Fly Eagles Fly
Philadelphia Eagles win their first Super Bowl. SPORTS
‘Man of the Woods’
Timberlake’s new album falls short. ENTERTAINMENT
Focus on love
Aly Kruger Sports Editor
Grove City College’s fourth annual Focus Week will begin Feb. 12, with a theme will be “Loving Your Neighbor”. This is the fourth year that this event has come to Grove City, and the community is looking forward to the chance to reconnect as a student body. “We are excited to have the continuity of this event,” said Devayani Wintrode. “Students now anticipate it each year.” The Grove City stu-
BARS department holds book sale to fund missions.
LIFE
Collegian
The Friday, February 9, 2018
Booksale is Win-Win-Win
The Grove City College Student Newspaper
Vol. 103, No. 11
Okie Dokie
dent body is excited to begin this year’s focus week, which focuses on one of Christ’s two most important commands in the Bible. It seems so simple, yet it is actually very hard and most of the students are busy and usually occupied. “We want to look more fully at who our neighbor is and how we love as Christ commands” said Wintrode. The week will begin on Monday and continue through to Friday, with the themes of the days being as follows: FOCUS WEEK 2
Perfect pitches Paige Fay Staff Writer
The final round of Grove City College’s annual Elevator Pitch Competition took place on Nov. 28, 2017. Judged by Grove City’s staff, administration and faculty, 22 students from the original 200 made it past the qualifying and semi-final rounds with their ideas. The elevator pitches were two minutes long and many pitchers engaged the audience with a fun story while still giving the necessary information
Gustafson
Bailey
about the product. “The competition is an opportunity for all students to pitch an idea, either for profit or not for profit, to a panel of judges,” said Adam Densmore, a freshman Accounting & Finance major. “The key skills that it emphasizes are innovation and creativity, communication, PITCHES 2
ANDREW STEIN
Members of the Omicron Xi fraternity call and congratulate their new members from windows in Hopeman at the beginning of Greek Unity Week.
Conference celebrates Austrian tradition Elsie Becker
Contributing Writer Grove City College will host the 14th annual Austrian Student Scholars Conference (ASSC) Friday, Feb. 16, through Saturday, Feb. 17. Beginning as a spinoff of the prestigious Austrian Scholars Conference, the ASSC was created to provide students with a place to
share their own papers in an academic conference setting. During the conference, students from eight schools will present research papers to attendees as well as participate in live Q&A. This year’s conference will close with a showing of a documentary film. One of this year’s student presenters, freshman Tegan Truitt, says, “Anyone inter-
ested in economics—or social science in general—should come enjoy this discourse on the ideas of the Austrian School.” Truitt will be presenting his paper titled Epistemic Barriers to Legislation. He says he’s very excited to have the opportunity to participate in the conference because, “There are so many interesting discussions to be had. It will be an awesome ex-
perience.” Besides student presenters, the conference will feature two keynote lecturers – Dr. Guido Hülsmann and Dr. G.P. Manish. Dr. Hülsmann is a senior fellow of the Mises Institute and author of “Mises: The Last Knight of Liberalism” and “The Ethics of Money Production.” Dr. Manish is an assoCONFERENCE 2
Tutors go pro bono Jonathan Skee Contributing Writer Grove City College’s tutoring program is undergoing a major transition this semester: it is free now. Previously, students had to pay tutors $10 per hour for their services, and the program was essentially based on a personal interaction between tutors and students. Now, however, the program has
been modified to make it more accessible. “The goal is to make tutoring accessible to all students,” said Kathy Leonard, Director of Academic Advising. “We didn’t want cost to be an obstacle.” By eliminating the direct cost of the program, the hope is that more students who need help with their studies will take advanTUTORING 2
The Collegian
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Faculty member recognized
PITCHES continued from 1
the economist Ludwig van Mises built on Menger’s foundation and further developed Austrian theory. Today, Mises is often acknowledged as the greatest Austrian economist of the 20th century. After his death in 1973, his wife gave her blessing for the founding of the Mises Institute, which exists to assist in the education of Austrian economists around the world. Grove City College’s Economics department began its Austrian economics emphasis in 1956 when J. Howard Pew hired Hans Sennholz to head the department. Since Sennholz was a protégé
of Ludwig von Mises himself, Grove City College soon became the world’s leading undergraduate institution for the study of Austrian Economics. After Mises’ death, Grove City College acquired 20,000 pages of his papers, which are part of the Ludwig von Mises collection stored in the archives on campus. While Mises is always a topic of discussion among Austrian economics students, during the conference, students will present papers on a variety of topics, including cryptocurrency and immigration. A panel of Grove City College faculty members
will serve as judges who will select the top three papers and award cash prizes of $1,500, $1,000 and $500, respectively. The ASSC is open to the public. All GCC students, no matter their discipline, are welcome to sit in on any sessions. The conference begins Friday night at 7 pm in Sticht Lecture Hall. Saturday sessions begin at 9 pm in the Hall of Arts and Letters (HAL) and run throughout the day in HAL 114 and 116. Sessions end at 5:15 pm. The awards ceremony begins at 6:45 pm in Sticht Lecture Hall, and will be immediately followed by the documentary film.
One difference this year as opposed to other years is the new opportunity offered to students to serve one another. The verse that serves as the basis for this theme is 1 John 3:18 that says, “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth”. Wintrode said, “We are excited to partner with several local ministries to join them in loving others and hope many students will not only serve during Focus Week, but be encouraged to continue serving beyond the week.” There will be a trays-up lunch on Friday to close out the
week, hosting ministry partners for students to get to know. This is open to all students in Old MAP from 11:45-1 p.m. Focus Week is a great opportunity to get to reconnect with other members of the student body as well as personal faith. “Loving others is not optional,” Wintrode said. “Jesus commanded us to love others so we need to learn how to do it well. Focus Week is an opportunity to learn more about how to do this and be challenged to think more deeply about this command and how well you are loving others.” Students are encouraged to take
advantage of the week as a whole and learn not only about each other but about God and actively obeying His commands while pursuing their calling on campus. “Our hope is that our campus community will be transformed because students’ hearts would be transformed to love others better, truly following Christ’s command,” said Wintrode. “We hope students will see the value and potential of this week and make coming to sessions a priority.” Join the discussion for Focus Week 2018, beginning on Monday.
and presentation.” Densmore was the second-place winner of the Commercial Enterprise category. His business is TeleTalk, an online speech-coaching program that assists its users in preparing for events that require a speech. It is more affordable and accessible than having a coach in person. Densmore was inspired to create the product from his own experiences. “I was prompted to this because over the years I competed in speech and debate, I spent a lot of time coaching other students – much of this was done from distant locations so we were forced to use Skype and similar platforms,” said Densmore. Alexandria Bailey, a sophomore Entrepreneurship major, was the first-place winner of the Commercial Enterprise category with her business idea called the Shammy Shield. The Shammy Shield is a shammy designed for female divers to protect their back, shoulders and lower neck from the intense impact of the water. It can be put on under their swimsuits so they can dive without fear of injury. “It’s a really simple idea, but it could make a huge difference,” said Bailey. Bailey was required to participate in the competition for Professor Timothy Sweet’s Entrepreneurial Mind class but enjoyed the experience of competing so much that she looks forward to participating next year also. Bailey loved participating in the competition not only to present her idea, but to hear others’ ideas as well. “One thing I really enjoyed about the final round was getting to hear all kinds of ideas from other students. It’s incredible how diverse our minds are, and some of the business ideas I heard were things I definitely never would have thought of, but I hope become real businesses someday,” she said. Cody Gustafson, a freshman, won first place in the Social Enterprise category for his idea, Mathletics. He brought together his love for sports and math to create an app that makes math more fun for its users. “Mathletics is a free app that will let the users follow their favorite athletes, but they have to solve some of
options will be offered in Henry Buhl Library in the back of the Reference Room. The Academic Resource Center also aims to launch a program called TutorTrac, which will allow students to access tutor schedules and other resources online, by the end of February. Students will also be able to attend tutor-led workshops throughout the semester. The first of these
session, about how to take good notes, was offered Monday night. The tutoring program has many benefits for students look for effective ways to study. For one, tutors act in a professional manner, which typically makes them more approachable. Many students are reluctant to ask a professor or friend for help and suffer academically as a consequence. “Take away the tutor-
ing stigma,” says Leonard. “We all need help, whether it’s with riding a bike, learning to swim, or overcoming an academic challenge.” A second benefit is that students can be confident that the tutors are qualified to help. All tutors are required to have a minimum 3.0 QPA, a faculty recommendation, and a minimum of a B in the course or courses that they are approved to tu-
tor for. There are also a few retired faculty that volunteer as tutors. There are also benefits to being a tutor. Though tutoring is now free and students don’t pay tutors directly for their services, The College will still pay tutors. “The experience is also a benefit,” said Leonard. “It makes for a fine addition to any resume.” Ultimately, the goal of these changes to the
JULIA KNEPPER
President McNulty poses with this year’s recipients of the annual Florence E. MacKenzie Campus-Community Awards: Dr. Constance Nichols, professor and chair of the Department of Education, and Olde Town Grove City, whose award was accepted by Mary Jo Palmer of Broad Street business B’gifted.
