The Collegian – Jan. 30, 2015

Collegian

The It’s 2015! Where’s my hoverboard? p. 8

Friday, January 30, 2015

Vol. 101, No. 6

The Grove City College Student Newspaper

Bookstore back in business Ben Che

Contributing Writer The word “chaos” is certainly appropriate when it comes to describing the first week of the semester.

Adjusting to a new schedule takes the entire week and dealing with the trappings of academia – books, syllabi, course requirements – is a process that seemingly never ends until finals roll around and students pack up for the summer.

One unavoidable part of the first week is being forced to participate in the college textbook racket and purchase one’s books for the semester. This process was made especially difficult for many students this year due to a website bug in the myGCC student portal.

A helpful link that many students have relied on over the years has been a link on each course page in myGCC to the Grove City College Bookstore website whichhas a search application that lists the books required based on a list of classes that one can input.

Recently, however, that link was replaced by a redirect to the bkstr.com domain. Upon searching using the college name, as prompted, the error message “the bookstore website has been closed and is no longer available” would appear. Dr. DiStasi, Chief Information Officer for the college stated that the links to bkstr.com – a site owned by eFollett, a college textbook company and a former vendor of the college’s bookstore – were remnants of the old system. The page was not reflecting the textbook link changes that had been propagated down the site.

As of the first week of the semester, the links on myGCC now properly redirect to the Grove City College Bookstore.

It is a small step toward ordering the chaos inherent in the first week of the semester, but for many students this semester and next, it will be a much appreciated one.

COURTESY PHI OMEGA SIGMA AND ZETA XI OMEGA HOUSING GROUPS

Dancing through time

The Dance of the Century was hosted on Saturday night in Old Map by the Possums and Xenoids. When not dancing, students captured their classic, decade-inspired looks at the photo booth. For more, see page 3.

A pastor’s choice

Alum struggling with same sex attraction found acceptance at GCC Grayson Quay News Editor

“Identity in Christ is the overarching narrative, and sexuality becomes of secondary or tertiary issue,” Pastor Allan Edwards ’06 of Kiski Valley Presbyterian Church wrote in his blog.

Edwards speaks of this issue from a unique perspective. Since his teens, Edwards says he has experienced same-sex attraction but has chosen not to act on it and is, in fact, married to a woman.

He and his wife Leeanne are expecting a child in July.

Edwards’ story made news early this month when he was profiled by National Public Radio and The Daily Mail. His years as a student at Grove City College played a major role in his decision to share his experience with the world through his blog and the mainstream media.

The College is ranked the

number 2 most LGBT-unfriendly school in the nation, but Edwards praised his Christian alma mater as

conflict with my faith.” He continued to struggle with that tension when he began attending Grove City College.

“My expectation was, if I started talking to other guys about this, I’m going to get ostracized and lambasted,” Edwards told NPR. “I actually was received with a lot of love, grace, charity: some confusion, but openness to dialogue.” a place where he was able to share his feelings with his peers and find acceptance and guidance.

Due to what he called “negative attention” following the nationally distributed NPR interview, Edwards was hesitant to agree to an open-ended interview with The Collegian, but eventually provided a statement and answered a few questions about his time at the College via email.

Edwards told NPR he began experiencing same-sex attraction in high school and came to “a pretty immediate realization that it was in

Edwards told The Collegian that he first shared his struggles with a few friends on his freshman hall only to have “a really negative experience when a fellow freshman tried to cast a demon out of me.” Responding to a comment on his blog that called him “a deceiver and a wolf,” Edwards wrote that the vitriol that many fundamentalist Christians direct at homosexuals and those experiencing same-sex attraction “drives me nuts” and that such comments “don’t actually represent Jesus’s way of calling sexual sinners

to repentance.”

Later on, his experience at the College improved. Edwards told The Collegian that as a sophomore he was able to share his struggles with his brothers in the Adelphikos fraternity and found a “brother/mentor figure” in one of his brothers. “[He] really showed love to me by letting me share my heart without condemnation. I wasn’t afraid of being ridiculed by him,” Edwards said. That same year, Edwards also shared his struggles with his Orientation Board Religious Committee team as part of his testimony.

“My expectation was, if I started talking to other guys about this, I’m going to get ostracized and lambasted,” Edwards told NPR. “I actually was received with a lot of love, grace, charity: some confusion, but openness to PASTOR 2

Seeing ‘Red’ in Cleveland College theater department takes play to KCACTF

Rebecca Shaffer Contributing Writer

GROVE CITY COLLEGE

The cast of “Red” takes a bow on their reconstructed stage at the Kennedy Center.

Grove City College’s Theater Department had the opportunity this year to attend the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival.

The festival, which was held at Playhouse Square in Cleveland, Ohio, and hosted

by Cleveland State University, is held to promote quality in college-level theatre production. It is a unique event, being the only national one in the country, and it is a top

honor for a college to be invited to participate.

Early in December, Betsy Craig, the director of the College’s theatre program, found out that last semester’s play “Red” had been invited. Twelve students went to the festival on Jan. 2, joining about 1500 participants from other schools.

The adventure was slightly terrifying at first. Craig said, “It was a little intimidating because you compete with schools that are much larger and almost all that have the-

atre majors and many who offer graduate degrees.”

The College’s representatives participated in three events: the Irene Ryan competition, dramaturgy, and, of course, performing Red. The Irene Ryan competition an intense acting competition, with 230 starting contestants being cut down to eventually 16. Two competitors from the College, junior John Laurie and senior Ethan Mitchell, made it into the final round.

RED 2

Life

The Lens

E!

Perspectives

Sports

You don’t have to be in a frat or sorority to go Greek at the Main Street Diner. p. 4

From Latin America to Europe, not everyone spent their break at home. p. 6-7

Audience bid “The Last Goodbye” to Middle Earth. p. 5

Obama ending the Cuba embargo a step in the right direction. p. 9

A changing of the guard for the GCC football program. p. 11

The Collegian

Page 2

Jan. 30, 2015

Redesigned writing center Heralding a new focus on writing Scott Alford

Perspectives Editor

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

Design Chief Patty Folkerts

Copy Chief

Michayla Wicker

Copy Editors

Mary Grace Brown Erin Pechacek Angell Fonner Becky Tzouanakis Gabrielle Johnston

Section Designers Caleb Harshberger Liesl McClintock Laura Counihan

Staff Writers

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/Business Manager Reagan Georges

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.

PASTOR dialogue.”

When asked what it was like “coming out” at a Christian college, Edwards made it clear that, unlike his openly gay brother who publicly disagreed with Edwards’ stance on homosexuality, he does not identify as gay. Edwards told The Collegian: “I did not ‘come out.’ I think ‘coming out’ is language for an experience that is commonly associated with public identification with the LGBTQ community, identity, and lifestyle.”

He directed The Collegian to his blog post entitled “The Missing Narrative” in which

As a part of a re-envisioned core curriculum, the Grove City College’s administration has decided to place a greater emphasis on writing.

On Jan. 26, the earliest manifestation of this reprioritization was revealed through the new Writing Center in the basement of the Henry Buhl Library. In comparison to the original Writing Center on the second floor, the environment of this basement room has a much more open and creative feel.

The mastermind behind this new center as well as the new curriculum, firstyear English professor Dr. David Hogsette, described it as a creative space where students can be helped and encouraged in their writing.

Hogsette said, “The vision is not only providing tutorial help for students but also to provide a space that is a collaborative workshop environment.”

