The Collegian – April 15, 2016

Collegian

The Star Wars deleted scenes.

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Friday, April 15, 2016

Vol. 102, No. 17

The Grove City College Student Newspaper

Candidate’s father Cruzes by campus Grayson Quay Managing Editor The Reverend Rafael Cruz, father of Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz, addressed a crowd in Grove City College’s Crawford Auditorium on Tuesday night.

Junior Thomas Kutz, the cochairman of the Grove City College

Republicans, introduced the Rev. Cruz, explaining that the event did not reflect the views of the College or the CRUZ Center for Vision and Values or constitute an endorsement of any candidate.

After Kutz’s introduction, Professor of Political Science Dr. Paul Kengor said that he had received an email on Friday saying that the Rev. Cruz would be in Mercer and could possibly make time to visit the College. Despite the short notice, Crawford Auditorium was packed with students and community members.

Kengor and Cruz began their dis-

cussion with Cruz’s book, “A Time for Action,” focusing at first on the book’s depiction of Cruz’s childhood in pre-Castro Cuba.

Cruz explained that he had fought alongside Fidel Castro’s forces against the Bautista regime, but that he, like many other freedom fightCRUZ 2

NEWS ANALYSIS

Christian response to LGBT questions

Molly Wicker News Editor

Rev. Malcolm Guite visited campus last week and performed a poetry reading at Beans On Broad.

MOLLY WICKER

Scholar, singer, poet, priest

Emily Leavitt

One of the most volatile and important issues facing the Church today is the question of homosexuality as an alternative lifestyle.

Men and women dealing with same-sex attraction, along with their loved ones, are looking for help and understanding.

In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus contrasts the fate of those who build their foundation on solid rock with those who build on shifting sand. For those who build on the latter, he foretells a great fall (Matt.

7:27).

Evangelical Christians find themselves living in a cultural house built on a foundation of sand. This situation is currently accompanied by a host of challenges, not least of which is the difficulty of finding one’s footing for cultural witness and engagement. As Christians, we are responsible for the institution of marriage as God intended it, just as we are responsible for unborn children, regardless of whether abortion is legal in a post-Roe v. Wade world.

Informed and articulate Christians can make a difference in the same-sex marriage conversation, but they must overcome previously established and deeply entrenched stereotypes. Far too often, Christian claims to love those who struggle with sexual identity issues or homosexual practices fall flat because we fail to exemplify our words with actions. Love is not passive.

Jesus exhibited love to those around him through his actions. He washed feet and talked with prostitutes and attended the funerals of dear friends. All human beings deserve respect regardless of race, gender, age, socioeconomic status,

C. S. Lewis, evident in several references he made to Narnia, but his love and mastery of words captured his audience.

At Friday’s event, topics varied from materialism with “You got a new T.V.,” a farewell to lost words in the dictionary, critiquing the logical ends of Rudyard Kipling’s “If” and John Lennon’s “Imagine” and relishing words in crafting poetry.

“I want to invite words to dinner with me,” explained Guite. His perspective on crafting poetry is much like “arranging the chairs” at dinner – words need to be befriended and positioned to spark the best conversation.

“During the reading I kept wondering how he was able to put words together so magically. I am so glad that

we were able to bring a man of such culture to share his art with us,” senior Aimee Lynch said.

A talented and engaging scholar, Guite also emphasized God, faith and struggles with doubt in his poetry and song.

“His poems show a reverence and care for the sound and meaning in words and they invite his listeners to find moments of grace in the everyday and the extraordinary” Dr. Kristen Waha, an associate professor of English, said.

Several poems Guite shared were based on specific scripture verses. These are included in his new book, “Parable and Paradox,” which will be released in a few months.

Guite also invited the au-

Life

The Lens

E!

Perspectives

Sports

If you haven’t heard what Dr. Love has to say, check out his piece this week.

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A little party didn’t kill these students. Check out Gatsby Dance highlights.

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Children’s theater kicks off this weekend with performances of Flat Stanley.

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Afraid of political correctness? This article will do no wrong.

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Men’s tennis team is looking strong and plans on staying strong.

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Contributing Writer “You have chosen wisely,” Dr. Eric Potter told a packed crowd in Beans on Broad last Friday night. Over 70 people chose to hear poet-scholarpriest Rev. Malcolm Guite, the guest speaker of the English Department’s annual Christian Writers Conference. And they were well-rewarded for that choice.

Guite, poetry and guitar in hand, charmed everyone with his performance of original poems, sonnets, ballads and songs.

Guite is a bye-fellow and chaplain of Girton College, a constituent of the University of Cambridge, England. His particular interests include Samuel Taylor Coleridge and

dience to participate in the chorus of his song, “The Green Man,” which alludes to Christ as the vine.

“He is a marvelous poet: a skilled wordsmith, who has mastered his forms and who offers up wonderful insights and perspectives,” said Dr. Potter. “He is a tremendous reader – performer, really – of his poems. Such energy, such great expression. He is truly a presence. And for all his erudition as a scholar, he is remarkably humble and humorous.”

Laughter punctuated the coffee shop regularly during Guite’s narrative intervals.

“If poetry fails, I’ll try stand-up comedy,” Guite said.

Several students also had

RESPONSE 2

GUITE 2

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NEWS ANALYSIS sexual orientation or any other status that is secondary to being an image-bearer of God. Our first task as Christians is to repent for the ways in which we, as sinners, have failed to love those members of the Church that are struggling with same-sex attraction. In fact, in a culture that has made sex and its accompanying sins the end-all-beall of Christianity, the actions and attitudes of straight people toward gay people in the Church are perhaps an equal or greater sin.

Christians must work diligently to love those who struggle with sexual sin of all types. In fact, we live in a culture pervaded by sexual brokenness. Before turning to the sexual sins of others, particularly those who deal with same-sex attraction, the Church must take a careful and critical look at itself and its members. Too often, we are quick to judge others who we deem “more sinful” than ourselves. Just as a homosexual relationship is deemed biblically wrong, so is pre-marital sex, and adultery and idolatry and lying. We must hold ourselves accountable for our own sin before we look for the sins of others. The salvation of Jesus is the same to all sinners, regardless of their sins.

For Christians looking to extend grace to their neighbors struggling with sexual sins, particularly those in the realm of homosexuality, there is a temptation to downplay biblical standards in order to make Christianity seem more palatable. Tim Keller writes, “Right now our culture asks certain questions and we can’t help but respond to them. We do that in the most disarming way, but to some degree we can’t ignore the culture’s questions. We need to give biblical answers to the culture’s questions. If we are going to shepherd and teach, we must give the most disarming and truthful answers.”

Christian love, as evidenced many times over by Jesus himself, requires that we make clear what the Bible says about sexuality, primarily that any sexual activity outside the biblical definition of marriage is wrong.

This does not mean that God condemns same-sex attraction in and of itself. In fact, one of the stumbling blocks facing Christians and non-Christians alike, and the source of much conflict, is that the Bible does not give us all the answers to all of our questions.

However, the message of Romans 1 is that such attractions are in fact evidence of God’s broad, universal judgment against all of us (an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual problem). We live in a world where things, including feelings, are errant. God’s judgment is not simply on outward actions, but on the rectitude of the heart. Following this, sin is not just a willful action, but

GUITE the opportunity to share their original poetry on Friday. Drew Brackbill, Daniel Chapman, Julia Lyall, Bethany Mittelman, Grayson Quay and Joseph Jang each read for a few minutes while Guite took a break.

In addition to students, current and past English professors were also in attendance at the Conference’s Friday finale, including Dr. James Dixon, Dr. Diane Dix-

The Collegian an attitude of the heart that is beyond and far deeper than choice. This is why salvation consists not of making better choices, but of being rescued

by Christ in our sinfulness. If it were the former, we would not need Christ at all – just more willpower.