CONFERENCE continued from 1 ciate professor of economics and a member of the Manuel H. Johnson Center of Political Economy at Troy University and the recipient of several Mises Institute prizes in political economy. For those unfamiliar with the topic, the Austrian School of Economics is a branch of economics begun by a man named Carl Menger in 1871. Unlike modern quantitative economic theories, Austrian economic theory is founded on the qualitative, fundamental truths of human action. In his book, Human Action,
FOCUS WEEK continued from 1 Who is My Neighbor, and the Call to Love Our Neighbor on Monday, Bringing Hope to Difficult Situations, Where Love Comes From and Where it Leads, and Hospitality on Tuesday, Loving Your (Digital) Neighbor as Yourself, and Loving Others Along the Path on Wednesday, Talk is Cheap and Love Costs on Thursday, and Love and Serve Your Neighbor on Friday. There are various chapel credits offered and speakers including faculty and other guests throughout the week.
TUTORING continued from 1 tage of the program. The program has also been expanded to include more tutoring options for a broader range of students. Students can now opt for an individual appointment with a tutor with flexible times, a small group study session for a particular course with set times or a drop-in study session. All these
Feb. 9, 2018 the calculations,” said Gustafson. “This way they are being exposed to math every day, promoting and encouraging kids to become more skilled in math.” Zachary LaValla was the second-place winner of the Social Enterprise category. He is a freshman Entrepreneurship and Finance double major who came up with an idea called Missing Link. His idea is an interactive database that allows nonprofit organizations to search for for-profit businesses to help fund their non-profit mission. It “would give a sense of security and perpetuity to the nonprofit as its funds would be less variable,” said LaValla. LaValla’s past experiences heavily influenced his business idea. “My inspiration comes from years of being part of churches that argue about money, and watching archaic methods of fundraising still be used so frequently,” he said. “I think there is a ton of opportunity for innovation in regard to fundraising.” In addition to these winners, senior Hannah Vaccaro won thirdplace in Commercial Enterprise while fourth place went to freshman Heather Hondel. For the Social Enterprise category, seniors Abby Messinger and Michaela Cashmer won third and fourth place, respectively. Although many participants are students with majors related to business, anyone can participate in the competition and share their ideas. “This competition is for anyone who is passionate about solutions… Anyone who cares enough to think through a solution to a problem has the capacity to make the world the way it should be, and that is the type of person who should participate in this competition,” said LaValla. Bailey said, “Giving a pitch does not mean you have to have all your business details figured out, or you have to be a dedicated entrepreneurship major who is set on starting a business. Everyone has great ideas, and the EPC is a great way to share them. It’s also a great way to practice public speaking and to gain confidence speaking in front of people.” tutoring program is to better
help
students
when they struggle academically. Throughout this semester, the Academic Resource Center will monitor the program and adjust accordingly. “It is a transitional semester,” says Leonard. “We are committed to making this program better for all students.”
Life STEM girls jump through loops
Feb. 9, 2018
Emi England Staff Writer
Fifteen seventh through twelfth grade girls gathered in STEM Saturday to participate in this year’s “Girls Who Code” event. The event was an opportunity for girls in middle and high school to learn and experience computer programming. Saturday marked the second time Grove City College has hosted the event. The mission statement of the Girls Who Code Foundation, which organized the event, is, “Closing the gender gap in tech, one girl at a time.” GCC senior Rachel Waitlevertch echoed the goal of the foundation when she said, “I like to be able to expose girls to the opportunities they have in the field of computer science.” To begin the day, guest speaker Brenda Roman gave a presentation on her experiences in the field of computer science. Heidi Bednarz, a sophomore in high
EMI ENGLAND
Female students experiment with robots at the STEM event on Saturday. school, said it was “encouraging to see a woman go so far in a field that not many women go into.” After the presentation, two Grove City professors, Brian Dellinger and Lory J. Al Moakar, taught the girls how to program Edison robots. The students split into groups of two to five and worked together to learn how to program the robot. Their goal was to get it
through a course which was provided on a sheet of paper. After a quick lunch break in the lobby, the groups continued to the main event of the day: a robotic competition. The girls were given a course similar to the one they had practiced with, but this time there was an animal printed in the middle of it. Their goal was to make their robot travel through the course, and detect the animal which
would cause the robot to spin, blink its lights or beep. High school freshman Eren McKinley said learning how to code “builds patience and is a good way to learn how to do complex problem solving.” Another girl in McKinley’s group, junior Samantha Jones, said, “Learning how to code is also good for learning how to efficiently use trial and error in problem solving.”
EMI ENGLAND
Female STEM students attended the annual “Girls Who Code” event in Grove City’s STEM buildling.
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Homosexuality lecture packed the house Caroline Dudt Staff Writer
An eager audience filled every seat and even some stairs in Sticht Auditorium Tuesday night to hear Dr. Robert Gagnon’s lecture, Gagnon entitled “The Bible and Homosexuality.” David J. Ayers, professor of Sociology, said, “It was gratifying to see so many people come out.” Freshman Jared Neff said, “It is an important issue and it’s good to be informed on the topic.” After being invited by Ayers and Paul Kengor, professor of Political Science, Gagnon agreed to give a lecture on the contentious, yet important, topic of homosexuality. Until recently, Gagnon was Associate Professor of New Testament at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Dartmouth College, an Master of Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School, and a Doctor of Philosophy from Princeton Theological Seminary. Gagnon is author of “The Bible and Homosexuality: Text and Hermeneutics” (Abingdon Press, 2001) and co-author with Dan Via of “Homosexuality and the Bible: Two Views” (Fortress Press, 2003). Throughout his talk, he closely examined the Scripture that corresponded to each discussed topic. He brought to attention verses concerning the meaning of marriage and the way God intended marriage to be. He went on to discuss the topic of sexual dif-
“What you do sexually, matters to God.” Robert Gagnon ferentiation according to God’s Word and reasons why man and woman are meant to be complementary. Gagnon presented the challenge to see the importance of these issues because “what you do sexually, matters to God.” After his lecture, he answered numerous difficult questions people asked, specifically ways to approach discussions with others whose foundation is not in the validity of Scripture. He proceeded to answer personal questions for an hour and a half after the lecture ended. People came to hear this talk for various reasons, not the least being the students in the night course to which this lecture was given specifically. Senior Agnus Tan said, “I came so that I may be willing and ready to give a gracious response to outsiders who have different beliefs than myself.” Senior Arthur La Motta said, “I am interested in the topic and I know people who struggle with this. Once leaving Grove City, I want to know how to talk to people who aren’t likeminded and how to speak the truth in love.” To those who were unable to come hear the lecture, it will soon be available through Grove City Media Services. Don’t miss this opportunity to listen to Gagnon who sought to “really engage the students and give them a better education” as Ayers said.