This vision is evidenced by the thoughtful layout of the room with comfortable and

multipurpose furniture, a colorful environment crafted for studying and collaboration, with separate areas for focused tutoring. Hogsette hopes that this will attract students and organizations like the Quad and Echo literary publications to take full advantage of this space for communal learning.

In addition to the commissioning the design of the new Writing Center, Hogsette has begun tracking more closely the kinds of students who come in for help, in order to enable the center to best provide for the needs of the students. With this information and a partnership with Dr. Vince DiStasi of the Technological Learning Center, he plans to create a database to track the Center’s progress and run it more efficiently.

The innovations to the Writing Center are just one example of a broader emphasis upon the value of writing.

Hogsette is working in close cooperation with the rest of the English faculty to develop the new writing program while expanding it into new areas.

SCOTT ALFORD/THE COLLEGIAN

Student employees work in the new Writing Center.

His vision is to provide the seek to teach the foundations foundational freshman writ- of academic discourse as well ing course and eventually as the manifestations of baexpand to new courses that sics in the students’ respecallow students to improve tive disciplines. While there writing in areas including is a new vision and feel to the the sciences, engineering and computer science. Hog- Writing Center, the student sette, who has an under- tutors who staff it will maingraduate background in the tain their hours from 3 p.m. sciences, is seeking to “break to 8 p.m. with tutors availdown silos” and allow for able to help on any writing more interdisciplinary learn- assignments. The Writing ing to strengthen students’ Center may seem like a small education. He hopes that step for writing on campus stronger writing will allow but it is a giant leap forward for students to become better communicators, especially in for Hogsette’s vision of the areas that need strong Chris- new emphasis on writing in the College’s core curricutian communicators.

The new curriculum will lum.

Business department ACBSP certified Molly Wicker

Contributing Writer

The Department of Business at Grove City College recently earned accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs, also known as ACBSP. More than a certificate or plaque, accreditation from ACBSP ensures prospective students and employers that the College’s business program is strong enough to produce graduates who are well equipped with the skills needed to flourish in the highly competitive world of contemporary business.

“We have been impressed by the rigor and thoroughness of the ACBSP accreditation process,” Dr. William Hinton, Professor of Business at Grove City College, told the College’s Office of Marketing and Communications. “Many in the business program worked hard to achieve this end. We are very gratified with the result.”

All students with majors in the accounting, business and entrepreneurship departments are included in the accreditation through ACBSP’s Baccalaureate/Graduate Degree Board of Commissioners.

ACBSP’s main goal is to improve the quality of business schools and programs around the world, with the he encourages Christians in the church who share his struggles to focus primarily on their identity in Christ rather than on sexuality as a primary determinant of identity. The goal, he wrote, is not conversion to heterosexuality, but “Christ-exalting sexual expression whether in marriage or singleness.” “[I]f we as Christians who experience same sex attraction and accept and believe the biblical ethic of sexuality would be honest about our struggles … others who struggle with same sex attraction wouldn’t see the LGBT community as the only loving and accepting option for them,” Edwards told The

“This accreditation is evidence that Grove City College is committed to providing the highest quality business education for their students.” ultimate goal of strengthening global business practices.

The organization offers accreditation to business, accounting and business-related programs at the associate, baccalaureate, masters and doctoral levels worldwide.

ACBSP is unique in that the entirety of its programs, services and accreditation processes are focused on fostering excellence in the classroom through both teachers and students.

Grove City College was commended for its rigorous academic program and faculty leadership within the business program. In a press release from the College’s Office of Marketing and Communications, ACBSP Chief Accreditation Officer Dr. Steve Parscale said, “Grove City College has shown their commitment to teaching excellence and to the process of quality improvement by participating in the accreditation process. This accreditation is evidence that Grove City College is committed to providing the highest quality business education for their students.”

Collegian.

Edwards said he was honest about his feelings when he was seeking the pastorship he currently holds and that the parishioners were understanding and accepting of his position.

In their Fifth General Assembly, the Presbyterian Church in America, with which Kiski Valley Presbyterian is associated, declared that “a practicing homosexual continuing in this sin would not be a fit candidate for ordination or membership in the Presbyterian Church in America” but does not directly mention those who experience same-sex attraction without acting on it.

World News Roundup Compiled by Taylor Lennox

ISIL in Syria Early this week, good news came out of Kobani – a town on the Syria-Turkey border that is controlled by Syrian Kurds. The Kurds are a semi-autonomous ethnic group that has been battling ISIL for more than four months for the town. If ISIL had won, they would have controlled a large portion of the border. Kobani has been the focus of the coalition led by the United States against ISIL for some time. The Pentagon has been conducting air strikes in the town. They report that Kobani is not completely under Kurdish control, but most of the town is, which a step of progress in efforts against ISIL.

Greece’s anti-capitalist PM takes office On Jan. 25, 2015, national elections were held in Greece, and the new Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has been sworn in. As the conservative party leaves office, Tsipras, the leader of communist-rooted Syriza party, promised to rid Greece of austerity measures like tax hikes and public layoffs from when Greece’s economy was bailed out. Economies in Europe are already unstable, so Eurozone officials are hesitant to lift such measures. In addition, other countries like Spain and Portugal may look to the Eurozone with the same goals as Greece. All the while, Greece’s bailout expires at the end of February. For it to be renewed,

RED While they did not win the competition, they went incredibly far.

“Red” was performed twice while the students were at the festival, and it became one of the most popular productions. It received a standing ovation; “They are not given lightly,” said Craig.

Furthermore, the heads of

more austerity measures would be set in place, which Tsipras has made clear is not an option. Ultimately the Eurozone is in a time of economic instability.

Blizzard predicted Northeast

for

Snow storm Juno hit the Northeast earlier this week. New York City, parts of New Jersey, and Pennsylvania have seen harsh winter weather for several days. Places like Boston, Mass. and Providence, R.I. are expected to endure the most snow where forecasters have estimated up to two feet. Thousands of flights were cancelled, and in some places travel was limited if not impossible.

One forecaster warned that Juno will prove one of the biggest snow storms in history, but that is yet to be determined.

CIA Leaker Convicted Earlier this week, a former CIA officer was convicted of leaking details of a top-secret CIA plan to subvert Iran’s efforts to build nuclear weapons to New York Times reporter James Risen in 2006. The plans involved a Russian nuclear engineer passing inaccurate blueprints to Iran hoping to block the progress of the program. The CIA spent years attempting to persuade Risen to give up his source, but he never did.

However, this week, former CIA officer Jeffrey Sterling is being found guilty of nine federal charges that include espionage. He will face many years in prison. the KCACTF sought Craig out to tell her how impressed they were with “Red.” In the future, Craig would like to see the College compete in more areas of the competition, such as playwriting and design. This year’s participation could be the first step forward in having consistent participation at this prestigious festival.

Life

Jan. 30, 2015

Page 3

Leg warmers & leather

Jenne Mante

Contributing Writer

Do you keep a pair of neon legwarmers in your sock drawer? Does a poodle skirt hang in the back of your closet? Do you ever just have to throw on your leather jacket and slick back your hair? If so, then you probably found yourself at the Dance of the Century on Saturday night.

And if you did not, you missed out.

“The Dance of the Century truly was the dance of the century, or at least of the semester so far. It is second only to the Ganza, and that’s saying something,” said senior Abby Cliff.