Dr. Wesley Hill, an Assistant Professor of Biblical Studies at Trinity School for Ministry in Ambridge, Pa., author of “Spiritual Friendship: Finding Love in the Church as a Celibate Gay Christian,” and self-described “celibate, gay Christian,” explained the common misconceptions that plague today’s conservative Christians and cause unnecessary dispute.

“Many gay and lesbian people perceive Christianity as not just asking for certain changes to their behavior, but also for a suppression or erasure of their identities,” he says. “In modern Western cultures, being gay or lesbian – or bi, trans, queer or some other parallel or identity – is perceived as just that: an identity. The very behavior that Christians want to prohibit is seen, to homosexuals, as inextricably bound up with their personhood.”

The problem, Hill explains, is the oft-forgotten distinction between behavior and identity.

“Unlike theologians from an earlier era of church history who treated homosexuality as just one particular instance in the broader category of lust, most of us in the modern West today think of homosexuality as a category of persons, rather than a category of actions.”

For Christians who do not affirm the morality of samesex attraction and want to make a distinction between attitude and action, a challenges arises. We must welcome and accept those who are part of the Church (or outside the Church) who identify as homosexual or struggle with same-sex attraction. Sexuality should never be a barrier for those who come to hear the Gospel.

As Christians, we may never understand why people face same-sex attraction, especially if homosexual behavior is not ordained by God. Nevertheless, we can seek to further understand God’s greater plan, which ultimately calls us to treat those around us, no matter their sexual orientation, with dignity and respect. Furthermore, we can wisely choose our words and actions. Ultimately, even if our words and actions point to love, we still run the risk of embarrassment or rejection. But despite our possible shortcomings, we need to expect and engage in conversations with those who struggle with the issue and with those who seek to understand the struggle. What every sinner needs is a change of heart, which means a heart that labels sin as sin, seeks the mercy of God, and by God’s grace, has a growing desire to live after the image of Christ. on and Dr. Janice Brown.

Earlier last week, Guite lectured on Samuel Taylor Coleridge on Wednesday night, spoke on prayer at the Thursday morning chapel, and discussed the Christian writer on Thursday night.

The English Department hosts a Christian Writers Conference every spring semester, and has hosted the C.S. Lewis and Inklings Society and the George Herbert Society in past years.

April 15, 2016

AICUP celebrates previous GCC President Jewell The Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania (AICUP) presented Dr. Richard Jewell with the Francis J. Michelini Award for Outstanding Service to Higher Education during an awards ceremony at AICUP’s annual meeting of its 89 member college and university presidents on Monday night.

In a statement released to the press, AICUP President Don Francis thanked Dr. Jewell for his years of dedicated service to independent higher education.

“Individuals like Dr. Jewell who devote seemingly endless energy to advancing colleges and universities and the students they serve, are truly the backbone of the independent higher education system,” said Francis. “The Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania greatly thanks Dr. Jewell for his service to

our schools and to the communities we serve.”

Dr. Jewell served as president of Grove City College for 11 years and also served as the Government Relations Liaison on the AICUP Board of Directors. According to Francis, “Dick Jewell was perhaps the most important non-elected official whose advocacy helped secure the Ready to Succeed Scholarship Program for middle-income students that will continue to benefit thousands of students in the coming years.”

The Francis J. Michelini Award for Outstanding Service to Higher Education is presented to individuals who have used their talent to strengthen independent higher education’s ability to serve students and communities. The award has been given to 23 recipients since its inception in 1992. Named for Francis J. Michelini,

former president of Wilkes University and AICUP, the award celebrates the contributions of individuals who have served as leaders within the independent higher education sector.

The Association of Independent Colleges & Universities of Pennsylvania (AICUP), the only statewide organization that serves exclusively the interests of private higher education within the Commonwealth, exists to complement and support the work of campus leaders.

With a membership of 89 private colleges and universities within Pennsylvania, the Association provides a variety of services and programs tailored specifically to the needs and situation of independent higher education. A list of AICUP’s member colleges and universities is included on its website at www.aicup.org.

PATTY FOLKERTS

Rev. Rafael Cruz sits with Dr. Paul Kengor this past Tuesday to discuss life and politics.

CRUZ ers, had been duped by Castro. Cruz, drawing a clear parallel between Castro and President Barack Obama, described the Cuban dictator as “a young, charismatic leader talking about hope and change” and explained that Castro initially promised democracy and free elections and only later revealed himself to be a communist.

Cruz was eventually captured and tortured, but was miraculously released and was able to flee Cuba for the United States, where he studied at the University of Texas.

“My spoken English was limited to ‘Tom is a boy,’ ‘Mary is a girl,’ and not much else,” Cruz said, adding that when he first arrived, he had to order food by simply pointing at it and saying “that.” He learned English by going to the movies every day for a month and sitting through each movie three times.

After graduating and embarking on a successful career in oil and gas exploration, Cruz became troubled by the liberal policies of President Jimmy Carter and joined a conservative religious group called The Religious Roundtable, which supported Ronald Reagan’s presidential bid.

“It was the body of Christ that elected Ronald Reagan,” Cruz said.

Ted Cruz was born in 1970 and grew up in this highly political household. According to Rev. Cruz, by age 13 the future presidential candidate was reading Adam Smith, John Locke, Ludwig

von Mises and the Federalist Papers and had begun giving speeches on free-market economics.

In addition to sharing biographical details, Rev. Cruz also commented on the current political climate and the ongoing presidential race.

He accused GOP frontrunner Donald Trump of having “no substance,” condemned Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama as socialists and criticized President Obama’s recent agreement with and trip to Cuba, calling it “a disastrous deal.”

He also advised Christians to be more politically engaged, arguing that when the righteous do not vote or run for office, all that is left is the wicked electing the wicked who will “legislate their wicked brand of morality.”

He urged Christians to “stop playing church” and instead speak out on political issues, citing biblical examples of prophets speaking to the kings of Israel and arguing that the politically-charged sermons preached from the pulpits of Colonial America helped ignite the American Revolution.

“It’s time pastors became biblically correct instead of politically correct,” Cruz said.

Kengor and Cruz spent some time discussing threats to religious liberty in America, which Cruz described as “the only country … founded on the Word of God,” citing, among others, the example of the Oregon bakery that was ordered in July to pay over $135,000 in damages for refusing to make a cake for a same-sex wedding.

Cruz also spoke out against socialism, which he argued is just another word for communism or Marxism, denouncing Vermont Senator and Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders and the system that seeks to force people into a state of dependence on “almighty government.”

The crowd seemed receptive to the possible presidential patriarch’s message, applauding and offering murmurs of assent at several points. Some students, however, were less enthusiastic. Junior Luke Bitner took to Facebook to say he was “ashamed to be a student of Grove City College,” citing the Rev. Cruz’s remarks on evolution, samesex marriage and Barack Obama’s national origins, as well as Ted Cruz’s proposals to carpet-bomb ISIS and patrol Muslim neighborhoods.

His status garnered 28 likes within three hours of the event.

After conversing with Kengor for around 45 minutes and taking several questions, Cruz wrapped up the night with a warning for the audience.

“I lost my freedom once.

I’m not willing to lose it again … If we lose this battle, America will be destroyed and there is no place to go,” Cruz said.

The Rev. Cruz received a standing ovation following his final impassioned exhortation to the crowd to “take America back to the glory of God,” which led Kengor to remark, “I see where Ted Cruz gets his passion.”

Life

April 15, 2016

New creations Caleb Harshberger

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Trying to maintain affordability Students will have to pay $100 lab fee next year Victoria O’Brien

Life Editor

Staff Writer

Grove City College’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation will hold their Showcase event this Saturday, April 16 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Sticht Lecture Hall.

There, Grove City College students will be displaying the progress and innovations they have made during the school year.

The event, which is free to attend, will feature teams working through Venture Lab, Computer Science and Lean Launch Pad. Each group will have roughly 10 minutes to present their projects. These include apps, virtual reality experiences, physical products and other ventures. Students as well as members of the public are encouraged to attend.

