The Collegian – Dec. 5, 2014

Collegian

The “Are you coming to the tree?” p. 8 Friday, December 5, 2014

Vol. 101, No. 5

The Grove City College Student Newspaper

Debate team finishes strong Kelleigh Huber Staff Writer

Deck the halls

PATTY FOLKERTS/THE COLLEGIAN

With Christmas only a few weeks away, the campus is becoming a festive winter wonderland. Check out pages 6 and 7 for some holiday cheer.

Towle named CFO of year Grayson Quay News Editor

Grove City College Vice President for Financial Affairs Roger K. Towle ’68 was named CFO of the year by the Pittsburgh Business Times in the category of large non-profit.

There were six categories total, each with one winner.

The large non-profit category required employment of 400 or more people. Towle was one of four finalists in his category. The other three were the CFOs of Lutheran SeniorLife, Software Engineering Institute, and Gateway Rehabilitation Center.

The award, according to the Business Times’ website, “honors financial professionals in western Pennsylvania for outstanding performance as corporate financial stewards.” The winners were recognized at a reception held on Nov. 13 at the Omni William Penn hotel.

According to a press release from the College, Towle graduated from the College with an accounting degree TOWLE 2

GCCCC closes out with confidence

Andrew Ledbetter Contributing Writer

The Grove City College men’s and women’s cross country teams closed out their respective seasons on Nov. 15 at the NCAA Division III Mideast Regional Championships, hosted by Dickinson College. The women had a strong showing, finishing ninth out of 52 teams, and had four runners finishing in the top-80 of the 370-runner field. Sophomore Emily Rabenold concluded her season with a team low time of 22 minutes and 19 seconds in the six-kilometer race.

This time was good enough for ninth place overall and fourth among runners who did not qualify with their team. Her performance qualified her to compete at the NCAA Division III National Championships in Mason, Ohio, on Nov. 22. This was Rabenold’s third appearance in an NCAA Championship event. After finishing 28th in this event, became the third Grove City College women’s cross country runner to earn All-American honors.

Prior to the Mideast Regionals, the defining mark of the women’s season was their 26th consecutive PAC Championship Title, which they won by just eight points on Nov. 1.

According to head coach Sean Severson, “love and sacrifice were the biggest contributors of the success

GROVE CITY COLLEGE

Sophomore Emily Rabenold concluded the season with a team low score of 22 minutes and 19 seconds of the women’s team.” Coach City College men finished Severson contemplated 19th out of 47 teams at the his team’s winning spirit, Mideast Regional Champi“throughout the season, but onships, with a pair of runespecially in the month lead- ners posting top-50 finishes. ing up to the championship Sophomore Daniel Chrisrace, our women were ha- tiansen led the Wolverines, bitually sacrificing for each finishing 43rd, with a time of other. Those repeated acts 26 minutes and 7.3 seconds, of love helped prevent them missing All-Region honors from quitting on each other by 11 seconds. Overall, the during the most painful parts men’s team had a strong seaof the championship race.”

Meanwhile, the Grove GCCCC 2

The debate team has defended their title as national champions this year, picking up substantial victories at Bowling Green State University the weekend of November 15-16.

On Saturday, the Bowling Green Falcon Forensics Classic was a success for the College. Grove City won the overall team sweepstakes, a measure of the overall team performance.

On an individual basis, senior Mark Mariani and junior Andrew Brackbill made it to the semifinals, alongside senior Chesterton Cobb and senior Reagan Cerisano, who, after not debating since her sophomore year, went along after Cobb requested that she join him as his partner.

Senior Scott Alford and junior Ryan Brown made it to finals as well. In the novice division, the College had two teams go far in the competition: sophomores Jon Matt and Grace Prensner advanced to the quarterfinal round, while sophomore Colin Combs and freshman Colin Freyvogel advanced to the final round.

At the “Birds of a Feather” Swing Tournament, held on Sunday, November 15, Grove City College picked up another victory for overall team performance. Mariani and Brackbill, as well as Cobb and Cerisano, won the tournament. Alford and Brown advanced to the semifinal round. Other participants in the tournament included Purdue University, Hillsdale College, Cedarville University, the University of Cincinnati, the University of Notre Dame, Clarion University, Morehouse College, and Southwest Baptist University.

The College’s team has won the overall sweepstakes at five of the six tournaments this year. On a more individual basis, many of the pairings, including the aforementioned teams as well as Cobb and senior Ben Crelin, sophomore Isaac Kim and junior Dave Weix, sophomores Josiah Vehrs and Zack Voell, Matt and sophomore Amy Warshaw, Freyvogel and freshman Josh Tam, Combs and freshman Ian Worrell, and sophomore Mary Elise Dugan and junior Evlyn Roper have made it to the quarterfinal, semifinal, or final rounds consistently throughout the tournaments this semester.

Pairings of note include Mariani and Brackbill, Cobb DEBATE 2

News

Life

E!

Perspectives

Sports

SGA’s new campaign crackdown. p. 2

Saying farewell to December grads. p. 4

Golden Dragon Acrobats: “Jawdropping,” “Mind-blowing,” “Amazing Dexterity.” p. 8

Is it time to stop talking about Ferguson? p. 10

Mitch Marmelstein leads men’s basketball to a solid start. p. 12

Dec. 5, 2014

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Entrepreneurship speaker talks microfinance Grayson Quay News Editor

Ben Midberry ’06, Assistant Vice President of Deutsche Bank Global Social Investment Funds, spoke on campus on Monday, Nov. 17 as part of the Richard G. Staley ’62 Visionary Entrepreneurship Lecture Series.

He spoke about microfinance, which he defined as giving small loans to the poor, mostly in developing countries, to start small entrepreneurial ventures like selling fruit in a market.

Midberry explained that he chose this kind of work because it is “not a handout” but rather “frames the poor not in light of their need, but their opportunity” and shows that “you can not only help people escape poverty, but you can do so in a profitable manner.”

Deutsche Bank was, according to Midberry, the first global financial institution to become involved in microfinance and its investors now include such large companies as MetLife and Prudential. The Bank’s newest major microfinancial venture is EyeFund, which employs a profitable business model to expand the availability of cataract surgeries in China.

Microfinance, which began in the 1970s with funds from philanthropic and faith-based groups, now brings private sector investors into play with resources that dwarf those of the philanthropic community. Midberry, however, still sees microfinance very much as the

Lord’s work. He called the work of providing opportunities to the poor a way of “manifesting the redemption of our world,” referring to it as a collaboration with God. Midberry explained that the primary hope for the urban poor in the developing world to escape poverty is through education, which is often seen as a self-actualization expense that can only be pursued after other, more pressing needs have been fulfilled.

He then pointed to several new ventures, such as a stove that increases the efficiency of heating for homes that would otherwise be heated by wood fires while decreasing the health risks, which helps bring education within reach.

Microfinance loans, the recipients of which go through a rigorous credit evaluation, typically range from $200 to $2,000 and can have very high interest rates, ranging from 13 to 100 percent. However, as Midberry pointed out, many of these poor entrepreneurs are able to build very profitable businesses, including one small grocery store that produced a 276 percent return on invested capital.

Midberry, who majored in accounting at the College, was introduced to microfinance by Professor of Entrepreneurship Dr. Timothy Mech. Midberry credits Mech with “saving [him] from a career in public accounting.” During his senior year, Midberry worked with Mech on microfinance re-

Staley Series Last spring, Richard G. Staley ’62, an entrepreneur who founded artificial flavor manufacturer Flavor House, Inc., recently made a generous gift of $1 million to the College. $750,000 of this gift went to construct a new lab in STEM Hall, while the rest went to the College’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. This gift included the endowment of the Visionary Entrepreneur Speaker Series, which has since been named in his honor. Lynn Stillwaggon, Program Manager for the Center, said that she hopes to have Staley, who lives in California, come and deliver a lecture as part of the series that now bears his name. She added that while before the Speaker Series focused on commercial entrepreneurship, because of Staley’s gift the Center can now include speakers who have succeeded in social enterprises. “A lot of students here are ... socially minded. The culture here just kind of fits that,” Stillwaggon said. search and after graduating, Midberry rejected a job offer from prestigious consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers to pursue a career in microfinance.