Grover Life An occasional satirical feature exploring life at Grove City
Netflix ‘Faith and Freedom’ reveals president’s past life Yesterday afternoon, entertainment behemoth Netflix finally confirmed rumors that they have been working on an action thriller series that follows the heroic story of Grove City College’s own Paul J. McNulty during his days in the Bush administration. Entitled “For Faith and Freedom,” the new series will draw much of its content from the recentlyleaked McNulty Files, which detail the President’s ultra-classified intelligence operations, interrogations and firefights. Major characters in the show will include Paul McNulty (played by Tom Hardy), Brenda McNulty (Charlize Theron), Jim Thrasher
SLASHFILM.COM
(Mark Wahlberg) and George W. Bush (played by himself). The series will reportedly begin by chronicling McNulty’s counterterrorism operations in Somalia and Egypt, and then portray his expert handling of the 9/11 attacks during President Bush’s absence from Washington. Of course, the show will also highlight McNulty’s critical role in preventing nuclear war
with Russia in 2002, his capture of Saddam Hussein in 2003 and all of the events which led up to Operation Neptune Spear in 2011, during which he eliminated Osama Bin Laden. True to McNulty’s incredible story, car chases, death-defying stunts and explosions will abound. However, “For Faith and Freedom” will also feature frequent flashbacks,
from which viewers will get a critical look into McNulty’s family upbringing, his college days and his early relationship with Brenda. Series director Martin Scorsese admitted that “For Faith and Freedom” will certainly not be easy to pull off, stating “Well, you know, how do you portray someone who’s as much of a giant as Paul McNulty? How do you do his story justice? Honestly, if we can make this show half as mind-blowingly awesome as the true story, I’ll be satisfied.” The series is set to air on June 21, 2018, the 230th anniversary of the ratification of the Constitution..
Cartoonist Wanted! Calling all Calvin and Hobbes enthusiasts! Interested in drawing? Then we want YOU! Email the Collegian at gcc.collegian@gmail. com
The Collegian
Feb. 9, 2018
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Buy books for benefit
Simon DeAngelo Contributing Writer
If there is anything that Biblical and Religious Studies majors love (other than Jesus, of course), it is books! Faculty from the BARS and other departments have generously donated books for a used book sale open to everyone from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. today in HAL 311. They will be selling hardcover books for 50 cents and paperback books for 25 cents. These books will be primarily theological, but there will be a variety from different departments. Paul Kemeny, professor of Biblical and Religious Studies, took notice that professors often need to thin their personal libraries to make room for new books, and decided to organize this book sale to benefit professors, students and Harvest Bridge. It is a win-winwin! All of the proceeds from this book sale will go to benefit Harvest Bridge International, an organization founded by Timothy Mech, a
HARVEST BRIDGE
The Biblical and Religious Studies Department raises money by selling books for Harvest Bridge International, an organization founded by Dr. Mech, a former professor of Entrepreneurship. Harvest Bridge provides sponsorships and education for children in South Asia, like the one above. recently retired professor of Entrepreneur-
ship, and supported by George Van Campbell
who serves on the board of directors as Director
of Pastor Training. The primary goal of
Harvest Bridge is, “To come alongside indigenous ministries in South Asia.” They seeks to work where Christians are few, resources are few and persecution is significant. Harvest Bridge helps plant churches in unreached people groups, and aids in supporting over 200 missionaries that are currently establishing churches. Their model is not to send missionaries, but to come alongside those who are already in ministry. One way this organization carries out their goal is through training pastors. Harvest Bridge sponsors training conferences, provides pastors with books, encourages pastors to work together and cultivates church unity. Additionally, they also help provide child sponsorships, vocational training, outreach to tribal people, educational programs for children and disaster relief. Dr. Campbell said, “Books are like friends, and the more the better!”
Res Life names new director
Tucker Langehans Staff Writer
GROVE CITY COLLEGE
Grove City College Career Services office achieves another year of student success
CSO: 96 percent at work, in school
Rio Arias
Perspectives Editor
Grove City College’s Career Services Office works hard for its reputation, and all of the benefit goes to the students. GCC’s Class of 2017 had an unbelievably high placement rate, with 96 percent of the class either working or enrolled in graduate school within six months of graduation. Based on the College’s career outcomes data and PayScale data, GCC fully equips its students for the world outside of the small town of Grove City. The Princeton Review also named Grove City College in its recent “Colleges that Pay You Back” edition, citing the high average starting salary rate published by PayScale, at $50,700. As of now, 83 percent of the 2017 graduating class is employed, and 13 percent are attending some form of graduate school or post-bachelor studies.
GCC’s numbers are 15 percent higher than the national average of 81 percent employment or attendance in graduate school, something that tour guides are proud to share with prospective families. These high job and school retention rates would not be possible without the hard work of students, professors, alumni and the Career Services office at Grove City College. Offering various networking opportunities for alumni to reach out to current students, programs to teach students interview etiquette and review resumes, Career Services has made themselves invaluable to the community. “We are thrilled to learn of the career success of our members of the Class of 2017. It was a true privilege working with them during their time here at Grove City College,” said Mandy Sposato, director of Career Services at Grove City College. “We pray that they
will live out their callings effectively, applying all they learned from their time here.” GCC bases these numbers on polls sent to each graduating class, as well as other reliable college review sources outside of the campus community. This year, Career Services collected information about 98 percent of the most recent graduates, compared to the usual 60 percent information retention rate of undergraduates across the country, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers. Grove City College’s Office of Career Services not only encourages students to engage in undergraduate internship and research opportunities, but to create a four year plan for their time at GCC. This forward thinking may be the most important service of all that they offer, since students use their personal assessment and job search skills for a lifetime of employment.
Jonathan DiBenedetto accepted the position as Director of Residence Life over winter break, after Joe Cirelli held the p o s i t i o n DiBenedetto as Interim Director for the fall semester. While Cirelli only held the position for one semester, his work in the Student Life and Learning office is not over. Cirelli will be transitioning into a new position this semester, and he will help DiBenedetto get a feel for his new role as well. DiBenedetto’s experience in Residence Life programs made him an obvious choice for the position. While completing his undergraduate degree at Geneva College, DiBenedetto served as a Resident Assistant for three years. Upon graduation, he went on to serve as a Resident Director at Indiana Wesleyan University for two years. Shortly after, DiBenedetto took a position at Colorado Christian University (CCU).
DiBenedetto served as RD there for a total of nine and a half years, taking the role of Assistant Resident Director the last two and a half years. DiBenedetto said CCU did not have the position before he arrived, but after his work in the program they developed the position. However, despite creating the position for him, CCU did not provide stability and security DiBenedetto wanted for him and his family. With many questions arising for the following year, DiBenedetto said his wife encouraged him to look at other positions. When he found the Director of Residence Life position open at Grove City, DiBenedetto knew he had to apply. DiBenedetto has had multiple connections with Grove City over the years. When applying for his undergrad in 2003, the college was one of his top choices. In addition, he has multiple friends who have worked at the college and feels familiar with it as a whole. DiBenedetto felt the college would be a good fit for him and his fam-
ily. Not only is it an institution with which he is familiar, but it is also in line with his values. “Mission fit is critical when you work in higher education, and Grove City fell in the parameters,” he said. Despite the uncertainty of being on a new campus, DiBenedetto said he is looking forward to many aspects of Grove City. One of which is rainy days and moisture, a nice change from the dry air of Colorado. DiBenedetto is also excited to work with the college’s RD and RA staff. While he identifies as an adaptable person, DiBenedetto admits the transition has been tough. “I didn’t realize how well-rooted we were at CCU,” he said. It has been a humbling experience for him, but he continues to see God’s providence throughout it all. When asked his favorite part of Residence Life, DiBenedetto said “Being alongside students as they learn and grow is what’s worth it. I look forward to doing life together with the students here at Grove City.”
Correction: Last week’s edition mistakenly credited the article “Olde Town, Nichols honored” to the wrong writer. Staff Writer Caroline Dudt wrote the article. The Collegian regrets the error.