The showcase gives students real world experience in creating and developing entrepreneurial skills as well as marketable goods and services.

“We’re so excited to open our doors so that the community and prospective students can see the fruits of our students’ labor from this past academic year,” Yvonne English, executive director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, said.

“Perhaps there’s a key connection, potential investor or strategic partnership out there just waiting to connect with our students, or maybe there’s an individual who decides to attend because he simply needs a bit of inspiration. We’d like to see these types of casual connections between the community and our campus happen more often.”

The showcase is a culmination of a year’s worth of these students’ time and effort.

Anyone interested in attending the event or in learning more about the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation can RSVP through gccentrpreneurship.com.

The Grove City College Business Competition presentations will be held later this month on April 29 in Sticht. More information for this event is available at gccbusinessplans.com.

Grove City College announced a modest 2.95 percent tuition hike last month that will be the smallest increase in 18 years. But students taking lab courses next year will face an additional fee.

To offset the cost of consumable laboratory materials, the College will charge a $100 fee for laboratory supplies. The College will be implementing this fee in the fall of 2016, giving students enough time to process the financial increases with upcoming scheduling.

Students of all majors are to be impacted by the $100 fee at some point, since the College requires each student to complete two science courses upon graduating.

According to College President Paul J. McNulty ʼ80, there are two specific rea-

son for the raise in lab fees.

First, the consumable products affiliated with labs are of a significant expense to the College. Second, in terms of fairness, the lab fees mirror the principle of not charging students for the education of others. The lab fee will selectively target students who participate in labs.

Due to the raises’ short notice, there has not been an excessive amount of initial feedback from the student body. McNulty desires to ensure administration, faculty and students that other departments were considered for monetary increases, which have not been pursued at this time. For example, independent studies are offered to students at no additional charge. Supplementary costs, including extra payments for professors, are paid for by the College, not students individually.

“Affordability has taken a hit in most colleges, with the

average college tuition rising 3.5 percent annually,” McNulty stated.

Grove City College strives not to lose their distinctive affordability, choosing instead to keep tuition stable, at which they have proven successful over the last 18 years.

McNulty, along with the executive board, frequently reviews the budget, taking the College’s statement of affordability seriously. In order to satisfy students’ high expectations of a rich and rewarding education, engaging professors and welcoming facilities, there are numerous fiscal challenges that emerge.

If the College just focused on affordability, then faculty, classes and campus activities would be significantly impacted.

“Grove City College, from a Christian perspective, is driven toward combining affordability with academic excellence,” McNulty said.

Such a statement has been reflected in the College’s significantly low tuition rate compared to its competitors.

Lee Wishing III, Administrative Director of The Center for Vision & Values, further explained this concern by tapping into the College’s history. Referencing the vision of the College’s founding board of trustees, Wishing reflects upon a quote from Joseph Newton Pew (President of the Board of Trustees), Isaac S. Ketler (Founding President), and Samuel P. Harbison (Trustee), which can be identified on a stained glass window in Harbison Chapel. The statement reads, “We dedicate this college to the development of sound scholarship and Christian character in all aspiring youth.” Wishing said he believes that the reference to “all aspiring youth” is indicative of the trustees’ notion of providing accessible and affordable education.

GCC drives Pa. economy Grayson Quay Managing Editor Grove City College created almost 800 jobs and contributed over $138 million to Pennsylvania’s statewide economy according to a report by the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania.

The report focused on six colleges in Northwestern Pennsylvania: Allegheny

I actually do quite a bit of research to produce this column each week.

It is a good excuse to read all the relationship advice I would be scrolling through anyway. By Sunday, though, my eyes are glazed into that thousand-yard stare, commonly known to soldiers who have seen too much horror, while I continue to schlep through fields of so much atrocious relationship advice. Oh, the things I have read…

Take, for instance, “10 Things That Make Him Fall Even More

College, Gannon University, Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, Thiel College, Mercyhurst University and Grove City College. Together, these schools created 2,901 jobs and delivered a total economic impact of $784 million.

“As the numbers show, the six independent colleges and universities in Erie and the Northwest play an important role in the regional economy, creating jobs, partnerships

In Love With You,” recently featured by Cosmopolitan. Number 10 changed my life forever, as it is an eloquent expression of great insight: “10. Any time you have one of those Perfect Couple Days. These are the days he keeps in the back of his mind for whenever he’s annoyed at you.” Be sure to write this down so you will not forget – have perfect couple days.

Number six is equally profound: “6. Whenever he doesn’t get to see you after a long period of time. Ab-

and business opportunities for Western Pennsylvanians,” AICUP President Don Francis said.

The report focused on direct and indirect employment, state and local payroll taxes, student spending, visitor spending, institutional expenditures, construction costs and employee payroll, as well as other indirect impacts.

GCC’s institutional expenditures alone contributed

sence makes the heart grow fonder.

That’s it. That’s all I have to say about this one.”

These are just two of my favorite proverbs, and Cosmo, Glamour, and Men’s Health have blessed us with hundreds of lists like them. With so much good advice, it is easy to see why I am so happy, healthy and completely secure in myself as a person. My name is Joanna Eberhart, and my hubby and I just adore living in Stepford!

Actually, no; in reality, I find that the more 10, 15, 250 Things I learn about romance, the more confused and dissatisfied I become.

Perhaps the answer is to find advice that is specifically Christian.

The Christian Marriage Bloggers Association online (yes, it exists) can direct you to thousands of blogs to help you understand Ephesians 5 marriage. Personally, I was disappointed by this pastel-themed world of gendered, supposedly Biblical, formulas for Adams and Eves hoping to recreate the Garden of awesome righteous sex. The heavy-handed titles tend to speak for themselves:

almost $60 million to the statewide economy, almost half the College’s total economic impact.

In addition to its statewide economic impact, the College also created 236 jobs by way of direct employment and supported another 542 indirectly, and paid $998,815 in state payroll taxes and $287,970 in local payroll taxes.

“Becoming His Eve” and “Be Strong Act Like Men.” So many books, magazines and student newspapers now offer relationship advice it has become difficult to escape. Christian and secular sources are oh-so-helpfully committed to solving our relationship angst.

The ground is saturated, and I find myself too blogged down in the blog bogs to keep up with 10 more things, whether they be commandments or tips and tricks.

Much time spent reading and scrolling has revealed to me what I think is the underlying assumption of those who seek advice, myself included, and those who give advice, myself included: Romantic relationships, if done properly, will give us satisfaction.

We are distressed by our inadequacies, and foolishly turn to others, men and women who are themselves inadequate, hoping they will finally complete us. Expecting this, we cannot help but be dissatisfied with the reality. If only we had a Perfect Couple Day!

April 15, 2016

The Collegian

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BARS dep’t. welcomes new professors Maria Dunsworth Contributing Writer The Biblical and Religious Studies (BARS) Department announced last Friday that they will be welcoming two new professors next year.

Since Dr. Iain Duguid left Grove City College to teach at Westminster Theological Seminary at the end of last spring, there has been only one professor in the department who specializes in Old Testament studies. Next year, there will be three professors of Old Testament.

The department will expand to include Dr. Rebecca Rine, who currently teaches in the College’s writing program, and Dr. Seulgi Byun, who will be new to Grove City College.

Dr. Paul Schaefer said that the BARS Department is very excited for them to join and that “they will add wonderfully to our department and also enhance with breadth and depth the kinds of classes we are able to offer …

particularly Old Testament Studies, Church History …

Early Church Fathers and in Practical Theology Christian Ministries.”

Dr. Rebecca Rine will be teaching a class entitled “Sermons Ancient and Modern” in the 2016 fall semester. Although she has been teaching at the College for a year already, this will be her first time teaching a religion class. She currently teaches the freshman writing course and HUMA 102 (Biblical Revelation).