Addressing current students, Midberry encouraged them to take big risks after graduating from college because it is the best time of life to do so. “As long as you can feed yourself, that’s all that matters right now,” Midberry said.

Grove City cleans up at Pitch Perfect Students from Grove City College swept the annual Perfect Pitch Elevator Pitch Competition, held at Westminster College and sponsored by the eCenter@ LindenPointe, a Hermitagebased tech incubator. Nine pitchers from GCC faced off against 16 other students

from six other colleges in Western Pennsylvania and Ohio. Junior Benjamin Morasco won the first place prize of $1,000 for CareFinder, an app that helps patients navigate hospitals. Freshman Connor Grieb took home second place and $750 for “Sincerity,” an automat-

ed drink machine that prevents consumers from ordering free water and getting soft drinks instead. Junior Karolina Lagerquist came in third and received $500 for “Kinbox”, a way to connect nursing home residents to their families.

DEBATE

Mariani also speaks highly of the debate team in terms of fiscal responsibility to the College, in that the team travels to tournaments and wins them more frequently than not. He also speaks of the team as a great attraction for those students interested in careers in politics, law, or business.

“On the other hand, the goal of its members is to be able to engage in public issues critically and thoughtfully, understand how a structured argument can be

made and dismantled, and improve their ability to verbally communicate complex arguments in limited periods of time,” he said, attributing to the debate team more generalized benefits available to any major and individual.

Advisors Drs. Jason Edwards, Michael Coulter, and Andrew Harvey, as well as the members of the team, hope to carry this semester’s success into the five or six tournaments in the spring semester, some of which are national championships.

put in by both the men and women, saying that “work ethic was the biggest contributor to success of the men’s team. It was a working-man’s team.” Moreover, he believed that “the highlight of the season for each team were their strong performances at the

conference championship.

I was most proud of our seniors for finishing their careers strong.”

Both the men’s and women’s teams gave it their all this season and will look to build on their many strengths in 2015.

for maintaining the College’s affordability, one of its three pillars alongside faith and freedom. Under his financial supervision, the College has continued to refuse federal funds while maintaining a balanced budget, virtually debt-free operation and a tuition rate that is approximately half the national average for private liberal arts colleges.

“Grove City College’s mission is to provide a high quality education at an affordable price in a thoroughly

Christian environment. My responsibility is to ensure affordability for all students and that’s what I’m most proud of accomplishing,” Towle is quoted as saying in the press release.

Towle, however, was not the only alum to win. Rodney Deloe ’88, CFO of Pittsburgh marketing agency Gatesman+Dave, beat out five other finalists to win CFO of the Year for a medium forprofit business.

and Crelin, and Cobb and Cerisano, all of whom have been named individual tournament champions.

“The debate team is an excellent vehicle through which its members’ ability to engage in the classroom, relationships, life and the Church are all improved to the benefit of each sub-community,” Mariani said when asked about the purpose of the debate team.

GCCCC son, coming in 2nd at the PAC Championship meet by a mere nine points behind champion Saint Vincent.

Coach Severson was pleased with the hard work

TOWLE in 1968, then served in the U.S. Army, and was awarded a Bronze Star for his service in Vietnam, and worked as a CPA for Pittsburgh financial consulting firm Deloitte. He also worked as Chief Financial Officer for Pittsburgh addiction treatment center Abraxas Youth & Family Services before coming to work at the College in 1995.

As VP for Financial Affairs, Towle is largely responsible

SGA changes voting rules

Emily Resler

Contributing Writer Recently, the Student Government Association has taken it upon themselves to make some changes to their organization’s voting system.

Maddie Plessinger, the Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs, said that their election procedures have not officially changed, but they were altered for the fall elections as a sort of “test run.” The main concern for the upcoming elections will be making the campaigning limitations more clear.

Plessinger said that in some past elections, the sheer volume of campaign materials has been overwhelming to the student body, and for this reason “limitations of number of posters, flyers, handouts, etc. have been put in place for areas such as dorms and academic buildings.”

Another change in the election procedures has to do

with enforcing election rules.

Plessinger said that previously, there has not been an extremely efficient way of enforcing election rules. “The penalty was either not receiving any sanction, or being disqualified from the race,” said Plessinger. “This was not an efficient or appropriate way to penalize smaller violations, so we put a penalty system in place that outlines warnings or fines that will be given before disqualification from the race would occur.”

Plessinger expressed SGA’s excitement at the prospect of enhancing the voting system for the College. “We seek for SGA elections to encourage campus involvement and spark interest in leadership, so our aim is to make the election season beneficial to both candidates and voters,” Plessinger said. Make sure to cast your vote in this next election, which will be held this spring.

World News Roundup Compiled by Jonathan Powers

ISIL strikes Syria from Turkey A Kurdish official and activists have said that the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant attacked the Syrian border town of Kobani from Turkey on Saturday, Nov. 29, a first for the terror group.

An armored vehicle driven by a suicide bomber exploded on the border between Kobani and Turkey, according to Syria’s Kurdish Democratic Union Party.

The Turkish government acknowledged the incident but stated that the vehicle did not enter the town through Turkey. Activists based in Kobani, however, say that ISIL militants have been using grain silos in Turkey as sites from which to launch attacks on the town.

ISIL began its attack on Kobani in September, but has met some resistance from Kurdish and Iraqi fighters. The United States is leading a coalition performing airstrikes on the militants in the town and region.

Mexican president announces reform plan Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto made several proposals aimed at keeping the country safe and corruption-free last Thursday.

Peña Nieto’s plans include state control over local police, establishing an emergency telephone number, and creating economic zones aimed to help the poor southern region of the country. These proposals came in response to nationwide outrage over the disappearance of 43 college students who disappeared in September while on a trip protesting the lack of funds their school received.

The same day Peña Nieto announced these new ideas, eleven partially burned bodies were found an hour away

from the school the students attended. Prosecutors have alleged that a corrupt mayor and police force were responsible for their deaths.

Muslim terror group kills 15 in China A terrorist attack in China last Friday claimed the lives of 15 people and injured 14 more, according to the nation’s state-run media. The Uighur, a Muslim minority group, used a variety of means to carry out the attack, including vehicles, explosives, and hand-held weapons. This attack was the last in a series of several this year in the Xinjiang region, located in the western part of the country. The group claims it is carrying out these acts of terror in response to China’s oppressive government.

Moldovan court upholds ban on Russian-funded party Moldovan high court upheld a decision last Thursday to ban a pro-Russian party from participating in their Nov. 30 elections.

Prosecutors in the former Soviet satellite nation said they discovered that the Patria party had received funding from Russia. They said Russia planned to use the party to destabilize the nation. Polls indicated that, if allowed to participate, Patria may have won some seats in the country’s parliament. The party’s founder, a Moldovan man who has done business with Russian companies, said the ruling was “a circus.” He has since left the country.

Moldova has long been torn between the East and West, and tensions have only increased since last June, when it signed a European Union Association Agreement.

Dec. 5, 2014

amazonaws.com

Taylor Lennox Staff Writer BD’s Mongolian Grill makes a deal with their customers: you choose the ingredients, and the grillers just prepare it.

BD’s is a national chain with over thirty-two locations in different cities. The closest location to Grove City College is on the South Side in Pittsburgh. The 27th Street restaurant hosts a consistent lunch, dinner and late dinner crowd.