Feb. 9, 2018
JT’s back at it
James Sutherland Managing Editor
Justin Timberlake is the rare marriage of an artist with both massive popular appeal and critical acclaim. Timberlake has built his career on making music that was different from the rest of pop music; he has, in large part, risen above the cacophony of modern pop to make music that is original, fresh and unique. And he has been rewarded for it. His albums have gone multiple times platinum, and Timberlake has become the defining male pop star of his generation. His albums have also garnered wide critical acclaims and awards nominations. Timberlake’s albums have always found the perfect balance between artistry and commercialism, between experiment and convention. Timberlake’s albums have also always had a project, a unique and singular sound that the whole project was built around. “Justified,” his first album released in 2002, was a throwback to the pop-soul sound of the 1970s and 80s, recalling Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder. “FutureSex/LoveSounds,” released in 2006, was and is Timberlake’s most ambitious and experimental album. “FutureSex” merges Timberlake’s familiar R&B and soul sound with rock and funk, creating an iconic techno-soul sound. JT’s third album, “The 20/20 Experience” (a two part proj-
Entertainment
ect released in 2013), drew on the neo-soul music of late 1990s artists D’Angelo, Lauryn Hill and Erykah Badu. Timberlake took a somewhat forgotten and niche genre of R&B and added his own twist, with a healthy dose of extravagance and grandiosity. Timberlake’s newest album, named “Man of the Woods” and released Friday, has a similarly ambitious project: Timberlake tries to mix the Southern country sound he grew up with in Nashville with the hip-hop and R&B sound that dominates pop music today (and that Timberlake has built a career on). Timberlake declared the album sounded like “modern Americana with 808s-” a reference to the Roland 808 drum machine that dominated production in rap music. All the marketing, from the teaser videos, to the album cover, to the title of the album, seemed to indicate that Timberlake would be turning into a country star for this album. Ultimately, “Man of the Woods” fails where JT’s other albums succeeded; the problem is not in the project for the album, but in the execution. Timberlake’s previous albums were perfectly executed, tightly structured around a unifying concept or sound. “Man of the Woods” is scattered. Instead of wholly committing to country music and a new sound, Timberlake seems
Who said there’s nothing to do? Madison Stout Entertainment Editor
Every year, I hear people complain that there is nothing to do in Grove City. Here is your one stop shop for everything caught between worlds. “Filthy,” the lead single from the al-
happening on campus and around the town. Check out some of the interesting speakers and events during Focus Week.
Friday SGA Hot Chocolate 8-10 a.m, HAL Atrium Opera Gala 7 p.m., PFAC 106 bum, sounds like a leftover track from “FutureSex” with its technofunk production and futuristic music video, as does the title track. “Midnight Summer Jam,” “Sauce” and “Higher Higher” recall the carefree soul of Timberlake’s early career, while “Morning Light” is a straight neosoul song. “Say Something,” featuring country artist Chris Stapleton, is maybe the only pure country record on the album. The closest the album gets to fulfilling its goal (“modern Americana with 808s”) are songs like “Flannel” and “Supplies,” which, to one degree or another, merge elements of country
Saturday Evangelism Café hosted by CRU 1:30-5 p.m., Rathburn Great Room
Sunday with modern R&B/hiphop. “Man of the Woods” does not lack for talent. Timberlake enlisted longtime collaborators (The Neptunes, Timbaland, J-Roc, Danja) alongside new ones (Stapleton and fellow country artist Tim McGraw). But maybe part of the problem lies in the production: Timberlake relies on his old friends too much. The Neptunes, a duo made up of Chad Hugo and Pharrell, produced most of “Justified,” while Timbaland has produced significant
parts of all of Timberlake’s albums, and sometimes the whole album. In his quest for a new sound, JT turned to familiar faces, and in doing so forgot about the new sound entirely. “Man of the Woods” fails not because it does not have an interesting idea or project to drive it, but because Timberlake too often forgets that project. He calls back to the familiar sounds which won him so much acclaim and success. The result is a scattered, unstructured album full of filler and drastic changes in style.
Opera takes the stage
Katheryn Frazier Staff Writer
The first Opera Gala will be performed in the PEW Arnold Recital Hall 7 p.m. tonight, showcasing the vocal talents of Grove City College. “There hasn’t been an opera gala like this before and I am excited to be a part of the first one,” said junior Lauren Kostelny who is performing a couple of Mozart pieces. Seniors Rebekah Willson and Kassaundra Funch and juniors
Callie Roberts, Jonathan Lees, Anna Shoenthal and Kirsten Ward will be performing alongside Kostelny. The program is well balanced with a variety of musical moods and characters, and will run for around 45 minutes. The Gala will include selections from “Cosi fan tutte,” “Le Nozze di Figaro” and “Die Zauberflote” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, “Faust” by Jacques Offenbach, “The Gondoliers” by Arthur Sullivan and “Lakme” by Leo Delibes.
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“I have really enjoyed working with the great music professors Dr. Piastro and Mrs. McFarland in preparation for the gala as well as learning and rehearsing the duet with Callie [Roberts].” Kostelny said. “It is a great opportunity to perform opera in this recital setting and I’m really looking forward to it.” Dr. Sasha PiastroTedford is the coordinator of the event. Her favorite part of organizing the Opera Gala is the coaching. “It is always inspiring to help
the students go from singing a piece beautifully to really making it come alive on stage,” she said. “I hope the audience hears the truth and beauty that is expressed through this music and the singers performing it, and that they consider operatic music in a new light,” Piastro-Tedford continued. “I hope they go away interested in exploring the operatic genre more. Opera is an incredibly moving and multi-faceted art form. It is generally really challenging music
to learn and sing, which makes what these students have done all the more impressive.” An Opera Workshop is also available every semester for all students to participate in. This semester’s class will perform a recital at the end of the semester. The Department of Music hopes to hold an Opera Gala every February in the future. For any further inquiries about the Opera Gala contact Dr. Sasha Piastro-Tedford at tedfords@gcc.edu.
Vespers “Seven Final Words” 6:30 p.m., Harbison Chapel
Monday Mentoring- Campus Ministries 4 p.m., PFAC 112 Dr. Seulgi Byun “No Greater Command” 7 p.m., HAL 108 Super Smash Bros. Night 7:30-11 p.m., HAL 116
Tuesday Bible Workshop 4 p.m., Rathburn Seminar Room “Love: Where is it from and Where does it lead?” by Nathan Rittenhouse 8 p.m., Crawford Auditorium
Wednesday Professionalism and Etiquette Night (RSVP Required) 3 p.m., Rathburn Great Room
Thursday “Talk is Cheap. Love Costs” by Rev. Saleem Ghubril 7:30 p.m., Crawford Auditorium Warriors 9 p.m., Harbison Chapel
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.
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Through the Lens
Feb. 9, 2018
Tri-Rho Photobooth
No plans but the Ganz Friday was a night under the lights. Campus dressed to the nines to attend the Tri-Rho Extravaganza. The Rhos supplied the attendees with cheesecake bites, shrimp and the traditional “mocktails.” DJs Benj Eicher and Keith Meikrantz played all of the classics, like “Shake It Off” by Taylor Swift, “Break Free” by Ariana Grande and “Wobble Baby” by V.I.C. Needless to say, the Ganza was a night to remember.
Tri-Rho Photobooth Rebecca Shaffer
Rebecca Shaffer
Feb. 9, 2018
Through the Lens
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Rebecca Shaffer Rebecca Shaffer
Rebecca Shaffer
Rebecca Shaffer
Rebecca Shaffer
Cameron Suorsa
Rebecca Shaffer Rebecca Shaffer
The Collegian
Feb. 9, 2018
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Homecoming vs. Ganza
Paige Kraynak Staff Writer
Grove City College students ventured through the freezing cold to attend one of the school’s finest dances this weekend. This was the 33rd year of the Extravaganza, hosted by the Tri-Rho housing group. Interestingly enough, it has been a tradition at Grove City much longer than that. No one is quite sure when the first Ganza was held. The dance used to take place in November, but changed semesters and became the biggest dance of the spring for students. Many relate it to the traditional Homecoming Dance that takes place every fall semester. After talking with senior Joel Espenshade, the chair president of Ganza, and Justine Simon, head of the Homecoming Committee, I found out that the two dances are neckand-neck in popularity. 1,030 free tickets were handed out and 100
Students dance the night away in Hicks at the annual Tri-Rho Extravaganza last Friday night. fast passes sold out for the Extravaganza compared to the estimated 1,100 tickets from Homecoming. Sophomore and current Tri-Rho mem-
ber Tony Larosa was thrilled about how the night turned out. “I thought the night went well. There were more people than past years, so it was a success!! A
lot of guys put in hard work to make it look better and be a better dance than years past,” Larosa said. The Rhos have been planning for this event
REBECCA SHAFFER
since the last semester, raking leaves in the community and raising $550 to fund the event as well as the incredible Sheetz gift card prize. Funding also came
from the SGA and the Men’s Activity Board. “The Tri-Rho Ganza is a different kind of dance because all of us Rhos take large pride in it and are able to say that we are all committed to making sure everyone else has fun! I love being able to work this event that most of campus goes to,” Larosa said. Many Rho-alumni visit to lend a hand as well. Espenshade says that there were at least 8 Rho-alumni who returned. Many students look forward to the Ganza each year and are excited to see the small changes coming up for next year. Students also love the traditions of the dance including the cheesecake bites, the goldfish and the delicious, handmade mocktails served to the guests. This year’s Ganza was a great success thanks to all the hard work the Rhos have done as well as those who helped fund the event.