Rine earned her Bachelor of Arts in English, her Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics and her Ph.D. in Religious Studies with an emphasis on early Church fathers. Some of her areas of expertise include ancient rhetorical and educational culture, history, theory and theology of Bible study, professional editing and pastoral and theological writing.

She has worked as a professional editor, an adjunct professor of religion and as a

research and writing specialist before coming to the College. She has researched and published works on writing, literature and Biblical studies.

In her email to department students, she describes her experience as coming from two angles, “One, as a scholar of patristics (so, I study the church fathers and their sermons and commentaries) and two, as an editor who often works with pastors to convert their prose from sermonic to literary form.”

The second professor new to the department is Dr. Seulgi Byun. He is currently the director of post-graduate studies at Oak Hill Theological College in London, England.

According to his Oak Hill faculty profile, he believes that “many Christians and churches have a case of Old Testament anemia and is passionate about remedying this spiritual loss by helping students regain the life-giving message of the Old Testa-

CALEB HARSHBERGER

Celebrating springtime with the April coffee house

BYUN

RINE BYUN PICTURE FOUND AT WWW.OAKHILL.AC.UK/

ment.”

Byun was born in South Korea to missionary parents and lived in Singapore, Austria and Japan before moving to the U.S. for university. He received degrees from Harvard, Hebrew University, Gordon College and Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary and his Ph.D. in Religion from Cambridge University.

He has worked as a pastor in Virginia and an adjunct professor at Gordon College and has spent the last eight years at Oak Hill. Byun

will teach “Evangelism and Discipleship” and “Biblical Books: Pentateuch” in the spring 2017 semester, as well as HUMA 102 and Hebrew Language classes.

Like many other BARS majors, junior Mark Capper is looking forward to what Rine and Byun will bring to the department.

“If these are any indication of potential new religion courses in the future, then we in the BARS department have a lot to look forward to under these professors in the coming years,” Capper said.

April 15, 2016

Entertainment

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Flat Stanley debuts Jake Sziraky Entertainment Editor Children’s literature and entertainment often leave people with the impression that they are sub-par. That it was good enough for children, you know, the culturally underdeveloped ones, but for us more intellectual and sophisticated viewers, it is simply not worth our time.

The 2016 Grove City College production of “Flat Stanley,” however, is practically guaranteed to be fun for the whole family.

The stage show, “The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley,” is a musical series of misadventures of the Lambchop family, most notably Stanley Lambchop (played by junior Robbie Davis), a seemingly normal boy who, due to a loose cork board

Echo holds poetry reading Grayson Quay Managing Editor

Students, professors, alumni and others came together Monday night for a poetry reading in the Ketler Hall Oak Room hosted by The Echo, one of Grove City College’s two literary magazines.

The Echo, which is published twice a year and includes poetry, short stories and photography, invited every student who had a poem accepted for the magazine’s upcoming spring issue to read at the event, which kicked off the Arts Festival that will run throughout the week.

In an email to poets, Echo Senior Editor senior Erin Pechacek, who read a section of 18th-century poet Christopher Smart’s poem “Jubilate Agno” that described the poet’s cat Jeoffry in great detail, encouraged student poets to share their “excellent (insightful, moving...) contributions.”

Dr. Eric Potter, a GCC English professor and published poet, opened the event with a few thoughts on poetry from poets T.S. Eliot (“poetry is not a career, but a mug’s game”), Emily Dickinson (“If I feel physically as if the top of my head were taken off, I know that is poetry”) and A.E. Housman (“If a line of poetry strays into my memory, my skin bristles so that the razor ceases to act”).

Each participant had five minutes to read original poems, favorite poems by other poets or a mixture of the two.

Most, however, went over the time limit.

The schedule was divided into four blocks of four poets each, with a 10-minute break after each block to allow participants and attendees to mingle, discuss poetry and drink tea.

Readers included Professor of English Dr. Sarina Moore and her husband Johnathan, Professor of Music Dr. Joshua Drake, Lewis T. Castle (a pen name for a student who asked that the audience not disclose his true identity), Joey Retucci ’11 and seniors Dan Chapman, Drew Brackbill and Margaret Baker, who won this issue’s Editor’s Pick for best poem of the semester for her poem, “Gold”.

in his room falling on him, is rendered almost completely flat. Some of the key highlights from the show are his sailing through the sky as a kite and being mailed all around the world in an envelope.

The musical is based primarily off of the popular children’s books of the same title.

However, in the original stories, Stanley did much more than simply become flat. In the sequels, Stanley meets a genie, becomes invisible, goes into outer space and even becomes flat a second time.

As fantastic and fun as these other stories were, Flat Stan-

ley is definitely the story with the most depth to it.

It explores the dynamics of sibling rivalry, adapting to a family member with special needs and learning to make do with what you have. And the most important and remarkable thing about this particular show is that it is able to be condensed down into a form that children can not only understand, but can also find entertaining.

Yes, the intended audience for Grove City College Children’s Theatre’s rendition of Flat

Stanley is children, but let us not forget that it was written, produced, directed and acted out by adults. Even if the plot is more juvenile, adults can appreciate all the time and effort that went into it. We can appreciate the countless hours the set builders spent in designing and building the world of the show – which is particularly beautiful this year - the actors who had to learn all those lines and learn all those dance steps till they were flawless and even the public relations team whose job it was to make sure that everyone knew what exactly the audience was to expect when attending this show.

This show is fun, endearing and beautiful. No matter what age you are, “Flat Stanley” will not leave you flat.

There’s more Star Wars?!

Star Wars Episode VII released with deleted scenes

Kyle Martin

Contributing Writer “Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens” was released on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital Download earlier this month and came with an array of bonus features, including deleted scenes that offer unique insights into the story.

The deleted scenes featured on the DVD last a total of about six minutes in length.

Like most deleted scenes, there is a strong reason for each of them not to be included in the film’s theatrical version, but many of them still deserve attention One scene shows Finn clearly sparing a villager at the onset of the movie, giving a stronger illustration of his disillusionment with the

First Order. Another shows Rey worrying about Finn’s condition after being wounded in battle, which shows a more compassionate side of the enigmatic heroine. Another shows Kylo Ren angrily searching through Han Solo’s Millenium Falcon on the Starkiller Base.

Two action scenes are excluded from the film as well.

One scene shows Rey and Finn in a speeder chase with Stormtroopers. The other shows the heroes fighting their way out after being entirely surrounded by Stormtroopers under the cantina.

Both of these are exciting scenes but certainly not important ones.

Most importantly, a scene showing General Leia Organa, C3P0 and other classic characters was cut from the beginning of the movie. This is an important exclusion be-

cause fans of the Star Wars saga knew that these characters would be in the film, but, in the final product, the characters were nowhere to be found until almost the end of the movie. Cutting this scene helped convey the feeling of suspense and the emphasis on the new characters that J.J. Abrams desired.

Overall, the deleted scenes did not carry much importance as they did not introduce any major plotlines or provide any stellar scenes.

Viewers often watch deleted scenes and wonder as to why a certain scene was not included in the film, but these deleted scenes were certainly not necessary.

Fans, however, should not lose hope. Not all of the film’s deleted scenes have been released, as J.J. Abrams has been told to release the rest of them at a later date.

SCREENRANT.COM

Pick of the Week

Frankie Cosmos Sam Farley Staff Writer

Although she may have not been longawaited or ranked as the best new music, Frankie Cosmos (whose real name is Greta Kline) has succeeded in putting together an album that captures raw emotion, individualism and her true self. In her new album, “Next Thing,” Kline strives for something that is simply beautiful, yet also entirely her own.

As one listens to Kline, the content of her music seems pretty straightforward. Some themes are noticeable lyrically, but at first glance they do not expand into much. Her tracks vary from “If I Had a Dog,” a song that’s rather self-explanatory from the title, all the way to “Too Dark,” a song about self-esteem and control.

