The Collegian – January 31, 2020

PAC-ing a punch

Some backstage banter

Parts unseen

SPORTS

COMMUNITY

PHOTOSPREAD

Swimmers prepare for championships

The

@Collegian_GCC @gcc.collegian The Collegian: The GCC Newspaper Friday, January 31, 2020

‘Antigone’ actors talk tragedy

Campus from a fresh perspective

Collegian The Award-Winning Grove City College Student Newspaper

Vol. 105, No. 11

Frank-ly speaking New provost charts course

Paige Fay

Managing Editor After a long search, Grove City College began the spring semester with new Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs: Dr. Peter Frank ’95.

Frank moved from warm South Carolina, where he was an executive administrator

and professor for 17 years, to his alma mater after Christmas to begin his role.

He graduated Frank from Grove City with a double major in Economics and Religion. After graduating from the College, he earned his master’s degree in economics from the

University of North Carolina and later his doctoral degree in economics from George Mason University.

“Dr. Frank is an innovative leader, accomplished scholar and devoted servant of Christ who we are pleased to welcome home. As an alumnus, he understands the mission and values of Grove City College and its distinctive posi-

Crowning achievement

tion in higher education,” Grove City College President Paul J. McNulty ’80 said.

Frank believes his economic background will help him in his role as provost because of the discipline’s strategic thinking. Understanding opportunity costs and building a framework to

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Impeachment crash course

Impeachment: no matter how little you look at the news, it seems you’ve heard this word almost constantly for the past few months.

Only three presidents have ever been impeached: Andrew Johnson, Bill Clinton and, most recently, Donald Trump.

No impeached president has ever been removed from office. If the divisiveness of the current proceedings is any indicator, it certainly seems that this trend will continue.

The cause for this delegation is a phone call placed on July 25, 2019. An anonymous whistleblower released a complaint that Donald Trump abused “the power of his office to solicit interference from a foreign country in the 2020 U.S. election.”

The phone call in question was between Trump and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Trump congratulated Zelenskyy on winning his recent election. After the United States’ military

and financial aid to Ukraine is mentioned, Trump asks Zelenskyy for a favor: to look into Crowdstrike, a cybersecurity firm, and Burisma Holdings, an oil company that gave Hunter Biden, son of Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, a seat on its board and a generous monthly income.

Democrats accuse Trump of exploiting his position as president to get dirt on Biden. It wouldn’t be the first time Trump invited a foreign power to interfere in an American election.

Grove City College President Paul J. McNulty ’80 served as chief counsel for the House Judiciary Committee during President Clinton’s trial in 1998. Quoted in a November Washington Post article, McNulty compared the current impeachment process to those surrounding Presidents Nixon and Clinton.

“People aren’t looking at this as a lot of Republicans looked at Richard Nixon in 1974, concluding that his beIMPEACHMENT 3

GCC

Jennifer Montazzoli ’18 works with Supreme Court Justice Alito as his Aide to Chambers.

Alum with Alito Erin McLaughlin Contributing Writer

Jennifer Montazzoli ’18 was recently hired by Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito as his Aide to Chambers, and it’s thanks to Grove City College for helping her get there.

In her prestigious handson role, Montazzoli plays a key part in day-to-day Supreme Court operations.

She facilitates memos mov-

Staff Writer

ing between the justices, researches for Justice Alito and prepares his materials for oral argument, among other essential duties.

Montazzoli strongly believes that the College was crucial to her capital success.

Beginning her college career as an English major, she was eventually drawn to the political science department thanks to the positive influ-

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JOSH WANEk

Contributing Writer

David Zimmermann In December, the College announced Janey Roach as the inaugural director of the new Charles Jr. and Betty Johnson School of Nursing, which is set to launch in Fall 2020 along with the Bachelor of Science in Nursing major.

With degrees from Kent State University and the University of Pittsburgh, Roach has over 20 years of exRoach perience in nursing education. In addition, she served as the director of faculty affairs at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center for the past six years, managing about 45 faculty members, before accepting her current role.