This dance is a relatively new one, with it being only its second occurrence, but it’s quickly becoming a favorite on campus. Quinn Furman, senior and a past member of Phi Omega Sigma, the

housing group better known as the Possums, one of the two groups who teamed up to put on the event, said that the idea for the dance came from necessity.

“We had to get off of the probation given to us by the previous year’s leadership … [and] we decided a dance would be perfect. We contacted the Zenoids, who were also on probation and had the same idea of hosting a dance,” Furman says. The Zenoids are another housing group on campus, also known as Zeta Xi Omega.

Junior Justin Pennypacker, the dance’s coordinator from the Possums and one of the dance’s DJs, explained a little more about the dance’s theme. “The whole idea of this dance was having music from the past century, starting with 50s rock n’ roll and progressing through to 60s funk, 70s disco, 80s dancepop, 90s boy bands, and

present day alternative.”

In addition to the recorded music, Pennypacker and junior Colin Hooper (another one of the DJs), performed three songs live, “Don’t Bring Me Down” by ELO, “Tutti Frutti” by Little Richard, and “Johnny B Goode” by Chuck Berry, a feature which Pennypacker said was a huge hit with the crowd.

Attendees of the dance were encouraged to get creative and dress from their favorite era, a task that people embraced with fervor.

A wide variety of decades were represented. From flappers dresses to 50s greasers, it was like stepping out of a very confused time machine.

There was even a group of girls wearing togas!

Junior Tracy Mee, president of the Possums, said that the event was a success due to “the novelty and fun of dancing to music from a large variety of eras” which

set the dance apart from most dances on campus. Mee is also grateful to junior Nathan Rutter and the rest of the Zenoids for their help in

making the event possible, as well as the various Possums who helped to make the night a success.

A century of news

Freedom of the mind Breana Renkin

Staff Writer Every day from Monday to Friday you attend classes where you listen to your professors lecture. Yet, as you sit in your seat, you may find yourself wishing to voice your own opinions and beliefs rather than simply sit quietly and take notes. Students at Grove City College in 1961 faced a similar dilemma in striving to uphold their individual beliefs in the classroom, as described in the article “Intellectual Freedom In the Classroom” in the Feb. 17, 1961 issue of The Collegian.

Intellectual Freedom In The Classroom

By Ann Lewis What does “freedom in the classroom” mean to the student of Grove City College?

It should not suggest that everyone has the right to deliberately oppose all suggested views merely for the sake of contradiction while neglecting his principal objective of taking the particular course and doing his best.

Courses of the discussion or seminar type, or those which are thought provoking in that they require serious attention and concentration, are those which demand the most freedom and flexibility of the mind.

Intellectual freedom in the classroom refers to interpretation which is a personal matter and a result of

the efforts of a student who has understood the specific work or problem, applied his knowledge of the material, and arrived at his own intelligent conception of the answer.

Most of the time this answer will be that of the professors or their adopted philosophies. However, as many professors will tell their classes there is only one right answer. Yet as testing time comes around, as it inevitably does, questions will appear on the test such as “in your opinion” or “why do you think –“ or “if this had happened.”

Does the student take the chance of expressing his own opinions and ideas on the subject or does he hold his peace and repeat as well as he can what this professor has dictated to him as his interpretation of the right answer?

Should he exercise his intellectual freedom at the expense of that oh-so-important grade, or should he mechanically repeat what he has been told. Many would say that the instructor has the authority to declare what is right. Or they may say wait until tomorrow until he is away from the struggle for grades and out into a world in which he may not have the time or ambition to do what he personally believes. Is he being true to himself by refusing to assert his right as an individual? Or is this merely

College holds annual camp fair Grove City College Career Services will host its annual Camp Fair on Wednesday, February 4 in the SAC Great Room.

The fair will be held from 1-4 p.m. and will feature representatives from over 40 different camps located across the country. The camps in attendance will

be offering positions as counselors, lifeguards and program directors, as well as internships in a variety of areas including education, psychology, sociology, criminology, administration, communication and medical care.

Free snacks and drinks will be provided.

GREEN EYESHADE AWARD

This week’s award goes to junior Emily Bartlow for her reliable, quality work for the Collegian.

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

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

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

Life OPPA! Hungry for Greek?

Jan. 30, 2015

Page 4

Local diner offers delicious Mediterranean cuisine

Emily N. Bartlow

Staff Writer

While making your weekly Walmart run, you may have overlooked the unassuming eatery located just beyond Memorial Park. However, this establishment’s service and savory servings are too delectable, and affordable, to be cruised by – especially on Greek Night!

A mere five minute drive from campus, Main Street Diner serves classic “American diner fare with a Greek touch” and hosts a monthly Greek Weekend when an additional Mediterranean menu is offered.

Among the many authentic dishes served on Greek nights, there are three dishes in particular that capture the attention and appetite of many and have had the tendency to sell out before the weekend’s end.

Spanakopitakia (span-uh-ko-pee-TAH-ki-ah), spinach and cheese wrapped in flakey layers of buttered phyllo dough, as well as dolmanthes (dol-MAH-thess), grape leaves stuffed with rice and spiced ground meat, are two appetizers that

EMILY BARTLOW/COLLEGIAN

will be sure to send your taste buds packing for the Grecian Coast.

Junior Tristan Slater, an employee of a Mediterranean restaurant in Pittsburgh, was impressed with Main Street Diner’s spanakopitakia. “The phyllo was perfectly crispy and golden brown, not underdone.”

Also made fresh for their Greek nights is moussaka (moo-sah-KAH). The Greek equivalent to a lasagna, moussaka consists of baked layers of seasoned ground beef and eggplant topped with a velvety béchamel cream sauce.

From the quaint mom and pop atmosphere to the blue and white flags decking the booths, if you are looking for an authentic but not too exotic

meal, Main Street Diner is just the place.

Junior Sooyoung Jung said, “Overall, I thought the food was impressive and didn’t expect it for a small town like Grove City. The lamb and spicy garlic tomato aioli sauce was especially good with the pita bread.”

Main Street Diner is serving food seven days a week, breakfast through dinner, and would be happy to transform you into a Mediterranean cuisine connoisseur. For special promotions, hours of operation, and Greek Nights, you can visit their Facebook page or website: mainstreetdinergc.com.

Home for the holidays?

Kelleigh Huber Staff Writer

For many students on campus, winter break was not spent entirely at home, with many Inner City Outreach and intersession trips starting shortly after the New Year.

ICO Dominican Republic took place from Jan. 3 - 15.

The trip was organized and led by juniors Mariah Syre, Jen Andrews, and Cody Work. A new member to the ICO team was sophomore Mara Yoder. Yoder was impressed with the uniqueness of the Dominican Republic trip. The organization worked to stress a more complete vision of mission work, in which spiritual growth for the helpers was emphasized.

“ICO Dominican Republic is unique because Meeting God in Missions, the mission organization that enables this trip, emphasizes daily devotions and personal reflection time, more than just helping people who are in need,” Yoder said.

Yoder’s first experience on a mission trip was met both with challenges and joys. One such joy included the children running to the trucks during the Vacation Bible School camps. “They couldn’t wait to tug on our arms and ask for a piggyback ride,” she said.

Another ICO team that headed south for the winter was team Jamaica, led by junior Chad Knox and senior Sarah Stadler. This team picked up some new members this year, including sophomore Kaylee Strawhun. For her, the ability to “gooz:” a term the team created, meaning “Get Out Of Zone,” was one of the most impacting things about her experience, and she recommended ICOs in general for

this reason.