What makes Kline’s music stand out is that the more you listen, the closer you become to who she is. Kline does not normally do this, though. She often tosses in creative and distinct imagery that is innocently accurate.

One of the best examples of that is from the opening track, “Floated In,” with lyrics such as, “Now it would be bedtime if / I could close off my mind / It just flops onto you / Wet and soppy glue ... You know I’d love to / Rummage through your silky pink space cap.” She provides unusual imagery that captures her emotion.

Frankie Cosmos also has a very simple style of music, something in the fashion of what has been on the rise in artists like Waxahatchee and Eskimeaux.

She is typically not much more than a normal low-fi band. Most often, that means just a guitar and a synth that are hardly even mastered.

Greta Kline started off with “Bandcamp” and self-recorded tracks, and in “Next Thing,” she did not lose that feel at all. With the closing track, “O Dreaded C Town,” she only uses her synth and shows that this is her, that nothing is changing and that her album’s success requires nothing more than what she is showing here.

Overall, Greta Kline’s success as Frankie Cosmos has come from who she is, her investment into music and the simplicity of what she has presented. Her album, not even 30 minutes long, has captured a raw beauty through simple, low-fi, acoustic rock, and the refreshing knowledge that she does it all for herself.

Page 6

Through the Lens

April 15, 2016

A little party never killed nobody

PHOTOS BY ARIELLA CARTER

“There was music from my neighbor’s house through the summer nights. In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars.” ~F. Scott Fitzgerald, “The Great Gatsby

April 15, 2016

Through the Lens

Page 7

April 15, 2016

The Collegian

Page 8

‘The Intouchables’

http://goo.gl/S5jtYs

Kelsey Patton

Contributing Writer We have all heard of the story of an unlikely friendship. Two people who were never meant to be together end up miraculously hitting it off. Been there, done that.

But this is a twist you have never seen before, in a movie that can induce “Champagnelike giddiness,” according to movie critic James Berardinelli of ReelViews. You are not going to want to miss it.

“The Intouchables,” a film that came out in 2011 and made its way to the U.S. from France, is the story of two lives becoming unexpectedly intertwined. Philippe,

played by François Cluzet, is a rich, white, middleaged quadriplegic seeking a caretaker and companion.

Driss, played by Omar Sy, is a young, black, povertystricken man recently released from jail who is interviewing for the job, hoping to be turned down and given a signature on his application to continue to receive unemployment benefits. While interacting with Philippe in the interview, Driss appears to have no concept of his handicap and treats him like any other stranger. Philippe, tired of being treated like a fragile doll, is refreshed by his attitude and offers him a job as his caretaker, much

to Driss’s astonishment. The movie follows their growth which leads to an uplifting friendship, inciting both laughter and tears.

The film, directed by Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano, was inspired by the true story of Philippe Pozzo di Borgo and Abdel Sellou, both of whom are still alive.

The real-life Philippe describes Abdel as someone who “didn’t feel sorry for me – he was irreverent, cheeky and had an outrageous sense of humour. I suddenly found I was enjoying life again, feeling like I didn’t know what was coming next.” What begins as an unwanted job to Abdel grows into a sweet re-

lationship that brings life to both parties.

The film received seven César awards, the national film award of France, and a Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film. Film critic Peter Travers of Rolling Stone said this of the film: “Sy and Cluzet are superb actors who demolish stereotypes about race and social class by finding a common humanity in their characters.”

The act of tearing down these social and racial walls is so evident in Driss and Philippe’s relationship and paves the way for a more meaningful connection.

Philippe’s desire for normalcy and adventure past the

confines of his wheelchair along with Driss’s humor, edge and realness greatly contribute to their undeniable chemistry.

The directors do not shy away from interspersing heart-wrenching scenes with lighthearted ones or including a look into the reality of poverty and the life of a quadriplegic.

“The Intouchables” is a tender and surprising story filled with an incredible amount of character development and a genuine rawness. Do not avoid watching this film because of the English subtitles – in all honesty, they add to the humorous effect! Allez regarder ce film!

April 15, 2016

Perspectives

Page 9

Who’s afraid of a little political correctness?

Rio Arias Staff Writer

On Monday, April 4, accomplished war veteran and public figure Charles Wiley was welcomed to Grove City College to host a lecture entitled “An Old Guy’s Thoughts on Millennials.”

The talk drew a number of students to the event who were interested to hear the perspective of someone two generations older than them.

The discussion opened with the idea that we should not criminalize those before us for what we now recognize as sins, but instead realize that standards of right and wrong change over time, so grace can always be extended.

Yet this idea was troubling: how should something like slavery – which demeaned millions to less than their humanity – be excused?

While it is true that culturally and historically there are many justifications for past wrongdoings, having the conscience we have now, it is wrong to excuse what is clearly at fault.

God would not have changed our hearts to recognize that our ways are of offense if we were going to just dismiss a history full of malpractice.

We need to know with full conviction that something like slavery is inexcusable in all time periods, but also acknowledge that others might

There was this underlying conclusion that those who supported politically correct ideology ignored the realities of life. not have been able to come to the same conclusion as us, and learn how to better protect ourselves from the resulting ignorance.

The second major point of the lecture, arguably what most of it focused on, was the idea that political correctness has become a shield that people use in order to avoid being offended or ensure that nothing could possibly go wrong.

The highlighted example of the night was about sexual consent. California Gov. Jerry Brown approved new legislation to make sure that updated sexual consent lessons were incorporated to public high schools, with emphasis that both partners must express “yes” at every phase of their engagement in order to prevent sexual assault.

Wiley made light of the issue saying that “a girl drunk on vodka” put herself in a bad place to begin with, or that “soon enough you’re going to need your attorney to go out on a date.”

As redundant as this high school graduation requirement might seem, there is nothing radical or liberal about the idea that “yes means yes” and most importantly, “no means no.”

It was hard as a young

woman to hear someone make fun of an issue that has touched people close to me, especially since those who do go forward with cases of assault are often disregarded.

“Why wouldn’t it be a good thing to bring attention to consent?” freshman Adena Bowden asked. She proceeded to say that “a girl could be drunk and mean yes, or mean no. It’s very challenging and every situation is unique, and it’s hard to prove one side over the other. It doesn’t mean that these situations should be taken lightly, victim or not. Challenging situations should not be avoided, it wouldn’t be hard if it wasn’t important.”

The issue of political correctness is a tricky one.

President Obama has spoken on it before, saying “I don’t agree that when you become students at colleges, [you] have to be coddled and protected from different points of view.”

He also talked about the importance of knowing how to encounter those different from oneself, and defend your views.

Yet at the end of Wiley’s event, there was this underlying conclusion that those who supported politically correct ideology ignored the

realities of life.

In fact, when a student asked a question about whether the acknowledgement of such inoffensive and neutral language was necessary, the response was that one should always learn more about the opposition to defend oneself, essentially saying those who are politically correct are wrong.

But the truth is, political correctness is more about beliefs than race or gender.

It expands beyond using the appropriate pronoun or identifying a specific ethnicity, because it teaches people how to interact with anyone, no matter how different.

There is value in avoiding the phrase “I’m going to kill myself” when talking about failing an exam, because if the person sharing the conversation did know someone who committed suicide, it is going to affect them more than a simple hyperbole would have intended.

By not assuming other people grew up exactly like us and have the same expectations as we do, we open doors to relationships and understanding that could not have otherwise taken place.

How better to glorify the kingdom of God than to show compassion to others, even if they carry circumstances we do not fully grasp?

Guite fever sweeps campus

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

Editor-in-Chief Patty Folkerts

Managing Editor Grayson Quay

Section Editors News Molly Wicker Life Caleb Harshberger Entertainment Jacob Sziráky Perspectives Colin Combs Sports Joe Setyon Photography Julia Williams

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Section Designers Karen Postupac Margaret Heidenreich Bri Doane Laura Counihan

Staff Writers Stephen Dennis Thomas Kutz Rio Arias

Anne St. Jean

Kayla Murrish

Contributing Writer

Breanna Renkin

He claims he is not from Middle Earth, but the long silver hair and beard, melodious accent and the waistcoat and cane are undeniably reminiscent of Tolkien.