Oscar noms generate buzz David Smith Contributing Writer March 4 marks the ninetieth Academy Awards ceremony. After “Moonlight” unexpectedly and unconventionally won the highly esteemed Academy Award for Best Picture last year, this year’s nominees predominantly consist of independent films. Five of the nine films nominated for Best Picture have a budget under $20 million, which is, according to current Hollywood standards, low-budget. Three of the nine films nominated for Best Picture are bio-pics, and two (“Dunkirk”, “Darkest Hour”) are inspired by events surrounding World War II. “The Post,” directed by Steven Spielberg, is about the Pentagon Papers, which were classified documents regarding the involvement of the United States in the Vietnam War. An interesting observance, that I’ve made, is that the winner of the Best Picture award has the budget of $20 million on average. Nevertheless, an independent film will most likely champion. The favorites to win Best Picture are “Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri” and “The Shape of Water.” Within the last month, “Three Billboards” has struck gold in the box office. For a while, it seemed as though it would
never gross $40-$50 million worldwide, and now it is approaching $90 million. My favorite of the two to win the top prize is “Three Billboards.” Written and directed by Martin McDonagh, “Three Billboards” tells the story of a bitter mother (Frances McDormand) whose daughter’s murder has not been solved or further investigated after nearly a year has passed. The billboards cause quite a disturbance in town and Mildred (McDormand) has to defend herself and her reasons for erecting them. What separates “Three Billboards” from “The Shape of Water” is that the latter film was released weeks after and is still gaining momentum; it has grossed nearly $70 million worldwide. Also, this is only McDonagh’s third directorial film, whereas Guillermo del Toro
(“The Shape of Water”) has directed ten fulllengths. That however, does not detract from the fact that “Three Billboards” won Best Picture at the Golden Globes that foreshadows the Oscars. I earnestly believe that del Toro will win Best Director and “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” will win Best Picture. It will be a close race between the two films. The nominees for Best Actor and Best Actress, similar to Best Picture, are quite uncanny. Meryl Streep gained her twenty-first Academy Award nomination for “The Post” (her first being for “The Deer Hunter” in 1979). Daniel Day-Lewis, who has the most Academy Awards for Best Actor (“My Left Foot,” “There Will Be Blood” and “Lincoln”), is nominated for Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Phantom Thread” and has an-
nounced that this will be his last on-screen performance. Meanwhile, Timothee Chalamet, nominated for “Call Me by Your Name,” is the youngest to be nominated for Best Actor. However, the favorite to win Best Actor this year is Gary Oldman for “Darkest Hour.” His portrayal of Winston Churchill is spot-on. Oldman’s mannerisms, dialect, and physical transformation is as if he is Churchill himself. Despite being nominated several times, Oldman has never won an Academy Award. The Academy Award for Best Actress may be a tighter race. Personally, I see the award going to Frances McDormand; but Sally Hawkins’s (“The Shape of Water”) dedicated performance as a mute woman who has an odd yet extraordinarily beautiful friendship with a sea monster in the 1960s McCarthyism
America might just win her the gold statue. Here is a comprehensive list of who I think will win the Academy Award in each respective category: Best Picture: “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri;” Best Director: Guillermo del Toro (“The Shape of Water”); Best Actor: Gary Oldman (“Darkest Hour”); Best Actress: Frances McDormand (“Three Billboards”); Best Supporting Actor: Sam Rockwell (“Three Billboards”); Best Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer (“The Shape of Water”). Best Original Screenplay: “Get Out” (Jordan Peele); Best Adapted Screenplay: “Molly’s Game” (Aaron Sorkin); Best Animated Feature Film: “Coco;” Best Original Score: “Phantom Thread” (Jonny Greenwood). Best Original Song: “This Is Me” (“The Greatest Showman”); Best Sound Editing: “Dunkirk;” Best Sound
Mixing: “Blade Runner 2049;” Best Production Design: “Beauty and the Beast;” Best Cinematography: “Blade Runner 2049” (Roger Deakins); Best Makeup and Hairstyling: “Wonder” (Arjen Tuiten); Best Costume Design: “Phantom Thread” (Mark Bridges); Best Film Editing: “Baby Driver” (Paul Machliss and Jonathan Amos); Best Visual Effects: “Blade Runner 2049.” The Academy Awards ceremony celebrates the “best” that film has to offer within a year. Holistically, I agree with that claim. I have seen nearly every film nominated and every film and actor deserves to be nominated. There are a few films that I’d like to have seen nominated, such as “Wind River.” Despite that, I am satisfied with the nominations and I recommend that you see some of the aforementioned films, especially the ones up for Best Picture!
Perspectives Cops and race
Feb. 9, 2018
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100 Campus Drive Grove City, Pa. 16127 collegian@gcc.edu gcc.collegian@gmail. com
Editor-in-chief Karen Postupac
Managing Editor James Sutherland
Section Editors News Cat Anderson Life
Bradley Evans
Contributing Writer It is often asserted, as it was in Grove City’s own Harbison Chapel just two weeks ago, that America has a problem with race relations, especially between minorities and law enforcement. What is less comm o n l y acknowledged, however, is that America has a problem with facts — facts pertaining to race. Perhaps our recognition of the latter holds the key to understanding the former. Perhaps a more complete understanding of polarizing racial tension can seek to dispel it. And perhaps a commitment to truth, rather than to narrative, can bring reconciliation to America’s race problem. Many on the left argue that police have waged a war on blacks, disproportionately killing them due to either the racism of individual officers or even racism inherent in the system. In the wake of the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, The Guardian published a piece entitled “The Real Problem in Ferguson, New York and All of America is Institutional Racism.” Salon ran an article explaining the
“10 ways racism killed Michael Brown.” After the shooting of Philando Castile in 2016, CNN’s Sally Kohn took to Twitter to decry “the existence of a system that perpetuates racialized patterns of violence by police.” Surely, if such a racist system exists, it ought to be roundly denounced. But are police forces around the country really racist? Do cops actually target blacks disproportionately? The evidence suggests not. According to a comprehensive database compiled by the Washington Post, only 2% of those killed by police in 2017 were unarmed blacks. In both 2016 and 2017, cops shot and killed twice as many whites as blacks. Of course, whites in this country outnumber blacks roughly 6 to 1, but regardless of population size, police are still more hesitant to shoot blacks than whites. In fact, research from Washington State University’s Lois James reveals that officers are more than three times less likely to shoot unarmed black suspects than white ones. And though blacks are disproportionately represented in police killings, that fact alone is no proof of racist policing. A more appropriate benchmark would be black crime rates. Relative to rates
of violent crime, blacks are actually targeted far less than other demographics. For instance, according to the most recent studies from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, blacks in the nation’s seventy-five largest counties account for 57% of murder defendants and 45% of assault defendants. Another bureau study concludes from decades of data that blacks commit homicide at almost eight times the rate of whites. More broadly, the 2015 iteration of the National Crime Victimization Survey, also conducted by the bureau, finds that black men are more than three times more likely to commit violent crime than white men. These are statistics, not right wing spin; these are facts, not Fox News narratives. So why does the myth of the racist police force persist? How can anyone believe in an epidemic of racially-motivated cop killings? The answer lies in what the public hears from the mainstream media. Major news networks like CNN ran with the Michael Brown story for weeks, pushing the idea that Brown was attempting to surrender as Darren Wilson shot him. Of course, the “hands up, don’t shoot” mantra turned out to be based on a lie. (The Washington
Post even labelled the rallying cry one of the biggest “pinocchios” of 2015, up there with then-candidate Donald Trump’s claim that he watched thousands of Muslims cheer the fall of the World Trade Center.) But CNN doubled down on the Brown case. Panelists on “CNN Newsroom” held their hands up “in solidarity” while on air. Contributor Emanuella Grinberg wrote that the erroneous catchphrase “resonates regardless of evidence,” comparing it to the colonial plea for “no taxation without representation.” But while stories like Brown’s gain national attention, other, more egregious cases of police abuse fly under the radar. When an officer fatally shot Daniel Shaver in January of 2016 in Mesa, Arizona, the media hardly blinked. CNN ran one article. The news cycle turned over within hours. But Shaver was intoxicated, unarmed, and completely docile. Body camera footage revealed he made no movements toward police. By all accounts he complied with the orders he was given. Why was there no coverage, no outrage, no protests? Daniel Shaver was white. Few Americans will ever rally against police recklessness using his name. Few Americans