The menu holds a host of

Life Control your own food

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specialty drinks, appetizers and desserts, yet the entrée the restaurant offers is the same for everyone – an empty bowl. In a buffet style, a customer selects all the components of their meal filling the bowl with the meat or seafood and vegetables. All of it is topped off by the sauce and spice they choose.

At the first station, the guest picks from a variety of meat and seafood including chicken, rib eye steak, pork, shrimp, sausage and more.

Also at this station, rice, fusilli and lo mien noodles are offered.

Second, the customer selects their choice of vegetables. They are able to choose from bean sprouts, broccoli, cilantro, baby corn, edamame, pineapple, red and green onions, tomato, water chestnuts, tofu and more.

At the final station, each customer can pick from the variety of sauces, such as spicy buffalo, chili garlic, kung pao, lemon, light soy and peanut sauce. Next, customers choose from spices like cajun, cayenne pepper, curry, garlic, mixed herbs, and sesame seeds.

Once a guest fills their bowl and a cup with the amount of sauce they desire, each person proceeds to the grill where there food is sautéed to their liking with consideration for allergies and cooking preferences.

The atmosphere of BD’s is warm and casual. There are both indoor and outdoor dining areas, a full bar, a salad bar, food selection stations, and a huge circular grilling area in the back. BD’s staff is fun, welcoming, and often entertaining while customers

wait for their food.

BD’s provides fresh ingredients and complete control to the customer, yet with so much freedom, BD’s staff provides very little direction on recommendations for customers. It leaves some customers feeling overwhelmed with the array of options and no advice on what to use or even recommended proportions.

The menu offers different combinations of sauce and spices for different recipes, but that is only about eight options when there are over twenty sauces. More guidance would be helpful, but ultimately the way BD’s functions gives the customer complete control over the components and proportions of their meal.

Furthermore, customers with special allergies can be

easily accommodated for.

The customer can avoid ingredients they cannot consume, and they can ask a griller to keep their food separate from their particular allergen.

Finally, BD’s is open until 10 p.m. each night, which is perfect for lunch, dinner and even late dinner crowds.

However, the restaurant is close to many concert venues, clubs and other late night businesses. The hours restrict dining for the customer that craves a good stir fry meal after a concert or after visiting another business on South Side.

Ultimately though, BD’s the only one of its kind in the area and provides a different dining experience for customers.

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Ten Thousand Villages

A century of news

Taking finals

Breana Renkin Staff Writer

With the semester winding down, only one thing separates Grove City College students from winter break – finals. The lack of sleep and the cramming can cause any student stress during the last week of fall semester, which has not changed since 1975. Yes, it’s true, Grove City College students during that time also faced the same stress over finals. Yet, as “taking finals” in the December 12, 1975 issue of the Collegian suggests, there are a few steps to avoid a breakdown during finals week.

There are a few suggestions to which we feel should be made to those of our readers who have finals yet to be taken. I think this probably includes most of them, so here are our thoughts on the subject of exam taking: 1. Do not stay up all night before the exam. There are a few notable exceptions to this rule, such as the exam for which you have not read the material or met the professor. But in most cases, staying up later will only make you drowsy, and end up reducing your effectiveness on the exam itself.

2. Do not second guess yourself on exam questions.

Objective type tests are es-

pecially dangerous when you go back over them and change answers.

A study done in American colleges showed that first guesses are usually most accurate than second guesses.

One GCC professor reports that he has observed many students actually lowering their grades by changing answers.

3. Keep cool! There will undoubtedly be questions you can’t answer, so expect that and don’t let it confuse you or bum you out. Keep your poise and get through the whole test before you break down.

4. Don’t interrupt your usual patterns. If you like to be up early, fine, but don’t allow yourself to get up at 5:00 AM and pace the floors for four hours.

The whole point is: don’t get all worked up over your finals. Many psychologists recommend getting your studying done and then going to a movie or something the night before the exam.

Relaxing before the test will help your recall, do not spend your last thirty hours cramming if you can help it.

Remember, there will be plenty of time to be bummed out later.

JENNA HERSHBERGER

This week Ten Thousand Villages set up shop in the SAC, in partnership Crown & Sceptre, selling handmade gifts to students. The sale offered a varied of items including jewelry, bags and baskets, all under $25.

Ten Thousand Villages is a nonprofit, fair-trade organization that works to establish markets in North America for products handmade by artisans in underdeveloped countries throughout the world.

Weekly Update Check out SGA on social media!

Facebook: SGA Grove City College Twitter: @SGAatGCC Instagram: gccsga

Moonlight Breakfast

Study Day, December 11 9-11 p.m.

Life

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Dec. 5, 2014

The December graduates attended a banquet in their honor on Wednesday with a reception at President McNulty’s home.

GROVE CITY COLLEGE

Taking the stage early

Students graduate in December as senioritis takes its toll Samantha Pierce Contributing Writer

Urban Dictionary defines “senioritis” as, “A crippling disease that strikes high school seniors. Symptoms include: laziness, an overexcessive wearing of track pants, old athletic shirts, sweatpants, athletic shorts and sweatshirts. Also features a lack of studying, repeated absences and a generally dismissive attitude. The only known cure is a phenomenon known as Graduation.”

This disease can also affect college seniors. Grove City College has had a recent break out. Most seniors are forced to wait until May for their cure, but for a lucky few, they will be cured in two weeks.

There are a number of Grove City College students graduating this December.

There will not be a ceremony this December for the graduates, however they have all been invited back to walk in the ceremony on May 16, 2015. There is also a graduation dinner offered on Wednesday, Dec. 3.

Some students have worked to graduate early, while others have taken some time from school for medical reasons, and others have transferred or changed majors. Regardless of their reason for graduating in December, they have earned it.

The following seniors are just a few of the graduates.

They have offered their parting words to their classmates.

Emma Cole will be graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education with a concentration in voice. Cole is originally from Haymarket, Va.m and first enrolled in Grove City College in fall of 2010. She is ending her

career at the College student teaching at Beaver High School and Blackhawk Intermediate School. After graduating, Cole looks forward to marrying Evan Lauer ’14.

She is also on the hunt for a job substitute teaching in the spring. When asked what her parting words would be to Grove City College she said, “Thank you, GCC, for an amazing 4 and a half years that I will cherish forever!”

Sarah Hein will be graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and a minor in Mathematics. She is originally from Cranberry Township, Pa. In fall of 2012, Hein transferred to Grove City College from St. Bonaventure University in New York. She is very excited to start her semester off by volunteering in the Pittsburgh area. Hein will be attending University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine

Blood Drive Paige Klaric

Contributing Writer On Tuesday, December 2nd Grove City College and the American Red Cross held a blood drive with the help of the Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity. It was held from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. in Ketler Recreation. Students and community members were able to sign up to donate blood online on the Red Cross’s website.

Free pizza and snacks were offered thanks to generous donations from Little Caesars and Taco Bell. Blood donators also got a chance to win one of various prizes from Subway, Primanti Brothers, Rachel’s Roadhouse and more.

Micah Richardson, the Vice President of Service for Alpha Phi Omega, helped organize this great event.

“We’ve had success in the past, but are definitely in need of donors around the holidays. It’s certainly a busy

time and many people fall ill around this time, which means it’s harder to get donors at the time of year when they’re most needed,” Richardson said.

Fifty percent of the population can donate blood but only five percent of the population does. That leaves 95 percent of the population relying on that five percent. A person can donate blood six times a year. With your single donation, it has the potential of saving three lives.

Every two seconds someone in America needs a blood transfusion and it only takes one person to change a life.

This past spring, the College’s blood drive collected 51 units of blood, just one unit short of our goal of 52.

The community really relies on our blood drive to stock the shelves of hospitals and blood banks, so donating is a great way to give to the community.

