The Collegian – Sept. 15, 2017

Page 1

Men’s soccer kicks into gear

Wolverines cannot be tamed with a 3-1-1 record

Hot off the presses

Miller’s first novel is released

What Grovers really think about local coffee shops

ENTERTAINMENT LIFE

Collegian

The

Friday, September 15, 2017

SPORTS

Spilling the beans

The Grove City College Student Newspaper

Vol. 103, No. 1

McNulty urges embrace of College’s values Molly Wicker News Editor Grove City College ushered in the academic year at Opening Convocation, where President Paul J. McNulty ‘80 urged the campus community to embrace

the College’s values of faithfulness, excellence, commuMcNulty nity, stewardship and independence.

The new values were born out of a year-long process during which the Board of Trustees and College Administration worked to construct and implement a new Strategic Plan. “As we were putting the final touches on the

strategic plan, we were focused on the vision and mission part of the plan, specifically, the ways in which other organizations handled the values portion. We realized we were missing the values component in the earliest draft.”

The strategic plan, as outlined by McNulty in a December 2017 State of the College event, spans five years. It includes a renewed statement of vision and mission intended to reaffirm and strengthen the school’s commit-

ment to its historic identify as a Christian and comprehensive liberal arts college. The College’s rich history is evident in the new values, all of which pick up on some of the key things that VALUES 2

A new year, a new campus Maddy Moser Staff Writer

munications, said. “The site is intended to deliver on what makes us unique: the vibrancy of student life, the sense of a faith community, the beauty of the campus, and more clarity around affordability as an institution.” The new site plays host to all sorts of information, including guides to departments and majors and a faculty directory, alongside a vast collection of multi-

As students begin their busy schedules of classwork and activities, Grove City College Operations Department is breathing a sigh of relief that summer campus improvements were completed before school began on Aug. 28. Over the last three months, the College has undergone nearly four million dollars of renovations and updates, making campus look better than ever. Though some changes are harder to notice, like new roofs on Crawford Hall, the Pew Fine Arts Center and part of the Physical Learning Center, others are hard to miss. Two of the biggest changes came to lower campus, where the track surrounding Thorn Field was completely refurbished and the recreational area was improved. As the school year begins, students can be seen running on the newly refurbished track, playing pick up games in the new sand volleyball courts and utilizing horseshoe and bocce ball courts. Other significant changes happened in the Physical Learning Center. In addition to the new roof, the Competition Pool received a major facelift. With an entirely new HVAC system, paint and railings, swimmers and water polo players are itching to be back in the water. The Physical Learning Center also has improved lighting in the fitness and weight rooms, a benefit of which the whole student body can take advantage. Other changes across campus include renovations in Lincoln Residence Hall, refurbished chapel pews in Harbison and better drainage

WEBSITE 10

CAMPUS 2

BECCA SHAFFER

Sophomore Wolverine football star Brett Laffoon decided to give up playing the game he loves after suffering a concussion against Juniata in early September.

Grove City loses star quarterback

Aly Kruger Sports Editor

Grove City College quarterback Brett Laffoon quit the team after suffering a concussion in the first game of the Wolverine season. The Wolverines lost 42-31, Laffoon leaving the game with a concussion after completing 19 of 27 passes for 292 yards and three touchdowns. “When I ran the ball

my head got driven to the ground,” Laffoon said. “And when I got up I was dizzy, and I couldn’t make out the next play call and everything was blurry and so I called a time out.” The concussion comes in a long line of injuries for Laffoon, including a concussion he suffered last season with the Wolverines, as a freshman. “I had one really bad one last year,” he said.

“I only remember the play and then the next thing I knew I was in the training room.” This second concussion ultimately led to Laffoon’s decision to quit football and sit on the sidelines for the first time since he started playing football as a kid. “I’ve played since I was five,” he said, “although my first year of tackle was seventh; this is the first season I haven’t seen.”

Students participate in annual Lux Mea retreat Ginny Flanders Contributing Writer

The weekend before classes began, 36 students from various disciplines moved in early and carpooled to Seneca Hills Retreat Center for a twonight Lux Mea retreat. Each year, there is a different focus for the retreat. This year’s book and theme: “Ordinary” by Michael Horton. This group of students had read the book over the summer and came prepared to discuss, reflect, and delve into the plethora of questions raised by Horton. This unplugged retreat in the simple beauty of God’s creation provided the ideal setting for grap-

pling with life’s questions, big and small. All day long on Friday, the students engaged in various small group discussions, all facilitated by GCC faculty who generously gave up their time and drove up to Seneca Hills. “I truly was blown away by what I encountered. How subtle it was, the presence of authentic and intellectual believers. I did not expect there to discover such a diverse and wonderful mix of people, yet here I found it. The time dialoguing with students and professors about this fascinating book was so intellectually stimulating, while the time of relaxing around LUX MEA 2

However, Laffoon is not leaving football for good. Laffoon plans to remain with the team, helping out with the coaching staff. “That will help a lot,” Laffoon said of his decision to remain around the team. “Leaving it completely would just be…” Laffoon paused, as if the idea of a fall season without football were unimaginable. To someone who has known football since

the age of five, it is not hard to believe. Surrounding the decision has been a lot of support and good sportsmanship shown by the Grove City College community. “I’ve gotten a lot of support,” Laffoon smiled, “A ton of support; people I barely talk to have come up and given me a lot of overwhelming support. Friends and family, coaches, everybody.” LAFFOON 2

College debuts new website Andrew Karp Contributing Writer As students returned to the campus for a new semester, they found a new, modern website for Grove City. The new website, which was three years in the making, brings a functional and visual overhaul to the digital presence of the College. “The website is meant to increase engagement with prospective families,” Jacki Muller, Senior Director of Com-


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