“When you are acting as the hands and feet of Christ sometimes it requires you to get out of your comfort zone.

The beauty of ‘gooz’ing on an ICO is you are able to do so alongside some of your favorite people,” she said.

She also highlighted great moments that she had with her team, as well as one of the struggles she had along the way: tutoring a nine-year old.

Both ICO trips worked over winter break by traveling to nations in need of company, support and love.

Others traveling for break included those participating in intersession trips. One of the trips included the Science and Religion course offered in Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. For the SSFT requirement, students accompanied Drs. Kevin Seybold and Mark Graham from Jan. 5 - 14.

Another popular intersession trip was located in France, led by Drs. Michael Coulter and Erik Bardy. During January intersession, these students earned their Modern Civilization credits while studying at the European Study Center in Paris.

One of the students on the trip was junior Christa Currier, whose memories of the trip involve both the learning experience and the group of people alongside her. “[Some of the best parts of the trip included] the relationships made and experiencing the history while learning about it,” she said.

Another participant in the France trip was junior James Moore. This was his first intersession trip, and he found this trip to be beneficial in multiple ways.

“It was a really good balance between the learning opportunities and the

amount of time we had to explore on our own. The background at each site helped make the sites more enjoyable and interesting. In the free time, however, we were able to discover the culture and the people themselves,” he said.

The other intersession trip offered was to Naples, Fla., led by Dr. Gina Blackburn of the Education department.

The students received three credits for the Culturally Relevant Pedagogy course.

In a primarily Spanish speaking area, the students were working with children who came from families with little English background, creating a difficult barrier, but also a chance to better appreciate the culture in Naples. Sophomore Julia Morgan was a part of the group, and had a few years of Spanish practice going into the trip.

“It was a wonderful opportunity to learn how to best educate students whose first language is something other than English. The students were very welcoming and accepting of me,” she said.

In the week the students were in Naples, they built strong relationships and were given an unforgettable experience.

“The most memorable part of my experience was being able to develop relationships with the students, teachers and the school administrators whom I was working with. The memories of the students will stay with me forever,” Morgan said.

No matter the direction students headed for winter break, the relationships and ministering opportunities in new cultures are memories that will remain with the students as they begin another semester here at Grove City College.

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.

Write for The Collegian Interested in writing for The Collegian? The Collegian provides excellent opportunities for students who are interested in journalism careers, in writing and in exploring campus events and issues. All sections welcome new writers. Email the Collegian at collegian@gcc.edu.

Correction

The man in the photograph in the article “Alum convicted of trading fraud” on the front page of the Nov. 14 issue is not the Robert Christy who was convicted, but rather a man with the same name. We regret the error.

Entertainment

Jan. 30, 2015

Page 5

WATERMARKONLINE.COM

Bittersweet goodbye ‘Five Armies’ disappoints

Elisabeth Kruizenga Contributing Writer

This past Christmas, millions waited in suspense for the final journey to Middle Earth, “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.” As critics raved, fans anxiously waited, ready to receive the film as the perfect finale.

But once the movie opened in theatres, audiences were decidedly split. Many believed the film truly glorified the book’s end, fleshing out the supposedly vague finish that Tolkien gave to the book

– their opinion, not mine.

Others thought that it was atrocious, a complete waste of time and money. And I agree. While the beginning, end, and every scene with Bilbo were great, the remainder of the film proved excessive and tiresome.

While the cinematography, makeup and sets were decent, they in no way lived up to the artistic quality of the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. If Peter Jackson’s goal was to retain Middle Earth’s sense of grandeur and vastness, then he progressively

failed over the course of the three “Hobbit” films.

Jackson lost attention as soon as he left the real world for the world of CGI and began adding his own unhelpful subplots. The multiple occurrences of unrealistic stunts and the computer generated orcs are just the tip of the iceberg. The beauty of “The Lord of the Rings” was the fact that Middle Earth existed – and we knew it as New Zealand. But in the third “Hobbit” film, real scenery was only present at the end of the film.

Also, in “The Lord of the Rings,” the changes in plot were usually aesthetic. They rarely changed the direction of the story or its characters. While sometimes the changes in the “Hobbit” did not change the plotline, overall they distracted and added unnecessary details: for example, the mountain goats that appeared out of nowhere and the cheesy quotes referencing “The Lord of the Rings” – “You have no power here!”

Ultimately, the final “Hobbit” was Jackson’s vision,

not author J. R. R. Tolkien’s.

Tolkien wrote a fantastical adventure story about a Hobbit who went there and back again. Jackson attempted to create an epic about a Dwarf trying to regain his homeland. All the other flaws and faults fall into place.

The end of the movie was, admittedly excellent. The focus on Bilbo and the appropriate lead-in to “The Fellowship of the Ring” were refreshing. It actually was a decent way for us to bid our last farewell to Middle Earth.

A civilization ‘Gone with the Wind’ Emily N. Bartlow

Staff Writer

Finals had ended, the bags were unpacked, and the books brought home had been shelved. As I finagled the last textbook into the ever-growing college collection, a faded magenta and gold bound cover caught my eye.

As I removed the threadbare book from its residence upon my shelf, I opened it expecting to find nothing more than a title, but instead discovered a handwritten note. “For Julie on her seventeenth birthday. May this help to enhance your developing appreciation of classic historical novels. With much love, Mom.” As I ventured to learn its contents, little did I expect my every evening to be consumed with the historically rich and undeniably devastating pages my mother had pondered before me.

Margaret Mitchell’s “Gone with the Wind” was published in 1936 and is one of the bestselling American fiction novels, with over 30 million copies sold worldwide. Set during the American Civil War and Reconstruction era, the novel depicts the adulation of the Southern Cause, as well as the devastation and rehabilitation of the South from the perspective of a plantation owner’s daughter, Scarlett O’Hara.

As readers follow the spirited and coquettishly mannered Miss O’Hara from her familial “flirting grounds” at the O’Hara estate of Tara in Georgia, to the Confederacy’s bustling “Gate City of the South” in Atlanta, Mitchell portrays not only the economic and

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civil contentions between the Union and the Confederacy, but emphasizes the radical shift in the culture and societal norms of the South.

From conveying the many sentiments of the Civil War to depicting the desolation of General Sherman’s March to the Sea, Mitchell pens the brutality and rather “un-civil” nature of the war in extensive detail. Mitchell especially utilizes her characters to underline the various dogmas of the day. While Scarlett O’Hara provides insight into the etiquette of Southern belles, the conniving Rhett Butler reveals the corrupted supplies

trade with Europe. Furthermore, Mitchell highlights the varied treatment of slaves across the South, from Mrs. O’Hara’s genteel yet firm management to the calloused abuse of neighboring plantations.

“Gone with the Wind” not only caters to history buffs but also the hopelessly romantic. Hopelessly, indeed, for while there are elements of romance, satisfaction in the coupling of characters is purposefully denied to the reader, further stressing the depravity of war and subsequent suppression of love. Mitchell is even so bold as to mirror Scarlett O’Hara’s

relationships with the ultimate outcome of the Confederacy.

As I gathered my belongings for the new semester and placed the tattered book upon the shelf, its pages will remain undisturbed, but its contents will be contemplated for years to come. Through her vivid imagery and historical focus, Mitchell’s novel recounted the story of a civilization gone with the wind, capturing not only my heart and mind, but those of many others, leaving readers with expanded and challenged perspectives of the Civil War.