Although Roach may be new to Grove City, she is not new to the responsibilities of running an academic program, especially one involved in nursing. With the help of the nursing program coordinator Ginny Seybold, Roach is looking forward to getting the program off the ground in the next academic year.

The clinical classes required for the nursing major will be taught at Butler County Community College’s (BC3) Shaffer School of Nursing and Allied Health.

While it is Roach’s dream to acquire a nursing facility at the College, she realizes that a partnership with BC3 will be instrumental in the program’s future success.

“The relationship with Butler allows us to start this process and explore nursing because they already have a very reputable program that has a great pass rate and that uses Butler Memorial Hospital for the majority of clinical,” Roach said. “We are partnering with a reputable, well-grounded program; and hopefully, we can learn some lessons from them.”

Despite there being much excitement, the program comes with its own set of challenges.

“We know we are going to have bumps along the way.

Anytime you start something new, you’re going to have bumps,” Roach said. “The balance of that is you have two seasoned educators here who have tried to anticipate what some of those bumps are going to be.”

“Transportation is going to be a bump. Students who want to participate in sports is going to be a bump. How they’ll get their meals on clinical days will be one. If the students are away for eight hours at BC3, how will they get their food for their meal plan?”

The new program has garnered interest from over 40 applicants. Due to BC3’s limited seating, the program had initially planned for an inau-

A student-led production, “Antigone & the King,” will be performed this weekend. Read about the behind-thescenes process on page 4.

Andrew McDevitt

Nursing a new school

Editorial

Page 2

The award-winning Grove City College student newspaper, Jan. 31, 2020

From the Editor’s desk

Paradox in practice

Grace Tarr

Editor-in-Chief I forgot that I’m afraid of heights until I was falling from 10,000 feet.

The timing of my recollection was unfortunate, to say the least.

Skydiving had sounded like a great idea, that was, until a whole side of the plane peeled back and revealed the Virginia landscape stretched below me.

In that moment, I knew I had to jump or risk the incessant gloating of my friend who was right behind me, poised to jump. I felt like a little kid again when all my friends arranged a synchronized dive from the edge of the pool – I still don’t like to chicken out.

There is a natural paradox to skydiving: it is so unnatural to jump from such heights that your brain cannot even comprehend the distance or danger as it should. Paradox comes from the Greek “paradoxon” meaning contrary. In my experience, there is nothing more contrary than a thin piece of silk suspending someone in the sky and causing us to trust thin air.

In skydiving, as in much of life, there is an active paradox.

It is often the case that we must maintain two seemingly contradictory ideas in order to maintain our intellectual balance.

In 1974, Philippe Petit made history by walking a tightrope strung between the Twin Towers in New York City. He held a balancing pole in his hands that pulled him to his left and right with equal weight. It

seems counterintuitive, but if it were not for the pole pulling Petit on either side, he wouldn’t be able to keep his balance.

Paradox is a lot like a balancing pole. Without paradox, we are prone to cotton-soaked truth that lacks the luster of real life.

It is perhaps for this reason that we express distain for those who have spent too long in an ivory tower trying to eradicate all doubt and complication.

It seems to me that we are surrounded by paradox in every aspect of our lives.

The English majors and bibliophiles among us will remember G.K. Chesterton’s love of paradox. Chesterton described it perfectly, “Paradox [is] truth standing on her head to get attention.”

Paradox reminds us that truth is hardly as simple as we might believe.

Nowhere is this more evident than in the newsroom.

I am reminded every week when I read The Collegian and other news sources that what makes a news outlet great is in part its ability to challenge and expand our own ideas. Some beliefs we may decide to discard, but we are better for having encountered and wrestled with them. To live in an echo chamber is a grave misfortune, often self-inflicted.

