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On March 16, 2020, the governor of Pennsylvania issued a state-wide stay at home order. Up until this point, Grove City College was one of the few schools remaining open. Sadly, with this order, the Grove was finally forced to close its doors and move to online classes. But some students were not able to return home. The 30 or so of us stuck on campus nicknamed ourselves: The Remnant. During my time with The Remnant, I journaled about my life on campus. 

 

April 1, 2020

I apologize for the lack of updates over the past few days. I’ve been quite busy with schoolwork and spending time with The Remnant so I haven’t found the opportunity to write. We haven’t done much out of the ordinary the past few days. I’ve hit it off very well with one member of The Remnant in particular. She took an interest in my balisong skills, so I’ve been teaching her some tricks. I’ve quite enjoyed our time together as we have very similar senses of humor and tastes in music. Speaking of balisongs, I’m close to mastering a trick that has eluded me for several years due to lack of time for flipping. Now that I have the time, I’ve been able to learn the Behind the Eight Ball. It’s a fairly advanced maneuver, and I’d recommend you look it up on YouTube. My new trainer has proved very useful in learning new tricks. I’ve also become the de facto tech guy, not just for my professors, but now for the students on campus. It’s been fun helping people solve problems and helps distract me from the fact that we’re effectively trapped on campus. This evening we had a meeting with one of the RDs in which he told us that we are not allowed to leave campus unless there is something truly essential that we need. On the plus side however, he also wants to try and keep some kind of social activity going. We’ve already been doing so, but now that we have an RD we have a little more power at our disposal which means being able to possibly use the large lecture halls for movie nights. Since he’s also backed by the campus, he has some money he can use on events which means snacks for movie nights. I’m oddly looking forward to the coming weeks and what they have to offer. I hope this extra long post has made up for my absence. Until next time. -Jacob

 

This hopeful outlook marked my final journal entry. Due to increased workload from school and the time I was spending with The Remnant, I opted to stop writing. We had a few more adventures, but for the most part we fell into a steady rhythm of school and game nights. I hope you have enjoyed this series as much as I have enjoyed putting it together! It was a very unique experience and I am glad to have shared it with the world. Thank you for reading!

 

 

Each year at Grove City College there is a class called E-Commerce, where students create online businesses that donate their profits to local nonprofits. In this class, teams of students learn how to manage an online business in a hands-on learning experience. This week I sat down with Amanda Mayer, team member of E-Commerce team “Knot Hangin’,” who gave me some insight into her experience over the course of this semester. 

I began by asking, “So, what have you learned from E-Commerce?”

Amanda thought for a moment and then replied, “Before this class I had no experience in marketing, finance, and… I’ve learned so much within a few short weeks. I’ve had to balance checkbooks, produce items (goods), and market actual products to be sold. It’s no longer your safe, pretend theory of a world. You’re actually making things that people will use.” 

Curious as to what kind of goods Knot Hangin’ produced, I asked, “What’s an example of some of the products you make in Knot Hangin’?”

“We make plant hangers, keychains, coasters, and small wall decals, all out of macramé,” Amanda answered. Macramé coasters is a new concept to me, but what a cute idea!”

“Very cool! So you’re making the macramé yourself?” I though to myself – students learn how to make macramé in this class too? That’s pretty cool. 

 “Yes, everything is made by my team,” Amanda chuckled, reflecting back on recent nights of putting together the team’s orders. 

 “Have you worked with macramé before?” 

“Oh, no! I didn’t know how to make anything before this,” Amanda exclaimed, which means that she picked up making macramé in a matter of weeks before her products began to sell. How amazing! 

“Oh, so who came up with the idea for selling macramé?” I questioned. 

Amanda answered while pulling out her computer to show me some of their products, “Bailey Mantzel. I knew her through Young Life, and when I heard her idea I really fell in love with the concept and the excitement of being on her team.” There is nothing better than a project with friends, and Amanda has clearly enjoyed working with her friend Bailey. 