Richardson says, “If students are unable to make it to the drive Tuesday, I’d en-

courage them to try to give blood while at home over break. Redcrossblood.org is a great place to search for local blood drives.”

Blood donations help millions of patients in need.

To make the journey from “arm to arm,” every unit goes through a series of steps and tests to ensure that it is as safe as can be. All blood donor types are needed, because each blood type may only be used for acceptable donors. It is important to learn about your blood type and to give back to those in need.

Blood donation is an integral part of the health and well-being of the community. The need is constant, and there is no substitute for volunteer blood donations.

If you missed out on this opportunity to give blood do not worry because there will be many more. If you did give blood, thank you for your donation. Your selfless act will help someone in need.

in the fall and will eventually accomplish her dream of becoming a dentist. Hein wishes to leave the school with this advice for her classmates: “Enjoy the time you have on campus with your friends, because it goes by so fast. I transferred to Grove City my sophomore year, and it was one of the best decisions I ever made. I met incredible people here and I will miss all of them very much.”

Catherine Fitzhugh will be graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science.

Fitzhugh is originally from Lititz, Pa. and first enrolled at the College in fall of 2011.

She has just accepted an internship in Washington, D.C. working with the Heritage Foundation. At the foundation she will be working with Coalition Relations, meaning she will be keeping a database of their members and writers up to date and proofing some articles to go onto their website. She had the following to say about her time here at Grove City College: “It’s been a great 3.5 years here, with so many good memories with friends who I will have for years to come.”

Jenna Napierski will be graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in English & Communications Secondary Education. She started at Grove City College in August of 2011 coming from Freeport, Pa. For the past semester she has been student teaching 11th grade English at Butler High School. After her early graduation from Grove City College, Napierski plans on searching for substitute teaching jobs in the spring while looking for a full-time teaching position for next fall. She conveyed her mixed feelings of leaving the College by saying, “I am so sad to be leaving Grove City, but I am thankful for the happy memories and friendships that I have made in my time here which will last a lifetime.”

Fleming Saunders will be graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science and a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish. He started at

Grove City College in fall of 2010 coming from Burke, Va. After graduation, Saunders will be the assistant to the Athletic Director at Trinity Christian School in Fairfax, Virginia. He will be helping to coach the baseball team.

He said, “It’s been an incredible ride and I really am going to miss it a lot. I thank the Lord for allowing this experience to be more than I thought it ever could be. It goes by so fast and it is easy to forget the many blessings that are found here. To quote the great Andy Bernard, ‘I wish there was a way to know you’re in the good old days before you’ve actually left them.’ (“The Office”) Well now you know, so no excuses! Thanks to those who have invested in me over the years and for all the other relationships as well, whether big or small. Savor the little moments because those are harder to remember than the big ones, for ‘there’s a lot of beauty in the ordinary things.’ (Pam Halpert, “The Office”).”

Rebecca Skledar will be graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing Management. She came to Grove City College in fall of 2011 from Mentor, Ohio.

Skledar is looking forward to graduating early and fulfilling her dream of working with Chick-fil-A. She will be moving down to Palm Coast, Florida where she will open and manage a new branch of the restaurant. She wanted to thank Grove City College and her classmates by saying, “Thanks for all of the great memories. I will never forget the people and experiences I had at Grove City.

I learned more about myself and people in general than I could have ever imagined, and am so grateful that God brought me here for three and half amazing years.”

Whether starting in the workforce, teaching, coaching, taking time off or attending grad school, we wish the December graduates the best of luck and look forward to seeing them again in May for commencement.

Entertainment

Dec. 5, 2014

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MICHTHEATER.ORG

It’s beginning to look a

lot like Christmas

Kate Hussey

Contributing Writer With the holiday season finally upon us, this Thanksgiving break I watched the 1954 classic film “White Christmas” with my family, as per our post-Thanksgiving tradition. Although I have seen the movie at least once every year for as long as I can remember, this time around I approached the Christmas musical with a much more critical perspective.

Sadly, once I let my nostalgic bias go, I realized that the movie, although considered a classic, does not have much depth to it at all.

The film, directed by Michael Curtiz, centers on two friends, Bob Wallace (Bing Crosby) and Phil Davis (Danny Kaye), who met in the army during World War II. Phil, after getting injured while saving Bob’s life, guilt trips the former entertainer into transforming his singular act into a famous duo: Wallace and Davis. Al-

though the act is a hit, making the two quite successful, Phil is convinced that Bob is a workaholic whose only remedy is marriage, and thus is constantly setting him up with women in show business. Bob is completely uninterested, until the friends meet two beautiful sisters trying to make it in show business. Once Phil sees Bob’s attraction to the older sister, Betty (Rosemary Clooney), he is convinced he has finally found his friend’s match, and consequently spends the entire movie scheming with Betty’s younger sister, Judy (Vera Ellen), to make them fall in love.

While the movie is filled with witty banter and timeless musical numbers, this storyline is really no different in depth from the typical boymeets-girl romantic comedy. While Judy and Phil start out with the goal to set their companions up, it is quite obvious that the schemers will clearly end up falling for each other instead.

Anyone can see their attraction for

each other from the first time they dance together, and it is not hard for the audience to predict the complications that will result from their developing relationship.

As far as the relationship between Bob and Betty goes, the audience can clearly predict that they each have built a typical wall of pride and apprehension that will surely break down thanks to the power of love.

And just like any other romantic comedy ever made, once their guards have finally been let down, some misunderstanding comes along to jeopardize the relationship and reinforce feelings of vulnerability So what makes this movie a classic? Why is it different than any other romantic comedy made around the holidays? Maybe its success lies in its musical numbers that have dominated the Christmas culture for years. Maybe it is because, secretly, we all love a good “chick flick” with a happily-ever-after ending, especially

around the holidays. Maybe it’s even the hilarious and clever taglines that are all too quotable.

In my opinion, this movie is a classic for the same reason I spend hours with my family threading popcorn and cranberries to hang on our Christmas tree. I don’t know how or why the tradition started, and I don’t even necessarily like the look of the homemade garland, but there is something comforting about seeing my Christmas tree adorned with the same decorations that were there when I was a kid, when my parents were kids, and when my grandparents were kids. “White Christmas” has been around for generations, and knowing I can enjoy the same traditions as my older family members makes me love Christmastime even more. Besides – with a voice like Bing Crosby’s, the music alone makes us melt.

Worth their weight in gold Golden Dragon Acrobats showcase impressive

Jacob Sziráky

Entertainment Editor The Golden Dragon Acrobats visited Grove City College on Thursday, Nov. 20.

This group of talented acrobats were masters of their trade and it was apparent to everyone who had the distinct pleasure of watching their daredevil and impressive exploits on the stage.

Many College students received information about the visiting acrobatic team’s performance through flyers in the mail and emails, however the advertisements did not seem to do justice to the performers.

Some saw the advertisement with the photo of multiple performers piled onto a bicycle and determined that this was not the type of show that would appeal to them.

The pictures made the act look like a circus routine.

In reality, the show was far from hokey. It was a beautiful testament to what the human body is capable of if trained properly.

The performers gave a mind blowing performance

that was guaranteed to leave the audience entertained.

The show was composed of multiple acts, each one highlighting a different aspect of their craft.

One of the most memora-

ble acts of the show was the cup balancing act. A young woman came on stage and was given multiple trays with multiple glasses stacked on top of them. She contorted and spun while keeping the

glasses balanced.

As the act went on, more trays were added to her various limbs until she had a tray on each of her arms, legs, and even her head.

She kept up her routine

with amazing dexterity and never dropped a tray.

At the end of the routine she removed the trays, and poured out one solitary glass, showing the audience that every glass on every tray was filled with water.