Editorial: Crossing over burned bridges What is the most important relationship in your life? Think of that person, how much they mean to you and how they have helped you over the years. They have given themselves to you, been honest, compassionate and present as you have gone through your life, in many seasons of it. This relationship can feel like the world to you, second to none. But then, has it ever gone away? Has that friend, relative, loved one or significant other ever walked out of
your life? Either the cord is cut and you stop seeing them altogether, or the relationship fizzles out, slightly decreasing until, all of a sudden, your friend, relative, loved one or significant other is out of view. Was it your fault? Did you do something wrong? Or is it the way of life, moving people together and apart? Or many something else happened: maybe you burned the bridges. If you’re anything like me, burning bridges is easy. If someone
is out of my sight, they are out of my mind. I easily move on, finding new friends to rely on and love. Everything was fine until I had burned all of the bridges. I had burned grand bridges and replaced them with unsupportive rope bridges. I was sitting in a lounge, realizing that I was stranded on an island, surrounded by these bridges that wouldn’t support my weight if I had put a single foot on the first plank. I looked around and saw the ruins of bridges of my high
school friends, my mom, my dad and my siblings. I had decided that the people around me were enough. That I didn’t have to rely on people outside of Grove City to support me because “I’m an adult” and “I can handle it” and other lies along the same line. I thought that dependence was a sign of weakness and “I need help” was the ultimate defeat. I thought the burning my bridge was a display of tremendous grow rather than depiction of
TIME MAGAZINE
will plead his case. Few Americans will even remember he existed. How could they? Of course, left leaning media outlets are hardly the only ones to blame for stoking racial tension and advancing an unproductive agenda. Right wing attempts to ignore police wrongdoing in the cases of Eric Garner and Philando Castile, for example, are equally as unscrupulous as CNN’s wild shenanigans. Comments like those of President Trump, who proclaimed that “We have to give power back to the police,” are troubling. Knee-jerk defenses of cops in every shooting are equally disturbing. And rightwing support for corrupt lawmakers like Joe Arpaio is downright indefensible. There is still room for compromise between right and left on police violence, but only if we as a society still believe that facts should inform our beliefs. America could benefit from a less erratic relationship with the truth. If all parties concerned could promote reality instead of narrative, if we could admit that facts might not support our own narrow agendas, the polarizing issue of race and law enforcement just might start to dissolve. A recommitment to truth will certainly go a long way.
an utter downfall. So I called my best friend from high school. I told her that I missed her and asked about her family. I wondered in what ways she was struggling and if her health had improved. I walked among the ruins, and by the grace of God, He breathed life into the ruins of my burned bridge, like He did to the dry bones in Ezekiel. I realized the burning bridges was a sign of arrogance and “I need help” invites people into your heart, allowing love to
find a home there. I began the effort in rebuilding relationships I have lost. They aren’t all going well; some people have decided that the bridge I burned was too ruinous to repair. Other relationships welcomed me with open arms, saying they were happy to have me back. All I can do now is find the ruinous, broken parts of my life and pray to the Lord Almighty that he will put the pieces into place again. Lord knows I tend to mess things up anyway.
Alyssa Jackson Entertainment Madison Stout Perspectives Rio Arias Sports Aly Kruger
Photo Chief Rebecca Shaffer
Social Media Coordinator Andrew Furjanic
Copy Editors Jim DeVries Jessica Cameron Michelle Jeffries
Section Designers Bri Doane Wesley Kinney Gregory Oleynik
Advertising/ Business Manager Nathanael Curry 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 the
This week’s Green Eyeshade Award goes to Madison Stout for her hard work and constantly posititve attitude. The Green Eyeshade Award honors student contributors that demonstrate consistency and excellence in their work.
Feb. 9, 2018
Perspectives
Page 10
On Trump’s first year...
POTUS policy persists
James Sutherland Managing Editor
Donald Trump has completed his first year in office, leaving both his supporters and his critics with strong arguments in favor of why the year was good or bad. While there have undoubtedly been failures, and much of what worried Trump’s critics about him has remain unchanged, Trump’s first year has been surprisingly good. Let’s look at the three Presidential P’s: policy, politics and person. The policy front has been Trump’s strongest point. During his first year in office, Congress passed a major overhaul of the tax system, leading to broad tax cuts and repealed the individual mandate of Obamacare. In addition to the tax cuts, Trump’s administration slashed hundreds of federal regulations. Both the tax and regulatory cuts led to an improved business and economic environment, and reflected the strong conservative influence of Trump’s staffers and outside advisors, like the conservative think tank Heritage Foundation. Trump’s first year also saw surprisingly strong defense and foreign policy positions. The Trump administration committed to arming and training the Ukrainian government and army in its civil war against Russian-backed separatist groups (this despite all the worrying over Trump-Russia connections). Trump withdrew from the Paris Climate Accords, retaining national sovereignty and getting out of a plain bad deal, and from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a less clearly good move. ISIS was defeated in Iraq, pushed out of its last strongholds, although Trump’s strategy was in large part a continuation of President Obama’s. Impressively, Trump officially moved the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The U.S. has long
recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, but never made the move out of fear of international repercussions. Trump, not particularly caring about what the international community has to say, made the move. Most importantly (especially to conservatives who reluctantly voted for him), Trump has appointed a string of excellent judicial nominees. Neil Gorsuch, Trump’s choice to replace the deceased Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court, is already proving to be a fantastic choice, and Trump’s nominees to lower federal courts have proved as impressive. There have also been defeats. The failure to repeal Obamacare in total was nearly damning. The Muslim ban was poorly crafted and easily struck down in courts. On the whole, however, the Trump administration has accomplished a good amount in its first year. But that’s where the problem comes in: how much of this is the Trump administration, and how much is Trump? How much credit does Trump get for Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan passing a difficult tax bill? All Trump’s judicial nominees have been picked off a list from the Federalist Society, a conservative legal society that was in part founded by Scalia, and most of the work in confirming those nominees fell to McConnell and Senate Republicans. How much credit does Trump get for the strong foreign and defense policy positions? How much of those decisions is up to his deference to and reliance on accomplished and experienced generals in his cabinet, on his staff, and in the Defense Department? Even if the success of the Trump administration has mainly been up to the people around Trump, and not Trump himself, it is neverthe-
less encouraging that Trump has surrounded himself with and listened to conservative experts. It is also encouraging that Trump distanced himself from the advisers who were bad influences. Reince Preibus, Sean Spicer, Anthony Scaramucci and Seb Gorka are all gone. Most importantly, Steve Bannon was told to pack his bags. The staffers who had a radicalizing influence on Trump were pushed out in favor of more normal, sensible advisers. The other two P’s, politics and person, are where Trump comes up short. Politically, Trump’s first year has been ruinous for the Republican Party, of which Trump is the leader. In November off-year elections, Republicans were slaughtered in Virginia and New Jersey. In December, Republican candidate Roy Moore lost to a pro-choice Democrat, Doug Jones, in Alabama’s special election for the open Senate seat. Alabama. The heartland of Republican support. The same seat that Jeff Sessions won with 97 percent of the vote went to a Democrat with 50 percent. Trump’s person was always the most worrying factor of his campaign, and always the best argument against electing him. Unfortunately, little has changed. Trump is still egotistical and unstable. He picks petty Twitter fights. In fact, he spends too much time on Twitter. His language is vulgar. He finds it easier to denounce Colin Kaepernick than Richard Spencer. Trump’s first has been good, not great. He, or his administration, has implemented a number of good, conservative policies. His judicial appointments are a step in the right direction. But can the success continue? With an eroding political base and a personally flawed leader, can the Trump administration remain effective and relevant?