As I scrolled through the beautiful webpage and glanced over the macramé products, I asked, “What’s your favorite thing about your business?” 

Amanda laughed, “My favorite thing? That it’s real. It’s not like an idea or a theory, we are actually putting it into practice. I love the team, they’re a bunch of goofballs. I love the products that we make because they are actually good products and we give all of our profits to charity.” 

“Yeah! Can you tell me a bit about the charity you donate to?” I asked, excited to hear about the impact Knot Hangin’ was making in our community. 

“Absolutely. The charity we donate to is the Arc of Mercer County,” Amanda started, pulling up their webpage to give me a better look. She explained, “Their mission is to provide for adults with disabilities. I have family members who are adults with disabilities and personally I felt at a loss… I didn’t know how to help them but through this I found a way to encourage my family and encourage my community.”

So not only did the class teach her all these amazing life skills, but she was able to make an impact in a subject she truly cared about.

Wrapping up, I asked my final question, “Would you recommend E-Commerce to incoming students?” 

Without missing a beat, Amanda replied, “Yes. I would recommend E-Commerce to anyone. If you’re an Engineer, you have a mindset and solutions that would benefit the team. If you’re in Marketing, it gives you experience in reaching out and boosting your product. Computer Science – we need people to make a good website, sometimes even from scratch. Any major, I would recommend this.” 

You can find out more about Grove City College’s student businesses at gccentrepreneurship.com. Each year, the E-Commerce class has a handful of online businesses that start up and sell their products to donate to a variety of charities and organizations. It is a good place to see what Grove City students are creating and find a sense for the causes that are important to the community. 

From the beautiful nature surrounding the campus, to the well structured buildings and engaging professors, there can be a lot to enjoy about Grove City College. This week I surveyed the student body and asked them to tell me their favorite thing about Grove City College, and here is what they had to say: 

Christ-Centered Education

When asked what their favorite thing about Grove City College is, many students gave a similar report, saying, “The Christ centered education.” One student shared that he loves “the way it’s shaping how I view the world through the light of Christ and the Lord of all.” 

The College is focused on incorporating Christ into every subject. If you are learning about business, you are learning about how to honor God in operating your business. If you are learning about sports, you are learning to honor God with your body. If you are learning about education, you are learning to honor God in the education field. Everything we learn points us back to our relationship with Christ. 

Trees

Another classic campus favorite is the autumn trees on campus, which explains why some students answered, “The trees.”

Maybe you do not wander around thinking about how great trees are, but when you walk on to Grove City College’s campus in the fall, noticing the trees is absolutely unavoidable. These trees are nothing less than stunning. As someone who comes from the west coast, seeing such brightly covered trees is my new favorite part of fall. Another student gave a shout out to the campus trees when they said, “The fall trees are beautiful.” 

 

Professors

“Professors,” answered more than a couple of the students surveyed. Another student responded, “The people and professors.”

When you are thinking about attending college, considering the quality of professors should be at the top of your list for college qualifications. Trust me, good teachers make a world of difference when it comes to what you will take away from a course. As we can see here, the professors on campus are truly beloved.

Another student made a remark about how the professors at Grove City do more than just teach, saying, “The quality professors. They always genuinely care about students.” 

 

Community

“Generally friendly people,” replied one student. 

“The people!” exclaimed another. 

 

It is pretty obvious that our community is another favorite aspect of Grove City. One of the core values of the College is community, and that core value is lived out in the lives of the students on campus. Students here actively encourage one another and help others out. I once dropped my I.D. card in a parking lot three miles away from campus, and another student took the time to pick it up and walk it back to me. If that is not an excellent community, I am not sure what is. 

Deep friendships and community can make the world of difference on whether or not you enjoy your college experience. Students here have certainly found that the friendships, mentorships, and community runs deep. One student says their favorite thing about campus is, “The great friendships I’ve made while here.”

Nearly half of the students surveyed agreed that community is probably their all time favorite thing about school. So, if you are worried or nervous about making friends, do not sweat it. Odds are, if you are coming to Grove City College, you will make lifelong friends.

