in their college decision, and it could do the same for you!

“Junior Crimson Day allowed me to see the school in a more realistic sense than I would have on a tour of the campus. I was able to spend two nights with students in their dorm rooms, exposing me to what life is like at Grove City College. The scheduled events gave my parents and I insight to what the College offers and values, along with the logistics of actually attending.”

-Gretchen Basham, Freshman

“Junior Crimson Day was the first time I had visited Grove City. I fell in love with the school by getting to see how the current students volunteered their time to be speakers, and even all the students who were working were helpful and relatable. After coming to Grove City, I decided I wanted to be able to impact incoming students the way I was impacted, so I joined the admissions team and have got to work at two Junior Crimson Days which has been a great experience”

-Victoria Graf, Senior

Registration

If you would like to register for Junior Crimson Day, you can sign up at http://www.gcc.edu/Info/Events-News/Admissions-Events/Open-Houses/Junior-Crimson-Day. The registration link is located at the bottom of the page.

Grove City College welcomes all who are available to come, and we hope to see you on April 21!