Page 6

Through the Lens

Jan. 30, 2015

France intersession Students who spent intersession at GCC’s study center in Nantes were able to fulfill their Modern Civilization Humanities requirement while experiencing French history and culture.

PHOTOS BY LAUREN MCDONALD CARRIE ANDERSON

Jan. 30, 2015

Through the Lens

Page 7

ICO Trips Over winter break, teams of Grovers left their comfort zones to perform service projects and share the Gospel in Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica and cities throughout the United States.

PHOTOS BY THOMAS MILLER AND ABBY FRIEL

Entertainment

Page 8

Jan. 30, 2015

Wrestling their own demons Grayson Quay

‘Foxcatcher’ features strong performances

News Editor

Who’d have thought Michael Scott had it in him?

Steve Carrell, known for his work in comedies like “The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” “Evan Almighty,” and the television show “The Office,” scored a well-deserved Oscar nomination for Best Actor due to his role as John du Pont in Bennett Miller’s new film “Foxcatcher.”

Based on a true story, “Foxcatcher” tells the story of the mentally unstable multimillionaire John du Pont and his sponsorship of an Olympic wrestling team, led by gold medalist brothers Mark and Dave Schultz, played by Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo.

While I am not particularly familiar with the sport of wrestling, I could appreciate the work that Tatum and Ruffalo put into learning it.

Like Miller’s previous sports movie, “Moneyball,” which contains very little actual baseball, “Foxcatcher” contains very few scenes of wrestling. Both movies enable the audience to appreciate the beauty and intricacy of the sport while keeping the focus on how the sport impacts the people who make it a way of life. In one particularly brutal scene, Mark is forced to vomit several times and sweat out water weight on an exercise bike in order to get his weight down in time for a match. After successfully weighing in, he collapses on the scale.

The film begins with Mark giving a stirring speech on the patriotism and dedication that made him a gold medalist. Then the camera angle changes and we see that he is speaking to a miniscule group of elementary school students. He feels underappreciated and overshadowed by his older brother.

Following a phone call from John du Pont, Mark travels to du Pont’s estate Foxcatcher Farms to see the wrestling training center that du Pont had constructed on the grounds.

Mark, moved by du Pont’s rhetoric which painted Mark as an underappreciated national hero, moves out to Foxcatcher Farms to begin training but cannot convince his brother Dave to follow him. Although Carrell and Ruffalo scored the Oscar nods, Tatum’s performance as Mark was of the same caliber as theirs. Tatum takes Mark’s insecurity to extreme levels, smashing his face into a mirror after a loss and fawning like a puppy over du Pont as the only one who appreciates him. This selfloathing is clearly unhealthy but also seems to drive him.

As soon as he feels loved by du Pont, Mark begins to neglect his training. This leads du Pont to bring Dave in alongside Mark, a decision that precipitates the film’s tragic ending.

As played by Carrell, almost unrecognizable in makeup and prosthetics, du Pont is an emasculated momma’s boy who thinks he

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can buy the respect and affirmation he so sorely lacks.

His relationship with his mother, played by Vanessa Redgrave, is central to his character. One of the film’s most heartbreaking scenes comes when du Pont wins a trophy at an amateur wrestling tournament and brings the trophy to his mother only to have her refuse to place it in the family trophy case.

He looks comically small and weak surrounded by the tall, muscle-bound men of Team Foxcatcher, but desires to go beyond being their benefactor, casting himself in the role of mentor and coach, even though he is only a dabbler with nothing to teach to Olympic-level wrestlers. At a party celebrating one of Mark’s wins, du Pont

feebly attempts a takedown on one of the wrestlers, who allows du Pont to pin him.

The rest of the wrestlers cheer and du Pont stands up, glowing with triumph as if he is unaware that the wrestler could have easily humiliated him and would have done so if du Pont was not footing the bill for their lavish training center.

Mark Schultz and John du Pont establish a symbiotic relationship, each providing affirmation to mask the other’s insecurities. This dynamic is disrupted when Dave, a man secure in himself and his family, arrives at Foxcatcher Farms. Mark is willing to keep up the charade that du Pont’s selfesteem requires, but Dave sees no reason to do so. He

is grateful for the funding, but will not play along when du Pont asks him to say, on camera in a documentary about Team Foxcatcher, that he views du Pont as a mentor and a father-figure.

On some level, du Pont knows any affirmation he buys is phony, but he cannot forgive the perceived slight from Dave. According to IMDb, Miller made Carrell write on a piece of paper the thing he hated most about himself and then carry it around in his pocket where anyone could reach out and grab it at any time. Du Pont protects his insecurities like a hurt animal protects its wound.

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Marty McFly’s 2015 and ours Confirmed prophecies in ‘Back to the Future II’

Matt Hoekstra

Contributing Writer

In “Back to the Future Part II,” Marty McFly travels thirty years into the future, landing in the year 2015. When the film originally came out, 2015 seemed like it would never come. Y2K was still far off, so it seemed unlikely that the vision of the future of “Back to the Future II” would survive in the public imagination until the time came around.

We remember.

“Back to the Future Part II” promised us that 2015 would be the year of flying cars, self-tying shoes and a 19th Jaws movie. At first glance, the vision of director Robert Zemeckis seems completely off the mark. Indeed, the particulars of Zemeckis’

world appear to be yet unrealized.

Upon closer inspection, however, the general concepts he imagined prove closer to reality than you might think.

Let’s start with the proposed movies of 2015. When Marty first arrives in the future, he sees a movie theatre advertising the latest blockbuster, “Jaws 19.” If this wasn’t enough, the theatre’s marquee features a shark hologram which emerges from the advertisement and attacks pedestrians.

This seems ridiculous. The “Jaws” franchise stopped after only four films, and we don’t see holograms advertising films. It looks like Zemeckis got this one wrong.

But was he that far off? It’s true we won’t be lining up at the Guthrie to see the nineteenth film in the “Jaws”

franchise. But come May we will see “Avengers: Age of Ultron” — the 11th film in the ever-expanding Marvel Universe. Also, while the holograms of “Back to the Future II” are more convincing than 3D renditions available to us in the real 2015, 3D movies are now a huge part of summer blockbusters. As it turns out, “Back to the Future II” accurately predicted that today’s successful movies would not be confined to a single film nor to a single dimension.

There is also the famous modes of transportation in Zemeckis’ world to consider. Instead of skateboards, the cool kids glide around on hoverboards. There’s also a highway in the sky to accommodate for the abundance of flying cars.

While hoverboards and flying cars

are certainly not as ubiquitous in our day as in the film, they are no longer merely fictional ideas. Hendo has developed a working hoverboard that uses magnetic fields to allow riders to levitate. Plus, several companies, including Terrafugia, are developing vehicles that can both fly and drive.

The flying car is a reality.

Oh, and you know those cool shoes in “Back to the Future II” that tie themselves? Looks like Nike is releasing shoes with self-tying laces later this year.

So while it is possible to watch “Back to the Future Part II” with a cynical eye and scoff at its vision of the future, the real 2015 doesn’t look to be terribly different after all.

Perspectives

Jan. 30, 2015

Page 9

Je suis Charlie Because freedom of speech matters

Thomas Kutz

Staff Writer

On Jan. 7, the world was shocked by the terrorist attacks in Paris, France, when gunmen entered the offices of the satirical publication “Charlie Hebdo” and opened fire on its staff, killing 11 people and wounding several others.