 

Lighting up the Star

One Grove City College student reminds us about a favorite campus tradition when she writes, “Lighting up the star in December.” This is such a fun tradition at Grove City College that we hope we get to see this year. Each year when we come back from Thanksgiving break, the school is fully decorated for Christmas. There are trees in most buildings, the outside trees have twinkle lights, and the chapel is so beautifully decorated to celebrate the birth of our Savior. Best of all, each year there is an annual star lighting ceremony, when the big star above our science building is illuminated for the rest of the holiday season. 

 

Grove City College is home to many different buildings, some old, some new. But something they all share is lore. Grove City has had students living within its walls for well over a century. Every building, old or new, has its fair share of stories and legends passed down through generations of students. Today I would like to share a couple of my personal favorite stories, along with an explanation about the buildings where they took place.

 

The SAC Tunnels

The centerpiece of upper campus is the Breen Student Union, more commonly called the SAC. SAC refers to the building’s old name – “Student Activity Center.” It is built in the same style as most of the other buildings on campus, with red brick and grand gables. Inside, it is home to the GeDunk café, the campus bookstore, the offices of Student Life and Learning, and the mailroom. It is a bustling hub of student activity both day and night. But, below the SAC, lie the fabled SAC tunnels. While in reality they are simply storage for the GeDunk and used for transporting mail, there are rumors of students that broke into the tunnels and explored them. The tales tell us that the tunnels are not just below the SAC, but that there is also an abandoned section extending all the way to lower campus. While these rumors hold little truth, they still are spread to freshmen by mischievous upperclassmen. As with any tall tale, they get more absurd with every retelling.

 

The Great Escape from STEM 

The newest and fanciest building on campus is the STEM (“Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math”) building. As the name suggests, this building is home to many of the Grove’s STEM programs. But even this building has seen some shenanigans. One of the events that takes place on campus each semester is Humans vs. Zombies (HvZ). It is effectively a campus-wide, 24/7, week-long game of infection tag with Nerf blasters. The zombies try to “turn” all the humans by tagging them, while the humans try to defend themselves by stunning the zombies with their Nerf blasters. Participants play the game even while on their way to and from class, giving zombies opportunities to ambush humans. One such ambush took place towards the end of HvZ week one year. One of the last surviving humans had snuck into STEM. Shortly thereafter, zombies surrounded the building waiting for him to come outside. Due to concerns of safety and privacy, there are certain safe-zones for the humans – one of these is STEM. He was safe inside, but could not leave for fear of being tagged. However, one of the professors noticed his predicament. The professor had seen what was going on, and after the game was explained to him by the student, he hatched a plan. He helped the student climb into a large box that had been used to carry some equipment inside the building. He then loaded it onto a dolly and wheeled it outside. Despite the game, the zombies saw the professor wheeling the seemingly heavy box and offered to help him. He told them it needed to be taken to the dorm building where the student lived. The zombies, none the wiser, wheeled their cargo up to the student’s dorm where they left it. They returned to lie in wait for their target, who unbeknownst to them, was now safely situated in his room. 

 

I hope you enjoyed this little peak into some of the stories of the Grove. Perhaps you’ll create some stories of your own during your time here. 

Not knowing who your roommate will be as you begin college can be a little nerve-wracking. You could be living with someone you do not know anything about, or who is from a completely different state or country, or who has completely different expectations for sleep cycles or cleanliness. It can be tough. This week I interviewed a couple of people and asked them about what their experience has been with their roommate, and asked for tips on how to deal with roommate conflict. 

I started by asking how they went about dealing with roommate conflict. H replied, “Well, my roommate S normally does it for everybody else. But, one thing I noticed she does a lot is when she has a hard conversation with one of our roommates, and she says something that could be taken the wrong way, she always goes back and does something nice for them. For example, sometimes when I’ve had a tough conversation with my roommates and I felt like it went badly I will leave them a nice note and try to encourage them or make things right.” 