Last week, Grove City College had the unique opportunity to welcome Malcolm Guite to the campus for a lecture series as a part of the annual Christian Writers Conference.

It is difficult to know exactly how to formally address Malcolm Guite, as he is both an Anglican priest and a Cambridge academic, as well as a prolific poet and a hugely talented musician.

Anyone who happened to attend chapel last Thursday can attest to the magical quality that Guite seems to possess.

The lecture series began last Wednesday with a talk on Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s “Rime of the Ancient Mariner.”

He drew parallels between the Mariner’s tale of despair and redemption and Coleridge’s own faith journey, showing the importance of observing the beauty of the natural world and its echoes and reverberations of heaven – in Coleridge’s words, God teaches “Himself in all, and all things in himself.”

Guite’s Thursday morning chapel used George Herbert’s poem, “Prayer,” to illustrate to us the natural, breath-like quality our prayers should possess, specifically the line which describes prayer as “God’s breath in man returning to his birth.”

We as humans are “God-

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Photographers Andrew Irving Rebekah Wheat Cameron Holloway Kirsten Malenke Ryan Braumann

Advertising/Business Manager Reagan Georges MOLLY WICKER

breathed,” and are continually being breathed into existence by His divine imagination. Our prayers, Guite observed, should reflect this aspect of our being.

This topic carried over naturally to his talk that evening in Sticht Lecture Hall on a passage from “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” that describes poetry as the process by which “imagination bodies forth.”

The passage was first examined and explained, then used to illustrate the object of any true author or artist.

Guite further illustrated the tension between what the poet “comprehends” and what he “apprehends” as being like two magnetically opposed magnets being forced towards each other.

The energetic repulsion between them is what the artist achieves in attempting to bridge the divide between heaven and earth.

Using the words of the poet

T.S. Eliot, Guite stated that “poetry is peripheral vision,” and the poet’s struggle is to begin with what we know for certain and somehow move beyond that to what we can only intuit.

He resolved the question with a simple but salient observation: that as Christian writers, we have been given the ultimate example of mediation between heaven and earth, in the person of Jesus Christ.

Yet again, Guite managed to weave his practical knowledge of language and literature with his own gift for musical prose, infecting his audience with his own passion for the written word.

After the lecture, audience members were given the opportunity at a dessert reception in HAL Atrium to purchase one of Guite’s books of original poetry, consisting mainly of religious sonnets, and speak to the man himself.

The following evening, there was a slightly more casual event at Beans on Broad, where Guite read a selection of his poetry and played some of his original, bluesyrock songs.

Perched on a stool, a borrowed guitar in his hands, Guite transported his audience to various moments in his life, masterfully captured by the combined efforts of his writing and melodious accent.

Malcolm Guite managed to transfix and inspire his Grove City audience in a matter of days, a testament to his talent as both teacher and orator, and to the great desire there is at this College for more of his kind.

We who experienced Guite’s visit with enthusiasm find ourselves eagerly hoping for more visits from this amazing man, and who knows? Maybe we can get him to stay and teach a class on Tolkien next time.

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

This week’s award goes to designer Karen Postupac for her dedication and hard work on the Collegian.

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

The Collegian

April 15, 2016

Page 10

Flirting with Catholicism

Ryan Brown

If I am to remain a Protestant, I need a good reason why.

Staff Writer

The core of the Christian life is being in a right relationship with God. That sounds a bit vague because that relationship is made up of so many different parts.

It is made up of your moral convictions and actions. It is made up of the worship you give. It is made up of your conversations with God and prayers to Him. It is made up of the communion you have with your fellow believers and God. Most importantly, it is guided by what you think about God. What you think is most important: it shapes and determines all the other factors of your relationship with God. As a result, it is important to me that I believe rightly about God. Now, I was raised a Protestant, and the biggest issue to me had always been whether or not I should or could accept Catholicism.

Catholicism always seemed to me to be plainly wrong, and I had not even heard about orthodoxy until high school, but now that I am in college, I find myself wrestling more with the long theological traditions in Christian thought.

If I am to remain a Protestant, I need a good reason why.

First, an admonition to Protestants. Even if you believe Catholics or Orthodox Christians are wrong on certain things, please do not make absurd claims about their faith. They are just as

Colin Combs

much a Christian as you are.

They believe Christ died for their sins and that his death and resurrection are what make grace and salvation available to us. They do not believe that works save; any merit that comes from our works comes from the grace Christ gave us through his death to perform the works.

Additionally, communion and the other sacraments are not any more a “work” than saying the sinner’s prayer, so unless you are a hardcore Calvinist, you really do not have any good grounds for attacking Catholics for basing salvation on works.

So why am I not a Catholic?

First, there is the issue of tradition. Catholics, Protestants and the Orthodox all claim to have tradition on their side, to be the true representation of the early church. I am no historian, so take what I say here with a grain of salt.

I do not buy that Protestantism is really a return to the beliefs and practices of the early church. I also do not buy that the Catholics or Orthodox really did an amazing job of preserving the way the early church worshipped or thought about things.

Doctrines clearly developed over time. Certain heresies were being corrected even as early as Paul.

The Catholic and Orthodox Church refined practices over time to be more in line

with God’s will.

The problem is that they disagreed over what exactly God’s will was, and split.

Why could it not be that Protestants are just a further continuation of that process?

Catholics would say that if they were, they would not have split off from the Church. God preserves the universal body of the Church and their divisions are a sign of God’s disapproval. I do not buy that, partially because of the churches earlier than the east/west split. Both branches seem to have equally good historical arguments for being the original legitimate article, as do the Protestants.

I know both the other branches see tradition as being inspired, but I just cannot do that; there are too many different traditions that could make claim. I must test tradition by scripture; sorry guys.

Tradition does give Catholics and Greek Orthodoxies some weight, though. Before looking at scripture, they probably seem to have a better claim to being the inheritor of the early church. So why actively reject them?

While tradition might be important, it certainly does not seem to be infallible. It seems plain that scripture and tradition can and have contradicted.

It also seems more difficult to differentiate inspired tradition from uninspired tradition than to differentiate inspired scripture from

uninspired historical documents. Arguments around things like the infallibility of the Pope is obviously more of a Catholic issue than an Orthodox one, but the Orthodox have their own problems.

As a Protestant, Mariology always struck me as weird.

Odd beliefs like her “perpetual virginity” seem to contradict the plain scripture. To get around these issues, Jesus’ brothers and sisters are dismissed as “cousins,” for example.

I realize that nobody worships Mary, but it can sometimes come awful close and seem a bit troubling. Ideas about her being the second Eve, or possibly even a “coredemptrix” risk elevating her too far.

Problems of misguided worship are not limited to Mary, though, as the Orthodox also seem to run into problems with images.

I love the mysticism that goes along with the Orthodox Church, but I am sincerely worried about the risk of idolatry with the focus on iconography.

Sacraments pose a special problem in Christianity in general. Sacraments are undoubtedly important parts of religious life; however, tying them to the salvation process seems especially strange.

I am not really sure how to articulate my thoughts about this subject cogently in such a short space, besides the clichés: “Christ’s work is done

on the Cross,” “Christ is the intercessor between God and man, we can go to him directly without sacrifices, priests or sacraments.”

Now I realize these clichés all somewhat misrepresent Catholic and Orthodox beliefs, but I am troubled with how they seem to flirt with them nonetheless.

While on the subject matter, transubstantiation seems worth mentioning as one of the bigger hurdles. It requires the acceptance of an incredibly specific and probably plain wrong metaphysical standpoint. I do not think it makes any sense to require Aristotelianism in order to be a Christian.