As I take on the role of Editor-in-Chief, I am grateful for a dedicated group of writers and editors who are committed to truth, no matter how complicated and who expand my own beliefs and help me find balance.

It is my hope that The Collegian can help each of us ground ourselves by broadening our exposure and discussion.

Collegian Staff Editor-in-Chief

Copy Chief

Managing Editor

Business Manager

Section Editors News

Copy Editors

Grace Tarr

Paige Fay

Anna DiStefano

Community Fiona Lacey

Perspectives Josh Tatum

Britney Lukasiewicz

Davis Miller

Natalie Dell Claire Josey Michael Martin Lauren Ness Elizabeth Schinkel Caleb West

Staff Writers

Connor Schlosser

Katheryn Frazier David Smith Mackenzie Stine Mallory Trumbull Jules Wooldridge David Zimmermann

Photo Chief

Staff Adviser

Entertainment Nora Sweeney

Sports

Wes Kinney

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 Fiona Lacey for dedicated design, editorial tenacity and photographic prowess.

The Green Eyeshade Award honors student contributors that demonstrate consistency and excellence in their work.

Lacey

Lessons from the Central Kingdom

SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST

Joshua Tatum

Perspectives Editor When I flew to Beijing earlier this January, it took about 13 hours from Detroit on an Airbus A350-900.

Two-way economy airfare ran about $1,100 USD with Delta (although prices have recently dipped to around $800 USD for obvious reasons), a price which includes meals, snacks, beverages (alcoholic and non) and a glut of TV shows and movies from a seat-mounted screen. It was all very comfortable.

As recently as 1979, however, when diplomatic relations between the U.S. and China opened under the sweeping economic liberalizations of Deng Xiaoping, there were no direct flights into China, much less comfortable ones.

Even by early 2004, U.S.China agreements allowed only 54 flights per week between the two countries, and tickets were at a restrictively high premium.

This is all to say that do-sido U.S.-China relations are a fairly recent occurrence.

And not the pompy relations of high-level diplomacy, like those between Nixon-

Mao rendezvous of 1972 or the Trump-Xi meeting of 2017, but the brass tacks of a slightly tipsy laoren giving a cigarette to a kid from South Central Pennsylvania outside a restaurant on a cold Zhengzhou evening.

And it’s this kind of pleasant happenstance (of which there were many) which point to the problem with President Trump’s foolhardy anti-China policy, as spearheaded by crackpot economist and senior Trump advisor Peter Navarro. Despite the fact that Navarro’s Sinophobia and tariff-philia are the minority report among economists (and among U.S. citizens, with 51 percent believing tariffs hurt the national economy, as per a 2019 AP/NORC poll), it is his dogma, due to his unelected senior position, which prevails.

But such is the nature of an over-stepping government: they decide, and the people suffer the consequences. If Trump decided to go to war with Iran tomorrow, for example, it would be hardworking Americans going to a place they couldn’t locate on a map to kill people with

who they have more in common than in difference. It’s power-mongers like Navarro that would have the American people believe that that tipsy laoren is his economic enemy.

Similarly, it was that great ringleader Deng Xiaoping who thrust China and her people so unwittingly into industrial modernization in 1979. Deng never bothered to ask the Chinese people if they wanted to be an economic superpower. And it was the haste of Deng which is at the root of China’s current pollution, crumbling infrastructure, viral outbreaks and corner-cutting economic practices – practices for which Navarro et al. want to punish the people.

It’s now been about a fortnight since I touched down in Detroit from Beijing, so unless the Wuhan coronavirus is still lingering somewhere in my body, I’m counting myself lucky.

And while I didn’t bring back 2019-nCoV, I did take away a lesson, I think: the majority of people just want to be left alone; it’s the power-hungry few which set out to stoke animus.

This Week in Collegian History

Starting Fresh

Jan. 30, 1930 “Something Frosh” To college I came in ‹29 That I might learn a thing or two.

Now I declare the surprise was mine When I found how little I knew.