Despite the jaw dropping amazement the audience experienced with the tray balancing act, the chair stacking was equally as amazing.

A young man would stack chairs on top of each other until they almost reached the top of the auditorium.

Once he reached the top of the tower he proceeded to do various hand stands and even was able to balance himself on one hand on a leaning chair at the very top.

The Golden Dragons acrobatic team was a refreshing breath of originality of stage

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performance that many are not familiar with.

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Through the Lens

Dec. 5, 2014

Way too early Xmas Second floor Memorial Pew side held their second annual Way Too Early Christmas Party on Wednesday, Nov. 19, a full 36 days before Christmas. The event, held on 2MP’s hall, featured cookies, cocoa, and a visit from a few suspiciously youthfullooking Santa Clauses.

ANDREW STEIN/COLLEGIAN

Dec. 5, 2014

Through the Lens

Page 7

Christmastime has come Over the past weeks, Christmas decorations have been appearing all over campus, culminating in Light Up Night, held this past Tuesday in front of Rockwell Hall.

PHOTOS BY PATTY FOLKERTS/JENNA HERSHBERGER/JULIA WILLIAMS/COLLEGIAN

Entertainment

Page 8

Dec. 5, 2014

Pick of the Week Snakadaktal Nic Giorgi WSAJ Contributor

Mixed reviews for ‘Mockingjay, Part I’

blackfilm.com

Elisabeth Kruizenga Contributing Writer

“Are you coming to the tree?”

The haunting lyrics of Katniss’s song communicate perfectly the introspective and intense nature of “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part I,” which premiered at the Guthrie Theater on Nov. 20. The film is the first part of the third installment in the “Hunger Games” trilogy. While seemingly popular among fans and moviegoers alike, the film appears to be receiving mixed reviews due to its relatively low amount of action and suspense.

I went with low expectations. Like many other readers will tell you, the first half of the book is fairly dull. I expected the film to mainly consist of Katniss sitting in a white box room and crying as she held Peeta’s pearl and reminisced about their time together. In other words, I thought that I would be bored to tears. I was surprised when “Mockingjay” exceeded my expectations. In-

stead of having most of the action take place in the tunnels of District 13, much of the film focused on what was going on above ground and in the capital itself. The special effects were well done and did not seem cheesy or ridiculous.

This is probably because the director of both “Mockingjay” and “Catching Fire” was Francis Lawrence, who also directed the intense, action-packed film “I Am Legend.”

Some people, however, were dissatisfied with “Mockingjay.” Senior Adam Watson said “They did try to make it into an action movie by adding things that were not written about in the book, but it was not an action movie. Most of it was just love drama and setting it up for the next movie. Other than a few witty jokes, I was bored by most of this movie.”

The apparent lack of action – even though it does have a few nerve-racking, suspenseful moments – might be a problem for some. “It did meet my expectations,” junior Nate Pittman said,

“It was not at all a ‘bad movie’ but neither would I be inclined to see it again.

I would recommend renting to fans, although I would suggest looking elsewhere if one is looking for a movie in theaters to spend money on.”

While both Watson and Pittman see “Mockingjay, Part I” as perhaps mediocre at best, there have been many others who were blown away by the movie.

Dominating the box office for the last two weeks, the film is being praised by many critics and audiences.

In my opinion, “Mockingjay” is worth seeing. The score, cinematography and scope is excellent and even stunning at times. Events that were alluded to in the novel are fleshed out in the film.

Jennifer Lawrence and her fellow cast members portray their characters beautifully, and Woody Harrelson, in his depiction of Haymitch, succeeds once again in giving us the amusing smartaleck we all know and love.

“Fire is catching,” so go see it. You just might be surprised.

History of Hollywood

Zach Ferguson Contributing Writer

The History of Hollywood Historical Cinema Event, sponsored by Residence Life, took place over a four-week span from Oct. 29 until Nov. 19.

Dr. Andrew Mitchell, Dr. Mark Graham, Dr. Mark Hendrickson and Dr. Paul Kengor all showed films that they thought portrayed significant aspects of their disciplines. This series was brought together by Grove City College student Brittany See. Each professor had their own week to show how Hollywood can mirror history, and history can mirror Hollywood.

During his week, Hendrickson showed two episodes from the television series “The Twilight Zone,” both dealing with issues concerning freedom, and an episode of “Rin Tin Tin.” The first “Twilight Zone” episode was entitled “Third from the Sun,” and discussed what it was like living in fear of a nuclear war.

The second episode he showed the students was

titled “The Obsolete Man,” which was an episode that issued a direct challenge to current and would-be dictators.

This episode was especially intriguing to Hendrickson because, “The lead character read at length from the Bible, the 23rd Psalm,” Hendrickson said.

He found this important, showing that people from the 1950s and 60s still had viewers that valued the Bible.

Hendrickson wanted to communicate the theme of freedom from prejudice.

The final episode that was shown was from the television series “Rin Tin Tin.” This episode involved white America’s prejudice towards the Native Americans.

As a child, Hendrickson received a great deal of knowledge from this episode. “The message was so clear to us kids, to ‘not judge people by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character,’” Hendrickson said, quoting Martin Luther King Jr. Quoting Victor Hugo, “There’s not an army in the world that can stop an idea whose time has come,” Hendrickson said.

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Dr. Kengor also participated in the series, and showed “Forrest Gump” as his movie choice.

“Many Americans learn about history through Hollywood. Of course, that’s not always necessarily a good thing. More often than not, it’s probably a bad thing.” Dr. Kengor said, “Nonetheless, there are numerous movies that can teach us important things about history.”

He chose to show “Forrest Gump” for its humor, and ongoing succession of historical events.

The chaos and destruction caused by the drug and sex culture of the 1960s and 70s was a key theme that he pulled from the movie.

“Particularly moving to me is the faith element, most no-

tably in Gary Sinise’s character, Lieutenant Dan. He has a major struggle with God but eventually finds redemption and peace,” Kengor said.

Through this series, students were shown the intricacies of film, and how it can affect the viewer’s perception on historical events. With this in mind, there was new, insightful knowledge given during each discussion in the series.

This is the first year for this series, and some are hoping to bring it back again in the coming years.

“I hope this series continues in the years ahead. I’m sure there’s no shortage of GCC professors with films they’d be willing to discuss,” Kengor said.

As winter works its way over Grove City, it is important to have an outlet whenever the atmosphere becomes bleak and one wants to escape the barren cold. Fortunately, music is an exquisite escape; it can transport one to a far off and sunny coast inside one’s mind. Snakadaktal provides a flawless vehicle to that land of sunshine and sprawling coasts.

Snakadaktal, active from late 2009 to March of 2014 out of Melbourne, Australia, is a five-man indie pop band that brandishes a mix of male and female vocals, various synthesizers and multiple guitars to invoke a feeling of floating. With their latest album, “Sleep in the Water,” one experiences the weightlessness of floating up from the depths of a lapis lazuli sea surrounded by masses of bubbles and beaming sunlight. Vocally and instrumentally, the group proficiently carries on through the waters.

The album starts off with “Fall Underneath,” a track that gets the ball rolling with a slow yet infectious beat, ramping up into a full-fledged adventure. The track progresses and the harmonic creatures that are the instrumentals begin to spill through the cracks, forming a smooth and swanky ode to being lost at sea.

Reverberated guitar and hearty vocals by Phoebe Cockburn, the lead female vocalist, enables one to smell the salt in the air, along with a contagious chorus. Once the song reaches its end, it seamlessly transitions into the next track, “Hung On Tight.” Sean Heathcliff, the lead vocalist, takes the reigns. His robust vocals and pervasive Australian accent shine through as he reminisces the innocence of a relationship, alluding to childish tales and mutual affection. Fast instrumentals, smoothly strummed guitar, and aeriform supplementary vocals create an expansive seascape.

