Tag: off campus

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Grove City Good Eats

Beef and Vegetables

Grove City may be small, but there is an abundance of great places to eat out when you are looking for a change from the cafeteria. I was pleasantly surprised when I came to Grove City to find amazing food in such a small area. Here are four of my favorites, two within walking distance and two within a short 10-minute drive!

Jin Sushi is a cozy, new Japanese restaurant on Broad Street across from Beans on Broad. They craft delicious sushi and authentic Japanese and Chinese cuisine with over 15 years of experience from their chefs. If you come in around lunchtime, they have sushi lunch specials: miso soup and two maki rolls for $9, or soup and three maki rolls for $12. The atmosphere is calm for a nice sit down meal, or you can get your meal to go if you are running between classes.

The Broad Street Grille is the classic Grove City comfort food restaurant, located on Broad Street across from the parking lot. Whether you are in the mood for wings, burgers or a simple sandwich, the Broad Street Grille has you covered. They will often run specials such as wing nights, and it is a lively scene with music and good times in the evenings. If you are a Grove City student and you have yet to visit the Broad Street Grille, do not miss a chance to experience the quintessential Grover restaurant.

If you have a car and are willing to drive to the Grove City Outlets, Primanti Bros. is a comfort food restaurant that has been serving western Pennsylvania since 1933. They specialize in “almost famous” sandwiches, but you can get anything from wings to pizza to salad. You can check their website for promotions and deals, and it is a popular destination for large student groups going out to eat for celebrations.

If you want to take that special someone out to a nice dinner, TimberCreek Tap & Table is a rustic chic restaurant serving everything from steak to seafood. It is a more expensive option, but the atmosphere is amazing, and the food is spectacular. TimberCreek looks like a log cabin, and the central floor is glass so you can see below into its own brewery. If you are looking to impress, TimberCreek has your back with some of the highest quality food and best atmosphere to be found in or near Grove City.

These are my four favorites, but there are even more restaurants in Grove City that I visit and enjoy. Each of them has their own unique feel and niche, and the diversity of flavor is a culinary adventure.

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New Life Ministry – Helping At-Risk Youth

Photo courtesy of George Junior Republic

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Life Ministries at Grove City College is an organization that sends groups of six or seven students to George Junior Republic each week, to go into cottages of the boys living in the residential treatment facilities. There are about 10 boys living in each cottage. A cottage is basically just a “group-home” where all the boys live like it is a normal home, and they have two cottage parents, which are employees of George Junior Republic. Those cottage parents oversee the boys and their well-being and live in the cottage full time with them.

George Junior is an all-boys institution, working to help at-risk youth re-enter society with more of an education, and better life skills. George Junior is one of the nation’s largest private non-profit residential treatment facilities. According to the George Junior Republic website, their mission statement is: “George Junior Republic is dedicated to helping at-risk youth become successful, well-adjusted adults, capable of achieving a higher degree of citizenship and a better understanding of his responsibility to society, family and self.”

Each group of Grove City students goes to George Junior once a week, on the same day every week. They spend about two hours there, and they visit the same group each week to continue building up their relationships with the boys. During those two hours the students “hang-out” with the boys, and form relationships and bonds. During that “hang-out” time they do multiple different things, such as play basketball or other sports, play games, eat snacks, talk about life, and most importantly, at the end of each visit the Grove City students are able to have a time of Bible study and prayer with the boys. They can pour into the hearts of the boys, and pray for them, and teach them about the Word of God.

When talking to sophomore New Life Ministries member Linnea Fairfield, I asked her what New Life means to her. “New Life is an opportunity to pour into other people’s lives,” she said. “For me, that means forming relationships that are more than just social, shallow friendships, but rather reflections of Christ’s love. The boys are hurting. Their pasts are filled with years of broken relationships, abuse, and betrayal. Getting to show them what real love is, and what the love of Christ is, is an opportunity I will never take for granted.”