President falls short
Rio Arias
Perspectives Editor When Trump won the presidential election, there were many, including myself, who were in disbelief. How can someone break all the rules of political correctness, have scandal after scandal follow his name and have very little knowledge about running for political office still win? Trump has defined his presidency by making a series of rash and offensive choices that fall short of what any great leader would do. Surrounding himself with people who are similarly unqualified, ignoring various expectations of the American people and passing very few pieces of legislation, I am disappointed in the Trump presidency. A year on from Trump’s inauguration, it feels as if nothing is getting better, and the Republican Party will likely have a hard time getting another candidate elected to the oval office after the circus that is the 45th president. Now all that might come off a little strong, so let’s start at the beginning of Trump’s first major choices: his Cabinet. Out of his entire cabinet, Betsy DeVos, the Secretary of Education, has proved herself to be the least experienced or engaged out of all of them. Not only has she never attended or sent her children to a public school or university, she spoke on the record confirming statements that the public school system is a “dead end” and that “government really sucks”. Furthermore, she is in favor of charter schools receiving public funding but not having to be held to disability provisions for students regularly mandated by the state. Ben Carson was also appointed to be the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, though he has publically called African Americans “immigrants who
came in the bottom of slave ships”, alienating himself from many of the major issues and history of the Black community. He also has never specialized in issues related to law or public management since his professional background is in medicine, and called Obamacare “the worst thing that’s happened to this nation since slavery,” oversimplifying a complicated and damaging past. But so what? These are just words, and what matters is that real change is occurring to benefit the American people. Well let’s review what actions the Trump administration has taken to fulfill their unprecedented visions for this country. Under the leadership of Betsy DeVos, the Department of Education approved cuts of $3.9 billion to the Pell Grant system, which regularly offsets the inflationary cost of college for low income families. DeVos also appointed Candice Jackson to be the head of the Office of Civil Rights in the Education Department, though she has had a history of supporting reverse discrimination charges against white students. And though Carson is not alone in his charge against Obamacare, Republicans failed to pass a replacement plan in Congress this past year, though they held the majority in both the House and the Senate and control of the Oval Office. They did pass a tax plan that cut corporate taxes and allowed firms to raise some of their wage rates for lower paid positions, but had no problem allowing Melania Trump to live in New York City for $127,000 a day, and Secret Service requested $60 million in extra funding from Congress to keep up with the Trump family’s expensive vacations. Congress also failed
to renew Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), which guaranteed the children of illegal immigrants a chance at life in America. The temporary measure provided legal residency for those who arrived in this country as children, and allowed them to attend American schools and pay taxes into our tax system though they would not receive the benefits. DACA was also widely supported, both inside and outside of Congress. For a country founded on immigration, it was a poor choice. He also has begun construction plans for the wall between us and Mexico, which American taxpayers will be forced to pay for, rather than Mexico. Trump also had an unreal number of personal scandals unfold. He was caught paying an adult-film star to not discuss their extramarital affair, has been under investigation from the FBI for collusion with Russia during the presidential election and has attacked a number of celebrities on Twitter. Various athletes refused his invitation to attend a reception at the White House, including Stephen Curry, and his active social media presence often creates more public conflicts than resolutions. Despite the mess that he has created, some things Trump does are good—he is extending tax breaks for families with children and lowering the amount of federal regulations states have to abide by. However, until more Democrats and moderate Republicans are represented in office, we run the risk of progressing a Republican narrative that does not represent the best interests of the American people or the best image of conservatives everywhere. And until we see those voices in government, it is up to us to pray for God to show us his vision for America under Donald Trump.
Feb. 9, 2018
Nothing but net
Sports
242 Americans head to Olympics
Benjamin Jones Contributing Writer
Mallory Trumbull
Staff/Contributing Writer The Wolverines are on a winning streak once again as they rally past Geneva Wednesday night following a victory over Chatham Saturday. The Grove City College women’s basketball team charged forward Wednesday, Jan. 31, at Chatham with a 71-57 win over the Lady Cougars. Senior shooting guard, Lexie Arkwright, led the Wolverines with a game high 22 points and 3 steals. Kate Balcom, a sophomore, added 13 points and a team high of 5 steals. Junior Laura Buchanan was a force to be reckoned with in the paint, scoring 12 points and grabbing 10 rebounds for her third double-double season, while adding 3 blocks. Jess Bowen, a freshman, also had an outstanding performance, contributing 9 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists. The Wolverines went on a 13-2 run in the last 3 minutes and 45 seconds of the game to put another win under their belt. The women hoped to carry that winning momentum over into Saturday’s home game against St. Vincent, but fell to the Bearcats in a 67-70 loss. The Wolverines put up a tough fight, bringing a 13
ANDREW STEIN
Forward Kate Balcom led the team with five steals and 13 points. point deficit at the end of the first quarter up to only a 4 point deficit going into the half. Grove City fought to take the lead in the third quarter when McKenzie Black, junior point guard, hit a threepointer to increase their lead to 43-42, and Balcom ended the third quarter with a buzzer beating three-pointer to make the score 54-47. The fourth quarter had fans on the edge of their seats as St. Vincent took the lead back with 1:30 left in the game. Arkwright sank two three-pointers to tie the game 67-67 with less than 30 seconds to go. St. Vincent converted a three-point play to take the lead with less than 3 seconds remaining, giving Grove City just enough time to throw up a half-court
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shot. It fell short, however, leaving the score at 67-70. The women’s team has upcoming games on Wednesday, Feb. 7, and Saturday, Feb. 10. Wednesday’s game begins at 5:30 p.m. and takes place at Geneva College. The Wolverines are preparing to take the court in their “Wynn the Battle” shirts to support Geneva’s Head Coach Lori Wynn in her recovery from defeating cancer. At Saturday’s game against St. Vincent, the Wolverines collected $200 to go towards Geneva’s overall donation to the Beaver County Cancer and Heart Association. Following that, Grove City will be preparing for a tough, away matchup against PAC foe, Westminster, at 1:30 p.m.
In the city of Chamonix on January 25, 1924, athletes from 16 nations met together in a celebration of winter athletics for the first Winter Olympics. The tradition has continued unabated, except for two meetings interrupted by World War II, up until the present day. Top competitors across 15 sports and 90 countries meet in Pyeonchang, South Korea, this month, setting aside tangible differences in politics and nationality to unite for a moment to recognize accomplishments of athletes from around the world. The United States is sending 242 athletes to the 2018 games. Among them are veterans and first time Olympians. Shaun White will return joined by Lindsey Vonn who is competing in her fourth Olympics and coming off her 80th World Championship title in Germany. Young talent will also be emerging in Pyeongchang. Nathan Chen, an eighteen-yearold from Salt Lake City, represents rising U.S. talent in men’s figure skating. These exceptional athletes hope to push the U.S. to the highest medal count in the Winter Olympics. The U.S. is currently in second behind Norway in
TTONL.ORG
The Winter Olympics begin Feb. 9 in PyeongChang. the all-time standings, with 282 medals to Norway’s 329. This year’s edition will look different from past Winter Olympics, with a startling omission. The entire Russian delegation was banned following shocking reports of systematic doping in the Russian Olympic system. Russian officials and the Russian flag will not be present at the games, and any Russian athletes who were able to prove their innocence will be competing as neutral athletes. The games of 2018 present a unique challenge to preserve the tradition of a politically sterile environment. The events will happen in Pyeongchang, almost a stone’s throw from the De-Militarized Zone that separates South and North Korea. In a rare moment of diplomacy, athletes from North Korea have been invited to cross the border and take part in the games and ceremonies.
Athletes from North and South Korea will march together in the Opening Ceremonies under the Flag of Unification and will compete jointly as one team in Woman’s Hockey, but will compete separately in all other events. This unification in athletics has not eased any tensions across the border. North Korea plans a military parade and show of strength the day before the Opening Ceremonies to celebrate the founding of its military. There will undoubtedly be tension surrounding the American delegation. The first year of President Trump’s administration has seen a fraying of American relations with much of the world, especially the Arab and African world. Political tension often hangs over the Olympics, both Summer and Winter. The Olympics remain, however, an entertaining exhibit of global sports.
FIVE ENTER HALL OF FAME
The Grove City College Athletic Hall of Fame welcomes its 12th class of inductees on Saturday. The Hall of Fame was established to honor men and women who have achieved excellence in the field of athletics or coaching at Grove City College or who have made a significant impact on its athletic program.
Alyssa Bradford Moore ‘02
Abby Anderson ‘97
Alyssa Bradford became the first fourtime Presidents’ Athletic Conference Player of the Year in women’s tennis during her stellar career at Grove City College from 1998 to 2001. She won conference
A four-year starter for the Grove City College women’s soccer team from 1993 to 1996, Abby Anderson helped lead the program to its first two Presidents’ Athletic Conference championships.The Wolverines posted their first
Tennis
titles in both flights during each of her four seasons. She went undefeated in conference play and did not drop a set against a conference opponent throughout her career. Bradford also earned placement on the conference’s
Soccer
Academic Honor Roll during her career.