As the album finds its end, one cannot help but get lost in the undulating rhythm, which feels like being trapped in everchanging tides. The ebb and flow of the wakes drag one along through each distinct track, ultimately pulling one back down into the swallowing yet rapturous embrace of the depths. Overall, the experience is pleasing to the ear, and one can easily get lost in the work of Snakadaktal.

Perspectives Death with dignity?

Dec. 5, 2014

Scott Alford

Perspectives Editor In the academic realm, there is a deep tradition of something known as “the Last Lecture,” in which an academic presents the material and legacy that they would hypothetically give if they would die. For Randy Pausch, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University, his “Last Lecture” was not hypothetical as he was dying of pancreatic cancer.

His story is touching to many as he focused on the valuable elements of life even to the point of his death. As Randy Pausch said, “We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand.”

In contrast, Brittany Maynard wrestled with brain cancer with a grim prognosis. At 29, she faced the question of death and decided to take another way out.

She explained “I did not want this nightmare scenario for my family, so I started researching death with dignity.

It is an end-of-life option for mentally competent, terminally ill patients with a prognosis of six months or less to live.” In the end, Brittany Maynard decided to take “death with dignity.”

“Death with dignity” is a movement advocating the

legalization of Physician Assisted Suicide (PAS) in the cases of terminal illness.

For most people facing this question, death is imminent and the chance of experiencing substantial pain and even the “loss of personhood” is a distinct possibly.

This movement has raised some questions about how death is considered in the cases terminal cancer and the impact this has upon the medical community.

In the case of inevitable death, death with dignity advocates support doctors being able to give the option of PAS so patients have the choice to die without pain, with their loved ones near and under council of a medical professional.

For Brittany Maynard, death with dignity gave her a choice.

However, many believe this should not be a choice that can be made. Numerous philosophical and religious understanding argue for inherent value of human life.

Even through the experience of pain and possibly loss of personhood, a person’s life is inherently valuable.

Besides just the religious and ethical concerns, some have argued concerns for effects upon medical practice.

Dr. Peter Saunders of the Christian Medical Fellow-

100 Campus Drive Grove City, Pa. 16127 collegian@gcc.edu gcc.collegian@gmail.com

Editor-in-Chief Josh Evans

Managing Editor Marissa Candiloro

Section Editors

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ship explained that the usage is “way out of control” among the Dutch and demonstrated that PAS is difficult to regulate.

While there are legal, religious and ethical concerns for both sides of this debate, there is one often overlooked issue. Regardless of whether one faces the question of PAS, they should live their life in such a way that they have cared for those they will leave behind.

Despite the stigma of comparing two people decisions with something so sacred, there are lessons to

be learned from the choices of Brittany Maynard and Randy Pausch. Pausch faced death in the same way he approached life: focused on leaving the world a better place.

As Charles H. Spurgeon said, “A good character is the best tombstone. Those who loved you and were helped by you will remember you when forget-me-nots have withered. Carve your name on hearts, not on marble.”

News Grayson Quay Life Stephanie Pitman Entertainment Jacob Sziráky Perspectives Scott Alford Sports Joe Setyon Photography Caroline Bennett

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Letter to the Editor To Whom It May Concern:

Page 9

Psychologists manipulate people for financial gains.

While we are still appreciative that Marsan invested time in our group to write this article, we hope in the future the Collegian or whoever is responsible for the title will take the time to thoughtfully read the article, become educated about the subject matter, and consider the people that it represents.

Our intent for this article was to inform students, especially Business and Psychology majors, of this new and growing field and hopefully pique their interest in our Association. Unfortunately, the negative connotation of the title could deter readers from our Association and I/O Psychology as a whole. We hope that students will not let this title discourage them from considering I-O Psychology as a possible career choice. Students interested in meeting people who are passionate about I/O Psychology can contact Megan Hurst or Jane Kunkel to learn more.

The Collegian published an article on Friday, November 14th, 2014 to provide publicity for our newly formed Grove City College Industrial Organizational Psychology Association. Abigail Marsan took the time to write this article for us, but left it up to the Collegian to provide a title. The title of the article was “Mind Control for Profit?” Frankly, this title is misleading and falsely represents our association and the field of I/O Psychology. As evidenced by the title, I/O Psychology is often misunderstood.

This field uses the principles of psychological research to recruit, assess, and train employees with the ultimate goals of personal and organizational growth. These psychologists make it their life’s mission to help employees and employers better understand themselves and each other. The term “Mind control” is associated with brainwashing; it has nothing to do with the careers we plan to pursue. Additionally, we are Megan Hurst, President disappointed that the “for profit?” part of title gives Jane Kunkel, the impression that I/O Vice-President

You don’t need to write to join our team!

For more information about being a Collegian photographer or artist, email collegian@gcc. edu.

Staff Writers

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Travelling with purpose

Emily Gendrue Contributing Writer

We all have leisure time; we spend it with friends, family, playing intermural sports, painting, exercising or maybe even traveling.

Some endeavors are more purposeful or fulfilling than others, yet each has a reason behind it. Exercising helps our health, painting brings us joy, and we embrace our human connections out of love.

Last spring I studied abroad in Florence, Italy, and learned how to travel with purpose. Making the most out of my experience implemented itself through being immersed in Italian culture, saying yes to any opportunity and traveling to the historical sites studied in history books. All these factored into making my travel purposeful, but perhaps the best thing I did while in Italy was volunteer at the Italian branch of the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Association.

The Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Center hosted an art exhibition on the history of women rights activist throughout history, and was in need of gallery attendants.

As a gallery attendant my duty was to greet incoming guests, sell merchandise and

give guests personal tours.

All of these duties were a bit of a challenge since I did not speak much Italian. Even though it was difficult, serving with the Human Rights Association was one of the only times while studying abroad that allowed me to give back to the community and be a part of something larger than myself.

Athena Study Abroad was the agency I studied abroad with, and one reason I chose to travel with them was because of their service minded mission statement. Apart from the numerous perks going through Athena provided, they also enforced the importance of giving back to the world through donating a portion of my tuition to a charity of my choosing within their selections. During my time abroad their service mission resonated with me, and inspired me to seek opportunities to serve the community in Florence, Italy.

Volunteering at the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Center gave me a sense of purpose while I was studying abroad. If you are looking into studying abroad, or simply traveling, I challenge you to think about what you want to get out of it, and where you can give your time in service to others.

Emily Bartlow Stephen Dennis Thomas Kutz Liesl McClintock Kayla Murrish Breanna Renkin Samantha VanSlyke Annabelle Rutledge Bradley Warmhold Tim Hanna Meg VanTil Colin Combs Elizabeth Broderick Jon Matt Josh Fried

Staff Cartoonists Rachel Leung Brandon Ferris

Photographers Andrew Irving Rebekah Wheat Cameron Holloway Kirsten Malenke Laura Counihan

Advertising Manager Benjamin Che

Business Manager Becky Torre

Distribution Emily Hicks

Staff Adviser Nick Hildebrand

The Collegian is the student newspaper of Grove City College, located in Grove City, Pa. Opinions appearing on these pages, unless expressly stated otherwise, represent the views of individual writers. They are not the collective views of The Collegian, its staff or Grove City College.

GREEN EYESHADE AWARD

Jake Sziráky This week’s award goes to sophomore Jake Sziráky for his growth in the role of Entertainment Editor.

The Collegian Green Eyeshade Award honors student contributors who have demonstrated consistency and excellence in their work.

Page 10

Perspectives

Dec. 5, 2014

BRANDON FERRIS

Learning Life in the fast lane to stay silent Josh Fried Staff Writer

When it comes to issues such as the Ferguson trial, there can be much tension created over the decision made by the courts. There have been riots, the destruction of property and many other heinous actions committed in reaction to the actions of one man and the decision of a grand jury.