This is all just a small portion of the things we can talk about and need to talk about.

And we do need to talk about it. Too many people stick with their original theology by default, and while I am critical here, I have an increasing respect for these traditions.

If you want to get closer to the Lord, though, you need to be willing to accept what He has to teach you and where He leads you.

I am not convinced that I am being led to either Catholicism or Orthodoxy, but I want to be open to the idea that maybe my interpretation of scripture is wrong.

For me, that openness has included other things too, like more liberal views and things like open theology, but that is for a different article. Anyway, just talk about it.

Are video games art?

Perspecitves Editor Ah, that ancient question that no one but YouTube commenters take seriously: are video games art?

This question has given rise to countless forums and discussions. Most sane, rational people just say “who cares?” and call it a day, but some people get caught up in defending their favorite franchises as art.

It is a debate no one should really take seriously and either answer will not really change anything. Honestly, it amazes me that people talk about it in the first place.

We should note that when we ask whether a video game is “art” here, we do mean high art. No one disputes that video games are at least as artistic as a third grader’s art class, but we want to know if it can be something cultured and refined.

The late film critic Roger Ebert famously said that video games can never be

art. This response became famous not only because he answered in the negative, angering a bunch of fanboys, but also because Ebert was a rather well-respected critic.

His argument is rather simple. While video games have definitely inspired some types of visual and musical experiences, the “game” nature of video games make them inherently less artistic.

There seems to be some weight behind this claim.

While people get defensive about video games, no one seems to dispute about other games being art.

As popular as they are, no one cries against the injustice of chess or Monopoly not being seen on the same level of the paintings of Leonardo da Vinci. Why should other games be any different?

Ebert further elaborated that video games always present a kind of malleability that would ruin other forms of art. Romeo and Juliet would be destroyed by the option to have a happy ending.

The silhouette of Juliet did not appear in the sky with cake and the message “Thanks for playing!”

The inherent difficulties of making video games as art have not stopped people from making artistic games, unfortunately. If anything, these failures tend to prove Ebert right.

When games try to be art, they usually do so only by abandoning aspects that make them games in the first place.

Take the pretentious messes known as “Dear Easter” or “Gone Home” for example.

Ignoring their many other flaws, these games are simply not games. They are walking simulators with a narrative imposed upon them.

In essence, it is trying to be a movie where we just so happen to be in control of the camera.

Worst of all, they are simply not fun. A game that is not fun is not art, it is just a bad game.

Many people are optimistic about video games as a

form of art. Video games are a rather new thing, after all, and have yet to be fully explored.

It took a while for the artistic possibilities of movies to be realized, after all, so why should the same not apply to video games?

This is comparing apples to oranges, though. Movies, in a way, can just be seen as another form of a play, which has been recognized as art forever. Shakespeare’s artistic worth has never been called into question.

Video games, on the other hand, seem to face difficulties in their very nature as games.

This strikes as a much more insurmountable problem.

In spite of everything I just said, I am not willing to rule out the artistic possibility of video games entirely.

While I do not think any game has really reached the status of art yet, I’m not convinced this is impossible for them to do.

Video games seem just as capable of telling stories as any other medium. What is

to keep it from producing an artistic drama or comedy?

I think Ebert correctly noted that video games are very distinct from other art forms in their malleability, in having “win” and “loss” states.

Granted, in most situations, Ebert would be right and this kind of changeability would ruin the message the artist is trying to convey.

I think this fact also opens the doors for entirely new kinds of expressions. Granted, this will be difficult to do, but if someone can seamlessly tie in these game elements into the broader narrative, this can create a whole new kind of experience, potentially even a highly-cultured experience.

The challenge for games to be accepted as art, then, is not for them to come up with a clever aesthetic, a good soundtrack or even a good story.

The challenge is to make the “game-ness” of the game part of that artistic experience.

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The Collegian provides excellent opportunities for students who are interested in careers related to writing and designing. Even if you are just interested in exploring campus events and issues, contact us. Writing for the Collegian is an excellent way to build a portfolio of published work.

Email us at collegian@gcc.edu for more information.

Sports

April 15, 2016

Page 11

Looking strong Men’s tennis team stays in good shape Ethan Paszko Staff Writer

ROB AUDIA

Sophomore Zack Sprunger was terrific against Bethany College last Wednesday, helping propel Grove City College to wins in first doubles and third singles as part of an 8-1 overall victory.

Score Check April 5 Baseball: Hiram College 11, Grove City College 7 The Wolverines had no problems scoring runs against Hiram, but they could not keep the opposing offense at bay. Junior Matt Waugaman had four hits, while sophomore Drew Landis hit a home run and junior Andy Fritz drove in two runs. Junior Nolan Myers started on the mound, giving up three earned runs.

Men’s Tennis: Grove City College 8, Waynesburg University 1 Grove City improved to 2-0 in the PAC, winning easily over Waynesburg. Grove

The Grove City College men’s tennis team is a powerhouse in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC). Since its inception in 1914, the team has won a total of 629 matches while only losing 310, in addition to winning the PAC Championship for the last 25 years in a row. A portion of these victories comes from the current team, led by Coach Jeff Buxton.

A team as dominant as Grove City College’s men’s tennis does not achieve its high status without grueling hours of practice, perspiration and dedication. Coach Buxton attributes this dominance in part to the players: “We seem to attract good players year in and year out. Not only are they good players but they are also good people, who believe in the program and are willing to put time in to make it as good as it can be.”

The men’s team has played three matches so far this spring season, each with the same result: crushing defeat of the opponent.

Against Thomas More College, Grove City won 9-0. They also won 8-1 over Waynesburg University and 8-1 over Bethany College. One might imagine that with the team’s fury of victories, they would wear their egos on their sleeves, but that is not the case.

“No one is out there just for themselves, they are out there to honor each other, the program, and God,” Buxton said. “And that is really what we want Grove City Tennis to be about … great tennis, not big egos!”

Perhaps the most significant strength of the men’s tennis program is the unit co-

hesion and high level of morale the team shares. Sophomore Zack Sprunger, one of team’s best doubles players, explained why he joined the program: “I absolutely love tennis! I also love the friendships that I am able to build through tennis – that is probably the main reason besides flat-out loving the sport.”

Sophomore Jonathan Fleet, a mechanical engineering major, said, “Our team is continually improving. Our team goal is Better Every Day, meaning that every workout, practice and match we look to improve our skills.

We have been a powerhouse in the PAC and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.”

The Wolverines are preparing themselves for a tough series this upcoming week as they host St. Vincent College April 14, along with Geneva College and Westminster College April 16. Despite the projected wins, the players know they cannot become lackadaisical mentally.

“The past 3 matches we have been able to secure a decisive victory. However, no team in the PAC should be taken lightly. Bethany came out much stronger than last year. Although the final match score was 8-1, we had to battle for every point, which reflects the tight match scores,” Fleet said.

With the PAC Championships looming closer and closer – April 29-30 at the Pennbriar club in Erie, Pa. – Coach Buxton is looking to his captains to lead the team to victory.

“Throughout the year I have seen them grow as leaders on and off the court. They seem to be getting better at their role as each week goes by. I can’t wait to see how this plays out at the end of the season during our Conference Tournament,” Buxton said.

City won all three of its doubles matches and went 5-1 in singles play.

April 6 Grove City College 8, Bethany College 1 Grove City won its third consecutive match within the PAC and is off to a 3-0 start. The Wolverines played several hard-fought matches, but managed to win all three doubles matches and be victorious in each singles match except for second singles.

Water Polo: Mercyhurst University 14, Grove City College 1 Grove City fell to a Division II opponent, Mercyhurst.

The only goal of the match for the Wolverines was scored by Ashley Parks. In the loss, junior Abby Jank won three of four sprints.

Softball: St. Vincent College 6, Grove City College 2; St.