An Al-Qaeda affiliate in Yemen took credit for the attacks, in which the gunmen yelled “Allahu Akbar,” which is Arabic for “God is the greatest.”

A unity rally was held in Paris on Sunday, January 11, in which over 20 world leaders participated.

As the world rallied around France in the aftermath of the attacks, the phrase “Je suis Charlie,” which is French for “I am Charlie,” took off just as “Boston Strong” and “We are all Americans” did after the Boston Marathon attack and 9/11, respectively.

The terrorists who attacked the publication were apparently upset with the portrayal of the prophet Mohammad.

The attack has been seen in the weeks following as an attack on freedom of speech, a principle that Americans – as well as people around the

world – hold dear.

While many people choose to avoid saying or printing controversial things such as the cartoons published in “Charlie Hebdo,” the principle of the freedom to do so is the subject of conversation.

We find ourselves not at risk of having our freedom restricted by the government, as our countrymen were at the founding of America.

Rather, we find ourselves at risk of losing freedom for fear of our own safety. It is the violent response against our freedom that frightens us the most.

The simple solution to the problem would be to more cautiously monitor what we say so that we do not risk offending anyone. As our nation’s founders realized, however, this way is not an option.

There are risks to speaking out. Benjamin Franklin once noted, “We must all hang together, or surely we will all hang separately.” Even with the risk of losing their lives, our nation’s founders stood up for the freedoms we have today. Hundreds of thousands of men and women have given their lives defending those same freedoms in the years since.

America exists because they did not settle for the

simple solution.

Indeed, the simple solution would have left us subjects to Great Britain. The simple solution would have left African Americans enslaved. The simple solution would have never desegregated schools, fought human trafficking around the world, given civil rights to citizens in our own country or stopped the Holocaust because the risk was just too great. The simple solution is no solution at all.

If we stop standing up for our freedoms, we will no longer be free. Ronald Reagan captured the responsibility to ensure the continuance of freedom when he said, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.”

Freedom has not gone extinct through the generations because people have stood up for the cause of freedom around the world. Every conflict the United States has been involved in has been to protect freedom around the world.

Thomas Jefferson understood this principle, and he understood its broad reach around the world.

Freedom is by no means an exclusively American tradition, as Jefferson wrote in 1775, “The God who gave us life gave us liberty at the

It needs to go Drew Brackbill Contributing Writer

During the recent State of the Union Address, President Obama stated that he planned to begin the process of restoring relations with Cuba, and called on Congress to “begin the work of ending the embargo.” With this call to action, the President has turned on its head a foreign policy that has lasted for five decades, a policy of total refusal to trade with the government or people of Cuba.

In 1960, when the Cuban embargo first began, it might have seemed necessary. It might have seemed like an effective measure that would surely drive the new communist government of postrevolution Cuba to its knees. No doubt John F. Kennedy thought the embargo would weaken Castro’s hold on his people. Unfortunately, things have not panned out that way.

The question of whether or not economic sanctions are ever an effective tool for forcing regime change remains a very debatable one, but in the specific case of Cuba, one can say with certainty that the sanctions have not been fruitful. The Castro family remains in power, and their hold on Cuba is probably stronger than it was even fifty years ago. The U.S. embargo has unequivocally failed, and there are several reasons why.

For one, Cuba still trades with the entire rest of the world. The U.S. has not blockaded any Cuban ports since the end of the Cuban Missile Crisis in ’62, and Cuban goods still go out to many countries throughout the world. So, realistically, the embargo hasn’t had much of an impact on Cuba’s economic strength.

Cuba’s economy, as it stands today, is not very strong. The major source of income in Cuba is tourism, and even though American tourists have been forbidden from visiting the country, it still remains a popular destination for travelers from other nations. Other than tourism, (and its famed cigars) Cuba has little to offer the world economically.

But the Castro regime has consistently pointed to the U.S. embargo as the source of its coun-

try’s economic weakness, using the embargo as a scapegoat for their own repressive policies. The Castros use the embargo as a kind of propaganda tool. They appropriate much of the wealth of Cuba for their own personal use, or spend it on a military which further entrenches their own power.

But as long as the embargo remains in effect, Castro can continue to point to it as the source of his people’s economic woes.

Republicans in Congress, perhaps rightly, have criticized Obama’s plan to normalize relations with Cuba and end the embargo. Senator Marco Rubio (RFla.) has been perhaps the most vocal opponent of the change, stating his belief that normalizing relations and ending the embargo will likely never cause true regime change in Cuba. Rubio is almost certainly correct in this analysis.

However, Rubio and other critics like him ignore the obvious fact that keeping the embargo in place will never cause regime change either.

The policy has not worked in 50 years; it will not start working any time soon. Castro is entrenched, his power is absolute, and no action by the United States government, short of invasion, is likely to shift him from his throne. The Cuban embargo has only served to provide Castro with an excuse for his excesses and a rationalization for his brutal acts of repression.

By removing the embargo, the U.S. can remove this one leg from Castro’s dictatorial platform, perhaps weakening his credibility, and forcing him to find a new excuse for his cruelty. With time, perhaps the right people will start to ask the right questions, and the strength of Castro’s entrenched dictatorship will erode as the people of Cuba begin to have contact with Americans and access to our goods. It is a slim hope, certainly, but it may be the only hope for freedom Cuba has.

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same time,” and “Our attachment to no nation upon earth should supplant our attachment to liberty.”

Our nation was born under the principle of fighting for freedom.

None other than these words of Jefferson can sum up the importance of fighting for freedom now and for eternity: “With hearts fortified with these animating reflections, we most solemnly, before God and the world, declare, that…we will, in de-

fiance of every hazard, with unabating firmness and perseverance, employ for the preservation of our liberties; being with one mind resolved to die freemen rather than to live slaves.”

If we are to hope to live as free people, we must fight to protect the very freedoms we hold so dear, which is why Je suis Charlie. Vive la liberté pour toujours

Mentored ministry Adrienne Scrima Contributing Writer

What is the purpose of missions? Is it evangelism?

The ministry Coastlands Consultants believes that missions can mean investment in the lives of young believers.

Mentorship, therefore, is the Coastlands purpose.

Started in 1989 by Dr. Pam Brady, Coastlands travels during the school year to numerous Christian elementary, middle, and high schools throughout the New England area. At each school the ministry puts on a Spiritual Emphasis Week.

Over Christmas break, nine Grove City College students and I had the opportunity to participate in a SEW at New York City school Manhattan Christian Academy.

During the week at MCA, the Coastlands team hosted a number of activities for the students. During a “coffee can” time, middle school students had the opportunity to write down anonymous questions. These were then placed in a coffee can and answered by the team.

Questions ranged from “What’s your favorite sports team?” to “What are four flaws you crazily struggled with around our age?” In a sixth grade classroom, a student asked how to discern God’s calling for one’s life.

Other activities during the week at MCA included chapel presentations in the morning, journaling with the eighth graders, and one-on-one mentoring.

During the school day, Coastlands team members sat in on the classes, chatted in the lunchroom, and participated in gym classes.

Dr. Rick Bonifas, principal of MCA, invites Coastlands back to the school each year. “I believe the Spiritual Emphasis Week is something most of the students will remember for life because it is unique,” he said. “It becomes a special time of the year as it emphasizes the spiritual life and formation in a creative and focused time that impacts our walk with God.” For many students, SEW is the highlight of the school year. His own children remember their SEW experiences, Bonifas said.