Whether the grand jury made the right decision or not is not the place for the commoner to conclude. Due process, the American system of justice, has been performed. Whether or not Darren Wilson should have been indicted, he was justified in his actions in the eyes in the law.

In Titus 3:9, Paul says to “avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless.” Quarrels about the law are often worthless because they cause tension and divisions over issues which are unlikely to change.

In the American court system, the evidence is king. If one is not willing to agree with the evidence or the truth of the court, he needs to articulate better evidence or reasoning and come to the issue with an open mind as the jury is asked to do.

The quarrels created over such legal cases are based on limited education upon the issue and evidence, and among people who have con-

cluded that justice is something other than the process of the law. Many people form strong opinions and argue them without an open mind to the evidence or to finding the truth.

An opinion that is not open to changing is a dangerous poison that will damage many relationships. Humanity is fallen and therefore we should approach issues like these without presumption.

For this reason, there is no worth arguing (or rioting) for issues about which one is not fully informed, as this will not be productive for the healing that the law should help to bring.

In addition, regardless of your opinion on due process and justice in the eyes of the law, no one has the right to commit crimes or resort to violence because of this. Even if Officer Darren Wilson made poor choices, using crime, injustice and increasing racial tensions to fight racism and injustice is foolishness and nothing good can come from it.

Going back to the wisdom of Titus, those outside of the legal system do not have very much power to make a change, and they have even less strength to make that change if they try to do so through aggression and blind quarrelling.

Thomas Kutz Staff Writer

Every semester around this time – when finals start creeping up faster than we think – our minds tend to turn to thinking about life after college. Every semester the feeling of, “Wow, college is going by so fast,” becomes a topic of small talk among friends, perhaps in the hope that taking the time to talk about it might slow it down.

Well, it’s that time again.

Finals are right around the corner, and those thoughts are definitely coming up in my head and in conversations with friends.

There is an old quote from the classic movie “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” where Ferris says, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” So let’s take a moment to stop and look around.

Thinking ahead, I have four or five paths of my life that I have “planned out.”

That being said, as the old adage goes, “If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans.” I have told Him my plans several times in hopes that He would change my course to accommodate

them. But God does not work that way.

Whether you are just finishing your first semester as a freshman or finishing up before your last semester as a senior, thoughts still arise about the future. Maybe they come on a little bit stronger with the passing of each semester.

The pressures to be proactive, find internships and construct a well-organized resume all seem to pile on as we think ahead.

On top of all of that is the excitement that comes with thinking ahead: when we dream about what life will be like after the “ring by spring,” when we are settled down with a family, a well-paying job, a house in the suburbs, and everything else that comes with the American dream.

Underneath this shimmer of excitement, however, is the fear and anxiety of growing up. While we all seem so excited to move on and get a job and a life beyond college, it’s still pretty scary.

Let’s face it, at Grove City College there is the safety of on-campus housing, the certainty that classes will begin and end and the prospects of a spouse who most of us

won’t admit we’re looking for.

Outside of the brick walls and quads, though, lies a daunting world where our Christian faith is under attack, where the uncertainty of life chips away at the very security the brick walls provide whether we admit it or not.

The point is, the world is a scary place. College is safe.

Home, whatever or wherever we call it, is safe.

Safety is sometimes why we neglect our God and our Savior. Safety on earth, we feel, is greater than the safety He can provide.

I regret that this is all too often the case for me. It is why we line up internships and seek the security of a future job ahead of His kingdom and His righteousness.

It’s why we have our own plans, just in case God’s plan doesn’t quite work for us.

The reality is, however, that without God, we will always be searching for something that will make us safe.

I take comfort in this old saying: “You don’t have to know the plan, just know the One who knows the plan.”

As I ponder what life has in store after college, what life will be like without the safety of the brick walls, I find my peace in knowing that no matter what it will bring, there is someone who will be with me through it all: our God and our Lord who watches over us and makes us safe.

No matter what final exams bring, no matter what happens every semester when we stop and think, he is with us. I pray that we may let that be enough.

Winter Photo Contest!

Grove City College and The Collegian are co-sponsoring a photo contest to capture the beauty of winter on campus.

A panel of judges representing the College and the newspaper will select first, second and third prize winners.

The winning photographer will receive $100. Second place prize is $50 and third place will collect $25.

The Rules Are Simple Take a picture and submit it to The Collegian at gcc.collegian@gmail.com by Jan. 29,

2015.

Include your name and contact information.

The contest is only open to Grove City College students. Winners will be announced, and contestants’ work will be showcased in the Feb. 6 edition.

Sports

Dec. 5, 2014

Page 11

Field of grace

Chronicles of a soccer referee Part 2: The longest day Thomas Kutz Staff Writer

Tournament days are always the longest, especially when the weather is either extremely hot or cold. This particular Saturday in December was freezing. I was assigned six games total, but I definitely was not expecting what God had in store for me that day. As the day wears on, so does your patience, energy and keenness to challenging situations. I always love meeting challenges on the soccer field. However, it is important for me to remember that that I cannot meet them alone. I needed God’s grace to get through that day.

I had made it through my morning slate of three games without a problem, and my next two went just as well. I

had the whistle for the last game, but was not expecting what transpired that blistery December afternoon.

The games were played on an all-purpose turf field with more lines for more sports than anyone could count.

The lacrosse, football and field hockey lines all bunched together with the dark blue soccer lines. The home team’s goalkeeper came out to challenge an opponent for the ball and he made contact with the ball just outside of the box. I whistled for a direct free kick right away for handling, but the proximity to the goal made a tough decision for me: was the conduct deserving of a sending off? The opposing coach sure thought so. I had made up my mind that I would not send the goalkeeper off as I did not think he had denied

an obvious goal scoring opportunity (DOGSO).

I was aware the coach thought differently. My assistant referee (AR) told the coach to stay in his technical area to state his disagreement, but the coach yelled across the field at the AR: “You, shut up!” This was definitely not alright, as it was all three P’s – Public, Personal, and Provocative. I had no choice, the coach had to go. Unfortunately, he did not have any assistants to take his place. By the letter of the law, the match should have been abandoned. The easy option was to end the match and say “too bad” to both teams – both of whom had travelled from out of state several hours to play in this tournament.

My mind drifted to the kids. They were fifteen years

old, and they just wanted to play soccer. I sympathized with them. We called the tournament director and the team found a replacement coach so the game could keep being played. The game went on a little fiery – with six more yellow cards in the game – but the point is that they still played.

I could have easily made myself the focal point of the game and the most important person on the field. The decision was in my hands.

I realized, though, that the gracious thing was to let the game continue because the game was bigger than just me.

The same is true in life: life is bigger than just one person. We have to think about the world around us and what the best course of action is every day in our lives. Even

though the coach left me no choice but to dismiss him, I still had a choice. I chose to let the game continue.

The game is bigger than one person, and the whole team shouldn’t have to suffer for one person’s mistakes. That’s why Christ came for us. Our world is fallen because Adam sinned, but Christ offers us the chance to keep playing the game anyways. More importantly, at the end of the game anyone who is in Christ is a winner. God does not have to let us keep playing, but he does because he cares for us and he wants us to experience the redemption in his son Jesus Christ, who ensures the victory for us all no matter what the score.

Spotlight on Pittsbugh Wolverines Penguins off to stellar start stay confident Women’s basketball off to rough start

Katharine Hussey Contributing writer

For the Grove City College women’s basketball team, Thanksgiving break was bittersweet. In an exciting second-half comeback, the Wolverine women crushed Cincinnati-Clermont, with a final score of 83-63 in the Anderson University Tip-Off Tournament on Friday, Nov. 21. Unfortunately for the athletes, the victory was cut short by a disappointing 8161 loss to Webster during day two of the tournament.