I studied hard and harder As all good students should, The result with you I’ll barter --A bid from Dr. Calderwood.

Now shoes I’ve shined and clothes I’ve pressed And I realize I’m just in the fog.

But I tell you if you haven’t guessed, That this is the life of a dog.

But soon this year will be no more And you just make this a note, That when I’m an elevated sophomore Someone else the goat.

-M. Koma ‘33 Jan. 13, 1970 “Let’s Test In December” In January of 1970 Grove City was one of the few colleges remaining that held final examinations in the spring after Christmas vacation. After Westminster College switched over to the 4-1-4 schedule (four-month

semester, one-month break, four-month semester) Grove City students began to ask for a similar change.

Current students who enjoy the 4-1-4 schedule can in part thank Georgette Semick for December finals. Semick makes three arguments: that both teachers and students find it difficult to keep track of what

you were studying before the break; that the Christmas break atmosphere of family togetherness, religious observance and social obligation is not conducive to studying; and that most of the time, the work done over the break is papers that are too long to be finished during the semester, not studying for finals.

Jan. 14, 1960 Another interesting cartoon

Jules Wooldridge

Staff Writer

News The Collegian,

Jan. 31, 2020

Page 3

IMPEACHMENT

Global News Roundup

Fires, flu and flack

continued from 1

Andrew Furjanic Contributing Writer

With classes and extracurriculars, it’s hard for students to keep up with the raging 24-hour news cycle. Read our news roundup of this week’s biggest stories.

Iran Tensions

On Jan. 3 the U.S. killed Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, leader of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, via a drone strike in the Bagdad International Airport in Iraq. The strike was in response to the Iranian attack on a U.S. military base in Iraq several weeks before. Soleimani was considered the second-most-powerful man in Iran and is believed to have been planning future attacks on U.S. citizens.

The Iraqi parliament responded to the attack by issuing a non-binding resolution to expel all foreign troops from the country. This expulsion is in response to the U.S.’s perceived violation of Iraq’s sovereignty by conducting a military strike within their borders. On Jan. 8, Iranian forces fired missiles at a U.S. airbase. No one was killed. Experts believe Iran is unlikely to continue escalating following this attack.

Democratic Primary

The Democratic primary race continued over break, with the departure of Cory Booker from the race on Jan. 13, followed by the seventh DNC debate on Jan. 14. While 12 candidates remain in the race, only six qualified for the Jan-

PROVOST

continued from 1 make thoughtful decisions are important parts of the role.

One of the reasons he wanted to come back to the College and higher education is the importance of interdisciplinary study.

“A lot of higher education today has become more specialized in training people for more narrow fields, and that’s not a bad thing, but I think to create people who are more whole in their perspective and their understanding of the world a foundation of a humanities and liberal arts core is something I’m really passionate about,” Frank said.

Learning that educational core from a Christian perspective is something Frank thinks makes learning the disciplines more unified.

Frank loves that Grove City is a place where students of all perspectives can ask hard questions and have hard conversations in an environment where a Christian faith is integrated in learning.

“I think I want all faculty to be able to have that conversation within their departments as what does it mean

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continued from 1 ence of political science professor Dr. Paul Kengor.

“As a result of his classes, I became interested in reading about the history of the conservative movement in America,” Montazzoli said. “I hoped to devote my professional work to social policy and defending peoples’ constitutional rights.”

Montazzoli dove headfirst into the life of a political science student. She took on various jobs and intern-

THE NEW YORK TIMES

Since September, fires have torn through Australia, resulting in 33 human deaths and taking a tragic toll on the natural wildlife in the New South Wales region of the country. uary debate: Biden, Buttigieg, Warren, Sanders, Klobuchar and Steyer. January marked the final debate before primaries begin, with the Iowa Caucus scheduled for Monday, Feb. 3, followed by the New Hampshire Primary on Feb. 11 and the Nevada Caucus on Feb. 22. Several candidates are sitting senators, and their performance in early polls may be hampered by their attendance of the Senate Impeachment Trial.