M had a similar thought, saying, “Yeah, I think it is best to try to restore the relationship, but still be sure to deal with things. I really don’t enjoy confrontation, and I think sometimes people try to not deal with things or push it under a table, but it just does not go well.” 

J thought it was good to bring up the conflict early on, saying, “You bring up the problem early before it becomes a big problem and try to talk it out respectfully.” 

“So,” I asked, “Is there ever a good time to ignore problems with a roommate?”

H replied, “Don’t ignore your problems with other people, actually address them. I think people do that a lot – it’s not a very big social norm (to address problems), especially coming out of high school. People don’t deal with problems they have with others in high school. They don’t talk to people they are having problems with. Before I came, I had maybe had those types of conversations about three times. But when I first arrived I needed to have those conversations like three times within the first week of school.”

J wanted to add more clarification – “If it’s something you are sure you can deal with and it’s just irking you, but not really ruining you… If you know you can live with it, and it’s just inconvenient then you could probably ignore it.” 

Continuing the thought, I asked the group, “Why do you think that is important to address problems with roommates?”

“So you’re not building up any sort of weird emotion with your roommate. You don’t want things to get stuck under a table and have it be tense in the room,” H said, with a look of remembrance on her face. 

J added, “I think it’s a good thing to do early because it kind of builds up some respect between you and your roommates and it keeps it open for more conversation.”

Roommate conflict can be a tough issue when you share a small dorm space with people, but hopefully this tips help give you a hint on how to deal with roommate issue in the future. I have had some amazing roommates throughout the years, and all of them have become life-long friends. Whatever the circumstances, aim for peace.

 

On March 16, 2020, the governor of Pennsylvania issued a state-wide stay at home order. Up until this point, the Grove was one of the few schools to remain open. But sadly, this order forced the college to close its doors and move to online classes. Almost all students were forced to leave. Some students however, could not leave. Those of us that remained on campus nicknamed ourselves “The Remnant.” For one reason or another, none of us could go home. During my time with The Remnant, I journaled about what life was like on campus. 

 

March 29th, 2020

Classes today went as smoothly as can be expected. It’s still clunky but I suppose that’s to be expected. This evening most of The Remnant met up and did another game night. It was great fun teaching everyone the absurd version of spoons known to the Shirk household. When questioned about my chaotic version of the game, I take great joy in responding: “What’s the name of the game? Spoons or cards?” At one point we ordered pizza, and a guy named Samuel brought some homemade wings. They were quite possibly the best wings I’ve ever had and I wish he had brought more. After playing several games, I fell asleep on one of the couches and slept for around an hour. When I woke up, most people were leaving. I headed back to my room and crashed. I won’t be posting on Saturday as it’s typically my rest day, and as such, I don’t do much other than play video games and nap. My new balisong trainer arrived early on Saturday, but sadly I can’t pick it up until Monday as the mail room is closed on the weekend. All the reviews for it were excellent so I’m excited to try it. -Jacob

 

The Remnant game nights became a staple of our group. It was a great time for all of us to socialize and blow off steam. Other than spoons, we played everything from Texas Hold ‘Em to Settlers of Catan. These game nights were definitely the highlights of my time with The Remnant. Other than game nights, we also had movie nights and regular meals. 

 

As I mentioned, I take Saturdays as my rest days. On Saturday, I force myself not to do any work, no exceptions. I believe it is very important to have a Sabbath day every week. The day of pure rest is very important for maintaining sanity and preventing burnout. If I had to give one piece of advice to an incoming freshman, it would be to make sure you set up your schedule to have one dedicated rest day. 

 

Stay tuned for further installments of The Remnant!

 

On March 16, 2020, the governor of Pennsylvania issued a state-wide stay at home order due to concerns surrounding the spread of COVID-19. Up until this point, the Grove was one of the last schools to remain open. But with this order, it was finally forced to close its doors and move to online classes. However, some students could not go home. Whether it be due to travel restrictions, high-risk family members, or simply living in a time zone too distant from Grove City to make online classes possible, these students remained. The 30 or so of us stuck on campus nicknamed ourselves “The Remnant.” During my time with The Remnant, I journaled about what life was like.