I am excited to be joining this awesome ministry this year, and start going to George Junior and forming bonds and relationships with these boys. Thursday, Oct. 11 the New Life Group and I went to the George Junior facility. There we met with the Chaplin and had a meeting about different rules to follow for the year. The New Life team plans to start heading out to George Junior on Nov. 4!

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Off-Campus Activities

One of the many great things about Grove City College is that there is always something to do. Whether it is a guest lecturer, an intramural (IM) sports game, or some kind of event hosted by one of the many campus clubs and organizations, it is a rare night on campus when nothing is happening.  

The Grove City College campus is amazing, but that does not mean that you will never want to go somewhere else for a while. Sometimes the best stress relief after a week of exams and papers is to get some friends together and go somewhere else for an evening. But what is there to do? Grove City is a small town, which means that sometimes your options are limited, but the city of Pittsburgh is only an hour away – which may seem like a long drive, but it is nothing if you have a great playlist.

The convenience of the city is fantastic, and there is always something to do. Usually, the Friday nights before a break are pretty uneventful on campus, so that is a great chance to explore the city. This semester, my ICO (Inner City Outreach) team traveled down to Pittsburgh for the annual light-up night on the Friday before Thanksgiving break.

We had a fantastic time seeing the massive Christmas tree at PPG Place, an even taller tree at the Point, fireworks, an Andy Grammer concert, and drinking fantastically festive coffee. It was a fun night out away from the stress of school with some great friends. Light-up night only happens once a year, but there is still plenty to do in Pittsburgh the rest of the year. Students often travel to the city to go to concerts, museums, and restaurants. Grove City College may seem like it is in the middle of nowhere, but with a thriving city like Pittsburgh so close by, you will never be at a loss for something to do.  

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Commuter Life at GCC: Pro’s and Con’s

            Dorm life is definitely not for everyone. Living off campus can be an option that some people prefer over living in the dorms. At Grove City College, students are allowed to commute if they live close by with their parents or guardians, or if they are married. With nearly 2,500 students attending, only about 5% of students choose to commute. I had the opportunity to talk with a student about his experiences commuting for the past three years.

Pro’s of Commuting

            Zach Ferguson is a senior Communications major with a minor in Studio Art. Growing up in Butler, PA, Zach commutes about 30 minutes to campus every weekday. He explained, “I save about $9,000 per year by commuting, and because I am paying for college on my own it made sense.” Saving on the cost of room and board is one of the biggest benefits of commuting rather than living on campus. Zach said, “Getting to go home every day and keeping the same friends from my hometown that go to different schools is a big plus. I also still go to the same church nearby where my best friend is the pastor.” Knowing the area and having the benefit of a separate space away from campus is always a huge benefit of living near a college town.

Con’s of Commuting

            While there are plenty of good things about living at home and commuting, there are also a lot of downsides to being away from campus. Zach discussed, “It’s definitely hard to make friends on campus because I’m not on campus too much. It’s hard to find community.” Being a part of the campus experience with other people is one of the main factors that build community here at Grove City College. Zach explained how he is friends with other commuters, and that there is community within that, but he wishes he had more people to connect with on campus. “I’m not thrilled about living in dorms,” he said, “but I wish I would have done it for the people.”

            Being a commuter, it can be more difficult to get involved with campus groups and events. However, because he is able to live in the same area, Zach has an off campus job that causes his schedule to be more stacked than normal. He explained, “When I was a freshman and sophomore I had a different schedule, so it was easier to be on campus, but now I live a half hour away with a job, so coming to school feels like I’m coming to my job.”

Is it Worth the Money?

            All in all, Zach said he would not recommend commuting. “You save money, but you miss out. It’s hard to balance work, school, and personal life when you live in a different place,” he said. During the four years you spend at college, it is important to be present in the time and place. While commuting may be a good option for you, it’s helpful to have an insider perspective on what it is like once the work load begins. The college years go by quickly and it’s important to consider where you want to invest your time while you’re here, but remember that Zach’s perspective is only one of the many opinions held by communters at Grove City.