The Coastlands leaders are passionate about mentored ministry.

According to Brady, “All too often, our students in Christian education know the ‘word of the Lord’ without knowing the Lord of the Word. Most learning happens observationally – by modeling.”

Bonifas agreed, noting the value of “exposure to adults and young people from the outside who love God and teach his principles.”

During the final SEW chapel, there was an open mic time for students to share what they learned during the week. Usually, it’s difficult to tell the impact of a mission’s trip. This chapel gave us a clue. One student offered that she “learned to encourage others because of how [Coastlands] encouraged us.”

Junior Katie Conrad noted she was inspired by the “love the teachers, administrators, and members of the community have for the students and the love many of the students have for each other and for God.” She added, “All of these give me hope!”

Coastlands leader Matt Huffman graduated from Grove City College in 1999. It was at this school, he says, that he committed his life to Christ. Because of his experience, he has a great appreciation for the College and recruits its students.

Grove City students worked alongside students volunteering from other schools such as Liberty University and Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

In the past, Huffman has recruited volunteers by contacting the College’s Fellowship of Christian Educators.

For the College education majors, the trip serves as an observation of elementary and intermediate Christian education.

Senior Rachel Johnson observed, “It was a perfect opportunity to see urban Christian education done so successfully. The teachers are so passionate about impacting their students’ lives not only academically, but also spiritually, which makes a big difference in the positive relationships they are able to form.”

Coastlands does not ask its volunteers to reimburse for the cost of the trip.

Last spring, Senior Megan Peaco, fundraising chair of the Alpha Beta Tau sorority, sought to give back to the ministry. ABT hosted a pancake breakfast with proceeds going to Coastlands. Independently, Junior Allie Schellin started a cookie fundraiser to raise more donations.

Coastlands is looking for volunteers to join the team for a school in Syracuse, N.Y.. The opportunity is during spring break. Email scrimaaa1@gcc.edu to learn more.

Page 10

The Collegian

Jan. 30, 2015

Jan. 30, 2015

Sports

End of an era

Page 11

Football coach retires as a school legend

Julie Fijal

Contributing Writer At the end of the 2015 competitive football season and the end of a full 32 year employment as head coach, Coach Chris Smith ’72 is planning on saying goodbye to coaching and hello to retirement.

Smith’s roots in football began playing in his backyard in his hometown of Maslan, Ohio. He started playing football in sixth grade, through high school, and played at Grove City College himself from 1968 to 1972.

On his long experience playing football, Smith remarked, “As in all sports, you tend to remember the people and your relationships with them far more than you remember how many tackles you broke or passes you caught.”

Smith began coaching at the College as an assistant coach in 1979 and took the role of head coach in 1984.

One of the most memorable experiences he recollects from his long coaching career is when he guided R.J. Bowers ’01, who, according to Smith, “became the leading rusher in history college football [sic]” After

Chris Smith Andrew DiDonato bringing heavy publicity to the College, Bowers went on to play for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns.

But as Smith specifies, “every year has been a great year because of the people and the players and the school.”

Smith also knows a lot about the evolving improvements in Grove City athletics from a 32-year witness as coach on top of a GCC playing career.

As he testifies, “so much [of the improvement] has had to do with the support that the school has given athletics, and football in general.

One of the things that longevity gives you is continuity in a program, and with continuity, you’re able to have continual improvement – in facilities, staffing, quality of play, and in

everything that we do, which we have really been the beneficiaries of.”

As he nears the end of his career, Smith’s biggest lesson learned is that “you just have to keep trying. When things are good, work to keep them good. When things aren’t good, work until they become good.”

In retirement, Smith is looking forward to continue living in town, spending time with his family, and finding time to visit his other house on the Allegheny River to fish. However, he is not quite done at the College yet. He will be working his last year as head coach in the 2015 season, in close relationship with his successor Coach Andrew DiDonato ’10.

After playing as one of the top quarterbacks in Grove City College history in his collegiate career, DiDonato is returning to his alma mater to work a year as a “coach-in-waiting” until he assumes head coach for 2016.

While playing for Grove City, DiDonato was an accomplished player. In 2009, in his senior season, DiDonato set the then single-season records of 2,466 yards and 18 touchdowns. His total yardage for his collegiate career

A champion will be crowned

Campus prepares for Super Bowl Sunday Kyle Martin

Contributing writer This Sunday, Feb. 1, reigning NFL champion Seattle Seahawks will face off against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX. A high octane offense versus a lightsout defense. Two number one seeds facing off. Have we seen this scenario take place before?

Just last season, the Seahawks played the Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl.

The Broncos were the highest ranked offense in the NFL, and the Seahawks possessed the highest ranked defense.

However, it took one high snap on the first play of the game to dash Denver’s hopes for another ring and send them into a tailspin. Seattle demolished Denver 43-8.

This Super Bowl has a chance to be different. Seattle’s defense is as talented as last year’s, but their offense has faltered as of late.

Russell Wilson threw one touchdown and four interceptions last week against the Green Bay Packers, but Seattle stunned the world

with one of the most improbable comebacks in NFL history last week and showed that nobody can count out this team at any given time.

While the Seahawks were showing late game heroics, the Patriots routed the Indianapolis Colts 45-7, showing off their offensive prowess. But fan support quickly deflated after the Patriots fell under accusation of underinflating their footballs, giving quarterback Tom Brady a better passing grip. The NFL has not found the Patriots guilty nor have they disciplined anybody yet, but they are currently investigating the matter.

There are numerous places around campus to watch the game this Sunday night.

Places such as Crawford Auditorium, Ketler Rec, the SAC, South Rec and most dorm lobbies will have the game on and are sure to be busy locations. The Super Bowl has become one of the largest television events in the United States of America and will once again be a huge Sunday night event on campus.

equaled 8,904 yards.

There are high hopes resting on DiDonato as he brings his experience from a year of coaching at the University of Buffalo, a school that boasts of a DI football program.

Since 2012, he’s been coaching at his high school alma mater, South Fayette High School, which he brought to its first victory in the PIAA AA state championships in 2013, a feat the team repeated in 2014.

Grove City College hopes that DiDonato’s success as a player will translate into success in his coaching career. Smith believes that he will be a “great resource for the football program success” and is looking forward to an open, non-threatening relationship and transition with his former player and fellow coach.

As Smith prepares for the transition, he would like to tell his team and the college community that he is “looking forward to year 32, and making it the best one we can possibly make it, while enjoying every moment.”

The future is now

Softball team invests in experience Thomas Kutz Staff Writer

Many people around campus are rooting for the Seattle Seahawks because of the accusations charged against New England over the past week, but there are several die-hard Patriots fans as well. They are already sporting their hats and jerseys in anticipation of the big game.

Many are dismissing the allegations and are still rooting for the Patriots this Sunday.

Despite the controversy that shrouds this upcoming Super Bowl, this game could be one of the best in years.

Like the footballs for the upcoming game, the students of Grove City College will be pumped up for the big event.

Support Your Wolverines!

January 30-February 5 Men’s Basketball

Saturday, 3 p.m., vs Waynesburg Wednesday, 8 p.m., at Westminster

Women’s Basketball Saturday, 1 p.m., vs Waynesburg

Saturday, 6 p.m., at Westminster

Men’s Swimming and Diving Saturday, 1 p.m., vs Bethany Women’s Swimming and Diving Saturday, 1 p.m., vs BethanyWomen’s Basketball

The Grove City College Women’s Softball team (1221 in 2014) will hope to improve on last year by fielding a more experienced team.