Australia Fires

Since September, Australia has experience record number and volume of wildfires, specifically concentrated around the Australian state of New South Wales. The fires have destroyed over 2,500 homes, and caused 33 deaths, including the deaths of three Americans. While many argue the fires are caused by climate change, the fires are a result of a perfect storm of risk factors. The Australian summer has broken records for drought and heat, which combined with climate changes attributable to human action, resulting in an environment ripe for wildfire. In addition to factors affecting the Aus-

tralian continent, the unchecked fires are partially exacerbated by the unusually long fire season in California. Commonly, California lends equipment and manpower to aid Australia’s firefighters. Because California is facing its own major wildfires, Australia cannot call in the reinforcements it would typically rely on.

Chinese Coronavirus

Outbreaks of a pneumonia-like disease known as coronavirus have plagued major Chinese cities, leading to the shutdown of public transportation in and around Chinese cities of Wuhan and Huanggang. Officials believe that outbreaks will likely lead to further municipal shutdowns, likely in the nearby tourism hub of Macau.

At the time of writing, there have been over 1,200 confirmed cases and 41 deaths resulting from the virus. Cases are beginning to spread outside China, with two confirmed cases in the United States and three in France. The Center for Disease Control has said that it continues to rate the risk of infection in the United States as low.

NURSING

to be to someone who’s committed to their discipline of faith and to be able to talk clearly with each other about what does that mean for us as a discipline that we integrate our faith in our disciplines,” Frank said.

Frank hopes to be involved with students and the community on campus. This is his first time in higher education not being a professor, so he is looking for new ways to interact with the student body.

“I want to get to know students, go to lunch in the cafeteria and develop those relationships,” he said.

Frank met his wife, Amy (Wray ’95) during his time at Grove City through his older sister. They married three years after graduating and have five children.

He believes his time at the College was very formative.

The experience shaped his view on the importance of Christian community built up from the bottom.

His favorite memories at the College involve his intramural football team winning two years out of four and living in “the Palace” in Alumni with his five roommates.

gural class of 12 students.

Wednesday, the target class size was doubled to 24, after many conversations with BC3.

In the years to come, Roach hopes that Grove City’s nursing school will continue to grow.

“I think we would like 30 to 40 students in nursing here. It’s about Butler being able to accommodate those students,” Roach said.

“If this really grows beyond what Butler can give us for seats, we have the brainpower here. We can come up with our own nursing program, but there are some challenges that go with that too.”

For the first year, nursing students will take prenursing and general education classes required by both Grove City and BC3. In the second and third years, they will attend clinical classes at BC3 to gain hands-on experience. After taking the State Boards of Nursing exam, students will have the choice of continuing their Grove City education in the fourth year, in which they would be taking online classes while pursuing their profession.

Throughout the student’s time on campus, students will be able to receive advice from nursing professionals Roach and Seybold.

“Mrs. Seybold and I will be responsible for mentoring and being the nursing contact on this campus so students will feel like they are really in the nursing program,” Roach said. “Even though they don’t have a uniform on or are taking care of patients, they will be able to come and meet with us.”

With nursing as one of the most demanded professions in the nation, the need for nurses will grow 19 percent by 2022, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Grove City should be at the forefront of supplying this demand.

Roach said, “Grove City has recognized, along with the region’s need for nurses, that adding a nursing major to the College could benefit both the students and the region. I think that the mission of Grove City College — serving others — makes perfect sense. It’s a match with the nursing profession. That’s what we do.”

ships, which she claims were vital to her career. She was accepted into the Charles Koch Internship Program, interned at the Heritage Foundation, became a fellow at the College’s Institute for Faith and Freedom, was a student assistant to Dr. Michael Coulter, worked in the President’s office and edited the GCC Journal of Law and Public Policy. She believes that the real-world experience of these initial jobs undoubtedly helped her to find and prepare for a future career path.