GROVE CITY COLLEGE

All of Grove City’s home outdoor matches were cancelled on Saturday, as the campus woke up to a layer of snow on the ground.

Vincent College 5, Grove City College 2 Grove City lost two consecutive matches to PAC opponent St. Vincent. Erika Aughton started the opener and gave up six earned runs, while Megan Lynskey had two hits. In the second game, Aimee Wootton allowed just one earned run in seven innings.

April 7 Men’s Golf: Grove City’s “Crimson” team finished second in the MBA Invite, while the “White” team finished fifth. Jordan Alfery was the leader for the Wolverines, and he had the third best score overall.

Softball: Grove City College 5, Mount Aloysius College 0 DAVE MILLER

Grove City College’s women’s softball team took on St. Vincent College last Wednesday, and senior Megan Lynskey came up big with three hits and two runs driven in.

Grove City earned its first road win of the season in this game. Erika Aughton pitched a gem, a four hit

shutout in her best performance of the year. Aughton also doubled in the first run of the game.

April 8 Track and field: Six men on the track and field team secured wins at the Oberlin College Bob Kahn Invitational. Dan Christiansen, Jonah Meyer, Drew Thibault, Brandon Ward, Quinton Reed and Mike Cole were all victorious in their respective events. For the women, Melanie Packard and Elizabeth Donahoe scored wins.

Water Polo: Washington & Jefferson College 15, Grove City College 3 Freshman Abby Spicher had two goals, while Abby Jank had two assists, but Grove City fell to the opposition. Grace Klimek and Heidi Schmidt each had a save in goal.

April 9

Baseball: Grove City College 10, St. Vincent College 7

Water Polo: Penn State Behrend 12, Grove City College 6; Washington & Jefferson College 13, Grove City College 3

Grove City scored a lot of runs in this game, thanks to an explosive lineup. Matt Waugaman, Nolan Meyers, and Shane Hammel each picked up three hits, while freshman pitcher John Bini recorded his sixth win of the season.

In the first game Grove City played well for 12 minutes, but the other team went on a 6-1 run to end the game.

In the second game, Abby Jank had two goals, an assist and a steal, and Allie Schmidt made four saves.

Sports

April 15, 2016

Page 12

Golf season goes into gear Golf team plays in first two matches

Joe Setyon Sports Editor

After taking the winter off following a solid fall season, the Grove City College men’s golf team is getting their spring campaign into full gear.

Last season the team finished third in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference for the third consecutive year.

Led by head coach Melissa Lamie, the team is gunning for a first place finish and a PAC Championship. Grove City started off its season with a spring trip to Hilton Head that lasted from March 18-24. Since then, they have playedtwo matches: the first at Point Park on April 1, and the second at the Grove City College McBride-BehringerAllen Invitational on April 7.

The Wolverines started off their spring schedule on April 1, travelling to Point Park University. They ended up getting defeated by a score of 596-593. Cole McCook, freshman, had the best round of the day for his team,

shooting a 77. Sophomore Jordan Alfery was second best, finishing just a stroke behind his teammate with a 78. Meanwhile, sophomore Connor Tipping shot an 85, while junior Austin Eckhardt and freshman Ryan Koenig each shot an 88.

Next, Grove City returned home for one of its most important matches of the season, the Grove City MBA Invite. The MBA in its title stands for three historically significant men from GCC men’s golf history: Milford McBride, a longtime trustee for the school, R. Jack Behringer, a former golf coach and director of athletics for the entire school, and Bill Allen coached golf during his time at Grove City. The Wolverines divided into two squads: White and Crimson.

Each of them consisted of four men, and each played very well. The Crimson team posted an overall total of 312, which was just one stroke away from eventual winner, St. Vincent College, While, the White team took fifth

GROVE CITY COLLEGE

Freshman Cole McCook has impressed for the Wolverine golf team so far this year and looks to be an important part of the squad as the season progresses. place in the eight-team tour-

as his 18-hole score of 77 was

place, each of them shooting

nament, shooting 332 over-

third best individually. Ryan

a 78. Cole McCook finished

all. Jordan Alfery had the

Koenig and sophomore An-

in tenth place, shooting a 92

best day for the Wolverines,

thony Smaldino tied for sixth

overall.

Keeping the ball rolling Baseball team off to best start since 2006

April 15-21

Joe Setyon Sports Editor

After several consecutive losing seasons, the Grove City College baseball team’s 2016 campaign has been a breath of fresh air.

The Wolverines are on fire, winning their last nine contests. They are 17-7 overall, including an outstanding 9-2 in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference. The Wolverines have done a great job putting runs on the board and getting clutch hits when it counts as was display in their recent contests against Westminster and St. Vincent College. So far this season, they have not lost a series to any PAC opponent.

On Tuesday, April 5, the Wolverines took on Hiram College, a non-conference opponent. Grove City wanted to keep up the momentum they had gained after winning their last five games., but in the end, they dropped the contest 11-7, in 11 innings.

The Wolverines were trailing by a score of 7-5 in the bottom of the ninth inning, when senior Matt Waugaman singled and then driven in by junior Andy Fritz, who was promptly thrown out trying to stretch his double into a triple. Things did not look bright for the Wolverines, but sophomore Drew Landis hit a two-out, gametying home run to send it to extra innings. However, in the eleventh inning, Hiram scored four unanswered runs, and Grove City could not answer back.

Waugaman had four hits, while Landis added on three and Fritz collected two in the losing effort. Meanwhile, senior Ryan Gallagher took the loss despite an impressive performance pitching three innings of relief and alloweingjust three hits and a run

Support Your Wolverines!

Baseball Friday, 3 p.m., at Waynesburg University (9 innings) Saturday, 1 p.m., vs. Waynesburg University (DH) Tuesday, 2 p.m., at Bethany College

Softball Saturday, 1 p.m., vs. Geneva College Tuesday, 3:30 p.m., at Washington & Jefferson College Women’s Golf Saturday, 1 p.m., at Thiel College Invitational Thursday, at St. Vincent College Invite GROVE CITY COLEGE

Freshman Shane Hammel has had a solid start to his Wolverine career. He is batting .333, 2 home runs and 17 runs batted in. with five strikeouts.

Grove City looked to rebound on Friday, April 8, and they did with a 10-7 victory over rival St. Vincent College. The Wolverines took a 5-0 lead in the first inning, thanks to hits from freshman Shane Hammel, junior Nolan Myers, sophomore Tyler Graham and Waugaman. In the second inning Grove City added on two more on RBIs from Fritz and Hammel. St. Vincent tried to crawl back all game, but in the sixth inning Grove City got some additional insurance, scoring three runs on a wild pitch and a two run double from junior David Laylock. St. Vincent scored three more runs, but junior Cameron Lawson came in for the final three innings, allowing just two hits and no runs.

Hammel continued his

impressive freshman season, collecting three hits, two runs and a couple of RBIs. Waugaman and Myers each had three hits as well, while Graham and Micah Burke added two apiece.

With that win Grove City improved to 16-6, its best start since 2006. After the victory, Grove City returned home on April 13 to take on St. Vincent again, this time in a doubleheader. After dropping the first0-12, Grove City responded by taking the nightcap 8-4. Waugaman and Hammelboth homered, and freshman pitcher John Bini improved to a 7-0 record, the best in the PAC. The Wolverines will travel to Waynesburg University on April 15 for a 9 inning game, and then take on The Yellow Jackets in a home double headeron April 16.

Water Polo Saturday-Sunday, at CWPA DIII Championships

Track and Field Saturday, 10 a.m., at Westminster College Invite Thursday, PAC North Squad at Slippery Rock University, 4 p.m.

Men’s Tennis Saturday, 10 a.m., vs. Geneva College (Senior Day) Monday, 4 p.m., at Thiel College Tuesday, 3:30 p.m., vs. Allegheny College Women’s Tennis Tuesday, 3:30 p.m., vs. Allegheny College