After graduating only one senior from the 2014 team, the Wolverines will return their top seven leaders in batting average and top nine players in on base percentage.

The Wolverines will also bring back each of their pitchers, including innings and appearances leader sophomore Erika Aughton, a right hander (104.0 IP, 18/15 app/ GS). Aughton, who posted an impressive 2.22 ERA and an even more impressive 1.22 WHIP, leads the Wolverines’ rotation, and her 13 complete games last year were also a team best.

Sophomore Aimee Wootton will also be an important part of the rotation. Wootton posted a 3.59 ERA in 15 games last season, including four complete games in her seven starts, and her 0.69 K/IP was a team best. Opponents hit just .241 off of Wootton last season, so an adjustment to lower her 0.67 BB/IP could work volumes for her.

Rounding out the rotation will be sophomore righthander Katie Watts. Last year, Watts started 11 games for the Wolverines, including two complete games in 56 2/3 innings pitched.

At the plate, the Wolverines will be pleased to welcome back several of their top sluggers. Senior shortstop Kelsey Shirey posted a .468/.518/.727 slash in 2014, all of which were team bests.

Senior catcher Sarah Morris will also come back for another season behind the plate. Morris’ .342/.534/.395 slash in 2014 was second in all categories only to Shirey, and she led the Wolverines in RBIs in 2014.

Senior Allison Rayburn, will return at second base for the Wolverines. Rayburn’s 31 games played and started topped the team in 2014. Rayburn also posted

The Wolverines will return their top seven leaders in batting average and top nine players in on base percentage. an impressive team-leading .981 fielding percentage, and should figure to be a consistent fielder again this year.

There are high hopes for the middle infield combination of Shirey and Rayburn.

Watts and Aughton are also among the leaders at the plate, in addition to their pitching prowess. Watts posted a .273 average last year, while Aughton was right behind her at .247.

Aughton led the team with 10 BB in 2014, and by some calculations edges Watts in Wins Above Replacement.

Aughton and Shirey hold the team’s top two spots in this category.

Sophomore Alaina Kunselman returns at third base for the Wolverines again this year. Her 53 assists were a team best in 2014, and both her defense and hitting will be valuable to the 2015 team.

The outfield shapes up nicely as well for the Wolverines, who return seniors Erica Gmuer and Caitlyn Vidovic as well as juniors Megan Lynskey and Emily Rothbard and sophomores Madison Brubaker and Allison O’Hearn. Last year, Gmuer led the Wolverines in stolen bases, and Vidovic and Lynskey started regularly. The latter two will both also add some depth on the mound, as they each have experience coming out of the bullpen.

The Wolverines and former Wolverine-great Coach Kristen Hughes-Cramer look forward to kicking off the season before returning for their home opener versus Mount Aloysius on Mar. 18 at 3:30 PM.

Page 12

The Collegian

Jan. 30, 2015

Together we stand Wolverines united through encouraging season

Isaiah Reeves

Contributing Writer In her second year as head coach of the Women’s Basketball team, Chelle Fuss expects big things from her 13 players both on and off the court.

“Coach Fuss has centered the program on not just basketball but honoring God in all they do and developing young women who are equipped to do so” said one of her players. The team is led by senior captains Cayley McClean, Kelsey Shirey and Brandy Nickoloff. But what stands out about the club this year is the unity and bond the girls have with one another.

The girls are now closer than ever on and off the court and hope to solidify a top four spot in the conference.

With eight returning players – including seven letter The Wolverines huddle in the aftermath of a home game. winners – and five newcomand everyone is willing to do can do on the court. Guards/ ers, their unity and teamwork is a big reason why they are whatever needs to be done Forwards Shirey, McClean and Kathryn Erbelding are already one win shy of tying for the sake of the team.”

With 13 girls giving it their providing the scoring punch last year’s win total. McClean says “This is the most unified all, they are going to shock for the Wolverines, while team she has ever played on other teams in what they sophomores Jackie Stewart

ISAIAH REEVES/COLLEGIAN

and Teresa Dallatore and freshman Lexie Arkwright are the floor generals at the guard position. Senior guard Nickoloff and junior forward Natalija Galens bring the

veteran defensive presence, and there are five freshmen who have shown themselves capable of making big contributions when called upon.

Also of importance are team managers Emily Denton and Brianna Bals, who have also played a pivotal role in this season; they have dedicated their time to help Coach Fuss and Coach Cramer whenever needed.

Although they are undersized compared to other teams in the PAC, the team’s versatility, passion, unity, and intensity is what prepares them for any opponent. This season has not been an easy one to say the least, with several players missing games due to injuries, but even with some tough conference losses, these 13 teammates are remaining “FussStrong.”

With eight games left in the regular season, the Wolverines look to make a push to move up in the rankings and secure their first home playoff game since 2010.

Getting ahead Wolverines play through winter break and prepare for stretch run

Connor Lowe Staff Writer

While most students over winter break spend the majority of their time sleeping, relaxing and hanging out with friends, the Grove City basketball team (7-10) have been hard at work practicing and battling out a number of close games.

One of the prominent wins took place on Dec. 30, when the Wolverines took on the Ohio State-Lima Barons in the McDonald’s Holiday Tournament consolation game. This came just a day after a hard-fought game against the Hiram Terriers, where the Wolverines fell 64-72.

The Lima game was a whole different story, however, as four different Wolverines scored in double figures.

The highlight performance of the game was a double-double, courtesy of junior Caleb Knudsen who had 10 points and 10 rebounds as well as four assists on the day. The Wolver-

ines, who would end up winning 9862, opened up the second half with a 25-2 surge. Overall, they suffocated the Barons with their defense, holding them to only 29 percent shooting.

Another signature victory came on Jan. 7 in an overtime thriller against PAC rival Westminster. With the game tied in overtime, 69-69, and with only seven seconds left on the clock, senior guard J.T. Schwartz evaded defenders and passed the ball out on the right wing to fellow senior Brian Giesler, who rose up and nailed a three-pointer at the buzzer to give the Wolverines the lead and the 72-69 win.

The game of basketball is full of ups and downs, and while on that night the Wolverines won a thriller, they would lose a stunner to Thiel in a similar fashion only 10 days later, on Jan. 17.

With the Wolverines leading 54-53 with 14 seconds left to play, the Tomcats’ Berto Dryden drove the lane, got

CONNOR LOW/COLLEGIAN

Junior guard Stephen Tam plays tight defense in a Jan. 21 game agaisnt Bethany. fouled and converted the bucket, tying the game 54-54. With just .1 seconds remaining on the clock, Dryden hit the free throw to convert his 3 point opportunity, sealing the win for Thiel. The loss may have shaken the Wolverine squad, who would go on to lose their next two games against Thomas More and Bethany. During the 79-68 loss to Bethany, turnovers were the downfall of the Wolverines, as they were outscored 23-11 in points off turnovers. The Bisons were in control for most of the game, and despite a few fleeting efforts to cut

the deficit to as much as four points in the second half, the Wolverines just couldn’t find a way to get over the hump.

Meanwhile, senior guard Mitch Marmelstien is now listed as seventh on the all-time Grove City scoring charts at 1,247 points, with no signs of slowing down. If Marmelstien continues his elite level of play, he could end up being the number two scorer in Grove City basketball history, behind only former all-American and NBA draft pick Jeff Claypool, who holds the record with 2,234 points.