Although the Wolverines failed to win their second game, the women’s performance against Cincinnati-Clermont is reason alone to celebrate. Although Grove City trailed 37-36 at half-time after a nail-biting first half, the women came back to score 46 points in the second half and take the lead over their opponent. Junior forward Kathryn Erbelding scored 18 of Grove City College’s 83 points on 8-of-10 shooting, making her the lead scorer for the Wolverines. She also pulled down 10 rebounds to help contribute to the women’s victory.

Although Erbelding held the lead in points during the championship game, it was an all-around team effort that truly contributed to the win. Senior guard Kelsey Shire scored 17 points during the game, putting her right behind Erbelding’s 18. Another senior guard, Cayley McClean, added on 11 points, and nine other players also scored in the game.

According to sophomore guard Theresa Dallatore, it was this display of teamwork that made the difference in the game. “Almost everyone scored, which just shows how talented our team is as a whole and not just the individuals. Even though we do have some girls who are just really good players in general, it always feels like a team effort when we play,” Dallatore shared.

Defensively, the women were just as successful. Despite their position after the

first half, the Wolverines limited Cincinnati-Clermont to just nine field goals in the second half. The Grove City College defense also held Clermont to 34 percent shooting from the field, consenting only 20 of the 59 shots taken, contributing to the Wolverines advancing to the championship the next day.

Unfortunately, the celebrations were cut short when Webster quickly took a 21-10 lead in the first half of the next game. Although Grove City did briefly surge ahead taking a 29-28 lead, by halftime the Wolverines were trailing 39-33 and Webster ended the period on an 11-3 run.

For many of the women the game wasn’t completely disappointing. Erbelding and Shire both scored 17 points against Webster, matching the success of the first game.

Erbelding also accumulated 11 rebounds and added on four assists, which earned her All-Tournament honors.

Overall, the rest of the team played well. Although Grove City only shot 39 percent from the field in contrast to Webster’s 59 percent converted field goal attempts, the Wolverines outrebounded the Webster Gorloks 3228. Despite this success, however, the Wolverines do have a lot to work on before entering their first conference game against Washington & Jefferson.

According to Dallatore, “Some things we need to work on before we play Washington and Jefferson is something that we like to call Calm Intensity. Just meaning that sometimes we get too into the game and start making mistakes from just rushing instead of keeping cool heads and making the right plays and decisions.”

Grove City College has a lot of work to do, but they are on the right track.

Tim Hanna Staff Writer

As the Pittsburgh Penguins prepared to open their season back in September, there were a lot of questions surrounding the team, especially about how they would do under a first-time NHL coach and a brand new system. Just three months prior, the Pens had fired both their general manager and head coach, after being unceremoniously ousted from the playoffs by the New York Rangers. Shortly thereafter, Pittsburgh went through an offseason where many big names such as Niskanen, Neal and Orpik were either traded away or chose to sign with other teams.

Despite all the turmoil during the offseason, the Penguins won their opening game 6-4 against the Anaheim Ducks, and after starting off with an average record of 3-2-1, the Pens won the next seven to vault themselves over the competition to the top of the Metropolitan Division. As of the writing of this article, Pittsburgh still holds the lead in the division with a 16-5-2 record, which has people wondering why they are having such success.

One of the biggest reasons for the Pens success this year has been their production on power play. Last year, the Penguins led the league in power play percentage at 23.4 percent. This year, their power play is clicking at 31.6

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Marc-Andre Fleury makes one of many saves in his illustrious career. percent, which is more than have tallied five or more 10 percent above the Nation- goals for the Penguins this al Hockey League average. season, which is a promising Even more astonishingly, start. Also, nine players have their power play success percentage was as high as 40 already recorded 10 or more percent earlier in the season. points, with three more playBeing able to convert man ers about to cross the threshadvantages into goals helps old. With the added producthe Pens build leads and win tion, the pressure comes off games.

Another reason for the of Crosby and Malkin, which success has been the play has enabled them to post of goaltender Marc-Andre high numbers this early in Fleury. Fleury, who signed a the season. As a result, both four-year, $23 million dol- of them are in the top-five in lar contract early this season, is having a career year. points scored in the NHL this Currently, he is 13-4-1, while year.

The Penguins have enjoyed allowing only 2.19 goals per game, almost half a goal notable success so far this under his career average. season, and are primed to Meanwhile, his save percentcontinue this trend through age is up to .924, which is .13 higher than his career norm. the rest of the regular season.

Fleury has also already post- However, the true test will ed four shutouts on the year, come in the playoffs, an area which leads the NHL. where the Penguins have However, the biggest reastruggled in recent years. son for the Penguin’s success has been the all-around Their performance there will contributions of the offense. tell whether this is a truly Currently, seven players quality team.

Support Your Wolverines!

December 5-11

Men’s Track and Field

Friday, 3 p.m., at Youngstown State Icebreaker

Women’s Track and Field Friday, 3 p.m., at Youngstown State Icebreaker Men’s Swimming and Diving Friday-Saturday, all day, at Kenyon Total Performance Invitational Women’s Swimming and Diving Friday-Saturday, all day, at Kenyon Total Performance Invitational Women’s Basketball Saturday, 1:30 p.m., at Waynesburg Monday, 5:30 p.m., vs Allegheny

Men’s Basketball

Saturday, 3:30 p.m., at Waynesburg Monday, 7:30 p.m., at Oberlin

Page 12

The Collegian

Dec. 5, 2014

A season of hope

Hot shooting carries men’s basketball to a 3-2 start Connor Lowe

Conttributing Writer The Grove City College Wolverine basketball team (3-2) is off to a very respectable start this season. On Nov. 19, the Wolverines faced a visiting Pitt-Greensburg team in what turned out to be a dominating win.

Led by senior guard Mitch Marmelstein, who scored 21 points on that day, the Wolverines had a lead as large as 18.

However, 16 turnovers in the second half whittled the lead to just two points with 1:28 remaining in the game.

Regardless, clutch free throw shooting, compliments of senior guard J.T. Schwartz, down the stretch gave the Wolverines the 80-73 win.

Coincidentally, the Wolverines would earn another 80-73 victory when they traveled to Cresson, Pa. to take on Mount Aloysius on Nov. 22nd. Grove City College out-played Mount Aloysius all game long, shooting 55 percent from the field and holding their opponent to just 44 percent.

Unfortunately, the Wolverines could not bring their shooting touch with them out of state for the David Wells Classic, hosted by PomonaPitzer in Claremont, CA. Grove City College dropped two in a row in the tournament to Pomona-Pitzer and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps on the 28th and 29th of November, respectively.

In the Pomona-Pitzer game, Grove City College shot a respectable 46 percent

16 turnovers in the second half whittled the lead to just two points with 1:28 remaining in the game.

(20 for 44) for the game, but powerhouse Pomona-Pitzer went an impressive 32 for 52 (62 percent) from the field, which led to a final score of 91-61 favoring Pitzer.

The Claremont-MuddScripps game was much of the same story. Tied at 4040 thanks to a pair of back to back triples from senior guard Mitch Marmelstein, CMS proceeded to embark on a 19-5 run that they didn’t look back from and 71-55 CMS was the final score.

Grove City College will now begin its Presidents’ Athletic Conference schedule, starting with visiting Washington & Jefferson on the 3rd, Waynesburg on the 6th, and Oberlin on the 8th.

Senior guard Mitch Marmelstein has 1,060 career points for the Wolverines, which puts him 23rd in Grove City College’s all-time basketball scoring list. It will certainly be worth seeing how far he will climb up the record board and where he will stand in the midst of Grove City’s all-time greats.

REBEKAH WHEAT/THE COLLEGIAN

Senior guard Mitch Marmelstein gets ready to pass to one of his teammates.

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