Montazzoli attributes a great deal of her success to the influence of “a hardworking group of friends” who pushed her to accomplish more in an intense Grove City environment.

“Though I did not notice the progress I made at the time, I look back fondly and can now recognize how much good came from my college experience,” she said.

Montazzoli initially struggled to find her first job due to the intense and competitive nature of her field of study.

“When I finally began applying for jobs during my senior year, I interviewed over the phone more times than I can count,” Montazzoli said.

“I was finally asked to drive to D.C. for an in-person interview at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty.”

Montazzoli received the job at the Becket Fund and immediately started work after graduation in 2018.

Montazzoli offered tips for success to other students interested in careers in Washington, D.C. According to Montazzoli, GCC alumni are

continued from 1

havior was something they couldn’t tolerate. They see it as a political act,” McNulty said. “I was involved in the [Bill] Clinton impeachment, and it’s the same thing all over again: People see this as something the Democrats have been meaning to do for a long time, just like Republicans were seen as having it in for Clinton in 1998.”

Reactions to the impeachment proceedings are mixed.

Many find impeachment a waste of time and resources, or don’t find the evidence compelling enough to justify such drastic action. Some think Democrats are merely out to get Trump, regardless of evidence.

“Whether you agree with impeachment or not, there is a very little chance that Trump will be indicted by the Senate. I feel that the Democrats probably started thinking of impeachment knowing this, and probably used it as an effort to fire up their base for future elections, hoping that showing Trump on trial may make people think twice about who they vote for,” senior Kyle Kirchhofer said.

Others find Trump’s behavior abhorrent to the constitution, calling his actions the worst of any president.

“This is not a matter of decorum, this is not a matter of partisanship, this is not even a matter of religion. It is matter of standing up for what we say we believe as a nation, that no man is above the law, that checks and balances exist for a reason and that a president is not a king,” junior Sean King said.

Looking ahead, sophomore Libby Krieger doesn’t see the House removing Trump from office.

“It’s looking unlikely that the president will be removed from office considering they need a two-thirds majority. I don’t think anything they bring up at this point will make an impact on the result of the trial because the parties are so polarized.

I feel that at this point it’s become more about Republicans vs. Democrats rather than finding the truth of the situation,” Krieger said.

It is now in the hands of the senate, and it may be a long battle. The trial began Jan. 21 after voting to set the rules of the trial was completed.

The agreed upon rules could allow for the trial to go up to two weeks or longer.

Both sides are attacking relentlessly without consideration or discourse, leading Chief Justice Roberts to scold both parties for their conduct. readily accessible to current students and are “willing to help with brainstorming and job searching.”

Montazzoli emphasized that students should reach out to alumni in their field.

“It’s important to start those relationships early.

Now that I am an alum, I am always happy to coach students who reach out asking for advice or introductions to potential employers. I was in their shoes not long ago,” she said.

Community The Collegian,

Jan. 31, 2020

Page 4

My big fat Greek tragedy A chat with ‘Antigone’ cast

Fiona Lacey

Community Editor

Seniors Noah Gould and Micah Mooney will showcase their production of “Antigone & the King” tonight in the Little Theatre at 7:30 p.m.

The play re-tells the classic Greek tragedy of Antigone, Creon and their family as they face love, duty and sacrifice. The GCC production is entirely studentled and is performed with musical numbers. Gould and Mooney rewrote the play and composed the music and it is directed by junior Anna Porter.

The production will also be performed Feb. 1 and 2 at 7:30 p.m. in the Little Theatre.

Below is a backstage conversation with Porter and student actors Ben Cooley and Michael Kolker.

How does it feel being

part of production without any faculty supervision?

Ben Cooley: It feels empowering! Rehearsals have a completely different feel — more chill somehow. I guess the right words would be more sympathetic, free, somehow welcoming.

Do you find it hard to direct people your age?