 

When we last left off in this series, I had been battling with the habit of procrastination. 

 

March 26th, 2020

In the spirit of breaking procrastination, I’m writing this directly after the previous entry. Hopefully I can channel this energy into other fields than just my recreational writing. Today was great. I slept in once again (a growing theme for Tuesdays and Thursdays). I went to lunch with my Resident Director and some guys from my hall. It’s been fun getting to know the three of us still in my dorm. I headed back to my dorm around 12:30 to get ready for class. Because of how behind everyone else is with their projects, professor Bandy gave us today’s class period to work on projects. However, because Matt and I are so far ahead, we didn’t have much to do. We ended up making some very small adjustments for the purpose of preparing for the next edit. After class, I headed down to lower campus to play volleyball. Despite my obvious lack of skill, we still had a great time. I found myself abusing my height advantage to the best of my ability. At one point, our ball rolled into the river and myself and another guy went on an adventure to retrieve it. I have re-learned the pains of walking bare-foot across gravel. After volleyball, I came back to my room and took a nap. It was a lovely nap, but one that was sadly cut short in its prime as I had another class at seven. I was pleasantly surprised to hear that McNulty curved our grades up by a fairly large margin because he had made the test harder than he meant to. I had done fine on the test even before the curve, but it was still nice. -Jacob  

 

The spirit of camaraderie that developed between everyone during this time was great. A shared burden like that of our isolation from the rest of the world did much in the way of bringing us together. I have remained close friends with several of The Remnant to this day. We will occasionally have game nights or grab lunch to stay in touch. I always try to find the silver linings in things, and in the case of COVID-19, that silver lining was definitely the friends I made in The Remnant.

 

Stay tuned for further installments of The Remnant!

On March 16, 2020, a state-wide stay at home order was issued by the governor of Pennsylvania. This was due to increasing concerns regarding the spread of COVID-19. Up until this point, Grove City College had remained open, but sadly, this order finally forced the Grove to shut its doors and move to online classes. However, some students could not go home for one reason or another. The 30 or so of us that remained on campus nicknamed ourselves The Remnant. Our numbers hailed from all over the world, from Australia to Jamaica, and in my case, Hawaii. During my time with The Remnant, I journaled about what my life was like on campus.

 

When we last left off, I was far ahead of schedule on a big project, and therefore had little homework for the week. 

 

March 25, 2020

I’m technically writing this on the 26th but that has no bearing on the fact that today with one exception was entirely uneventful. I got up, did class, got lunch, did class again. The one exception was for dinner. Myself and several of The Remnant got food to go and had a picnic on one of the patios next to the quad. It was an absolutely gorgeous day out. We used our time at dinner to lay plans for playing volleyball tomorrow (technically today given my procrastination). It’ll be nice to have a reason to get outside in the beautiful weather again tomorrow. Because I’m so far ahead in video production I didn’t need to do any homework for tomorrow. Naturally, I blew all this free time on video games rather than my upcoming paper. I saw a very interesting YouTube video once describing the thought process of a procrastinator. It illustrated two primary companions to the mind of the procrastinator, the instant gratification monkey, and the panic monster. Clearly one of these companions is still in hiding. -Jacob

 

A common demon faced by many college students is that of procrastination. It is something nearly everyone has to deal with and overcome, but it seems to target me in particular. However, I have learned to develop a workflow around it. I have managed to time the arrival of my panic monster such that I have not needed to pull any all-nighters thus far in my college career. However I am still working on scheduling myself in such a way as to not deal with the panic monster at all. Either way, I recommend that any incoming student to the Grove get their instant gratification monkey in check before arriving, as it will make your transition to college life much smoother than it might otherwise be.

 

Stay tuned for further installments of The Remnant!