Bob McNees ‘07
ter’s degree in nonprofit management from Regis University in 2005.
Allison Atwood Madigan ‘04 Tennis/Softball
Soccer
A highly-decorated scorer for the Grove City College men’s soccer team from 2003 to 2006, Bob McNees concluded his career as Grove City’s all-time leader in both goals and points. As a junior in 2005, McNees earned the confer-
double-digit win total by finishing 11-6 overall. Anderson earned Dean’s List and PAC Academic Honor Roll distinction during her career. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in literature and communications. She then earned her mas-
ence’s MVP award after scoring 19 goals and recording seven assists. McNees earned First Team All-PAC honors in each of his final three seasons. He earned Second Team All-PAC as a freshman after scoring nine goals in 2003. Grove City in-
ducted McNees into its Men’s Soccer Hall of Fame in October 2017.
Allison Atwood excelled in both tennis and softball at Grove City College from 2000 to 2004, earning eight total letters and numerous honors from the Presidents’ Athletic Conference. She owns Grove City’s single-season and career records for
strikeouts per seven innings in softball. Atwood earned CoSIDA Academic AllDistrict in both tennis and softball during her career. Atwood graduated from Grove City in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry. In 2010, she completed
her doctorate in cancer biology at Vanderbilt University.
Joe Burns ‘77 Basketball
A four-year starter for the Grove City men’s basketball team from 1973 to 1977, Joe Burns played a major role in the resurgence of the Wolverine program. As a freshman, Burns set a program record with 158 assists.
As a senior co-captain, Burns helped lead Grove City to a 14-9 record as the Wolverines’ 23-game slate featured 14 games against scholarship level schools. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biology. Burns then added his
View full biographies of all inductees at athletics.gcc.edu master’s degree at the University of Georgia in 1981.
Sports
Feb. 9, 2018
Page 12
The drought is over
Matt Horner
Contributing Writer Super Bowl 52 was a very exciting high scoring game that resulted in a 41-33 Philadelphia Eagles victory over the New England Patriots. This match-up featured no defense as the two teams combined for 1,152 yards, a Super Bowl record. The Patriots’ offense was electric all evening, moving the ball down the field every possession. They were able to neutralize the Eagles’ fantastic pass rush by having quaterback Tom Brady pass the ball quickly, forcing the Eagles to rely on the weakest link of their defense, the secondary. Many believed that if the pass rush could continually get to Brady, then the Eagles would have a good chance to win the game. Philadelphia had no sacks for most of the game, but they did have several big hits on Brady that forced him to make a few errant throws as the game progressed. While the Eagles were still able to get pressure on Brady, and forced several errant throws, they were unable to really stopping the Pats offense. Brady threw for over 500 yards. The defense did allow 613 yards, The Patriots racked up 613 total yards of offense, with Brady throwing for 505 yards and 3 touchdowns. Despite their strug-
gles throughout the game, however, the Eagles defense came up with the biggest play of the game late in the 4th quarter, when Brandon Graham forced a strip sack and Derek Barnett recovered the ball. The Eagles made a field goal on the next drive, pushing their lead to eight points and depriving Brady of the time he needed to orchestrate a game-winning drive. Eagles quarterback Nick Foles had the game of his life, throwing for 373 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Foles, the Eagles backup quarterback until start Carson Wentz got injured, won the Super Bowl MVP for his performance. A huge part of his success was that he had great protection from his offensive line. He was never sacked and many of his short throws excelled because of excellent blocking. The biggest reason why the Eagles won their first Lombardi trophy is because of the extraordinary play calling by their head coach Doug Pederson. He was aggressive the whole game and continually went for it on fourth down instead of either taking a field goal or punting the ball. His riskiest decision came when he decided to go for it on fourth and goal at the one yard-line with 38 seconds left in the first half. Foles walked up to the line as if he was changing the
INSIDETHEIGGLES.COM
Nick Foles, above, hoists the Vince Lombardi Trophy. Foles won the game’s MVP after throwing for over 300 yards and 3 touchdowns. Below, Brandon Grahaym strips the ball from Patriots QB Tom Brady to give the Eagles possession late in the fourth quarter. play, then Corey Clement took a direct snap and flipped it to Trey Burton, who throw it to a wide-open Nick Foles in the end-zone. It was very risky to run a trick play on such an important play in the game, but it worked to perfection and the Eagles benefitted from getting seven points instead of three. The Patriots had a solid game plan by attacking the Eagles’ sec- the ball to Tom Brady, fourth down, and they full of amazing and ondary early and often, which could have re- ended up turning it risky plays by both and by running some sulted in a huge play, over on downs. These teams, but the game trick plays of their own. but Brady dropped the were good decisions, was decided by the exbut they lacked execu- ecution of those plays They ran a play on ball. New England then tion. when it mattered the third down where Danny Amendola threw decided to go for it on Super Bowl 52 was most.
GCC laps competition
Wesley Kinney Designer
DAVE MILLER
Senior forward Andrew Beckman had an 11 point, 10 rebound double-double against Saint Vincent.
Men victorious Karen Postupac Editor-in-Chief The Grove City College men’s basketball team beat Geneva 7569 Wednesday, pushing their record in the PAC to 8-7. Sophomore guard Zane Laws led the team with 22 points, while seniors Corey Huff and Andrew Beckman scored 14 and 12 points respectively. The Wolverines defeated Saint Vincent at home Saturday 69-52 in another strong defensive performance. GCC’s elite defense, ranked 8th nationwide in Division III, held the Bearcats to their lowest points total in over four years. On offense, the Wolverines put up 69 points. Senior center Cory Huff led the team with 22 points, while senior forward Andrew
Beckman had an 11 point, 10 rebound double-double. The first half was heavily defensive, with Grove City keeping three to four points ahead of the Bearcats. Huff secured Grove City’s lead by scoring the last five points for GCC before the end of the half, bringing the Wolverine’s halftime lead to 26-19. The Wolverines’ defense again dominated the court to start the second half, leaving the Bearcats without a basket for the first four minutes. Grove City took a double digit lead midway through the half after junior guard Isaac Williams hit a three pointer, pushing the Wolverine’s lead to 52-38. Grove City travels to Westminster College on Saturday. The game begins at 3 p.m.
This year has been a great season for our GCC men’s and women’s swim team. Men posted top time in all 14 swim events on Jan. 27. The diving time also had big victories for that meet. They closed their home dual meet schedule with a 132-97 victory over Washington & Jefferson in the PAC conference. Grove City opened the meet by winning the 200 medley relay as freshmen Michael Moosa, Jake Davis, James Hancock and Devin Reynolds combined for a winning time of 1:43.60 seconds. Sophomore Ash Pietroboni won the 1650 (18:11.65) and freshman Calvin Brouwer followed by winning the 200 free in 1:44.99. In the Grove City PAC dual meet final Grove City men’s teams
Sophomore Caleb Miller excels in the butterfly and breaststroke. prevailed with a 154146 decision that came down to the last event, the 200 free medley. Brower broke the 40-year-old pool record at Westminster in the 500 free with a time of 4:41.19. In a recent meet against Westminster, Grove City wasn’t able to come out with a win, losing by a mere eight points. Westminster is a long-time archrival of the GCC swim team, being their hardest competition. In a meet against Chatham on Feb. 3, the men’s team won their meet with only nine
men. The Grove City College women’s swimming and diving team wrapped up its 201718 dual meet schedule Thursday night by earning a 163-137 road win over Presidents’ Athletic Conference archrival Westminster. Junior Megan Crutcher and sophomore Anne Shirley Dassow each won three individual events and sophomore Brittany Byer earned two wins. Crutcher won the 100 breaststroke in 1:07.35, then took the 200 breaststroke in 2:27.41. She completed her night by winning the
200 individual medley in 2:15.77. Dassow won the 200 free in 2:02.26, then swept the butterfly. She won the 100 fly in 58.70 seconds and took first in the 200 fly with a 2:14.35 clocking. Byer won the 50 (25.90) and 100 (56.09) freestyle. She also contributed to two relay victories. Byer, Crutcher, Dassow and freshman Denali Hutzelmann opened the meet by winning the 200 medley relay in 1:51.26. Excitement builds for the PAC Championships meet held on campus from Feb. 14 to Feb. 17.
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