Anna Porter: We’re all in it together. Sure, I block the actors and I have final say on production decisions, but the division between the cast and myself is nominal. These are my friends.

What is special about “Antigone?”

Michael Kolker: It turns the stereotype of the cozyconservative on its head.

It’s a story about one of the most fundamental questions any society must face, especially at its inception: where does power come from and to whom does our

Fresh meat, a semester old Taylor Williams Contributing Writer

Coming to campus is nothing short of slightly terrifying.

With all the unknowns of the first semester, it is no wonder freshman see differences between their first and second semesters.

“I feel much more established at this point now that I’ve experienced a semester of not being established,” freshman Oliva Ortmann said. For some, this sense of belonging is found in friendship.

“I do feel like I’m established on campus because I feel like I found my people and I feel almost at home when I’m here,” freshman Grace Roux said.

The freshman attribute their stability to campus events. Grace Roux explained that what helped her find her groove at the Grove “started with OB events in the fall.”

“They made it very easy to get to know people in my class and make friends with them,” Roux explained.

Roux expressed further that “since being here for a whole semester and going through rush, I have been able to meet a lot of really great people and feel comfortable on campus.”

Other things that have helped the freshman are clubs where they interact with different people. This encourages them to get out and about on campus.

Even though the freshmen seem to have established

themselves, many claimed that some times were quite difficult, and it took a while to get the hang of their new routine.

“I do feel like I have found my crew, but it did take a long time. It was a new environment and a totally new experience. It took a little bit before the routine seemed normal,” freshman Catarina Nicolleti said.

Ortmann expressed personal difficulty in adapting to her new environment. “The most difficult part of being a freshman for me is discovering where my focus should be.”

The freshman faced more difficulties like choosing a major and adjusting to a place different than their hometown.

This was true for freshman Rebecca Webb, but one thing that helped her was finding ways to still do the things that she did at home.

The freshman also saw the growth they experienced, helping them feel established at Grove City.

“The immense amount of personal, social and spiritual growth that occurs during someone’s first semester is quite remarkable. I believe it really sets the stage for how ‘established’ one will be in following semesters,” Ortmann said.

Though it took a while, freshman finally feel established on campus.

“I can’t imagine being at any other college. It took me a while, but I did find my groove,” Webb said.

JOSH WANEK

Junior Michael Kolker and Senior Michael Mooney put the final touches on “Antigone & the King” which premiered last night and is showing tonight, Saturay and Sunday in the Little Theater. ultimate allegiance lie as citizens and people?

Any hilarious moments behind the scenes?

Michael Kolker: Ben Cooley is always a blast — sometimes putting on spontaneous shows for us.

They’re not very clever, but his charisma makes up for that.

What do you think of your cast?

Anna Porter: We have an all-star cast. They are beyond talented. They are respectful towards everyone.

They are cheerful. They are dedicated to their characters. They are focused on stage.

What have you learned about yourself as an actor during this production?

Ben Cooley: When playing comic relief, the struggle is making a character

and not just a caricature.

Antigone is a dark play that engages and wrestles with some of the deepest questions of what it means to be human. I want to contribute a comic scene or two that adds to the audience conversation with those themes but does not take away or trivialize them. How do you play comic relief in the second act of a tragedy?

What’s a scene you are most proud of?

Anna Porter: There is a scene in Act II that deals with tension between King Creon and his wife, Eurydice (played respectively by Michael Kolker ’21 and Shannon Migliore ’21). Our first couple runs of the scene just hadn’t been working. So, after everyone left one night, the three of us sat in a circle, and I listened while Michael and Shannon expressed their character mindsets,

frustration with the scene, and appropriate action. It was emotionally taxing and difficult for such honorable and sincere students to display the character choices in the script. However, I truly think Michael and Shannon’s portrayal of Creon and Eurydice in Act II will step away from the “myth” of Antigone and into the homes of every audience member.

Who’s your favorite actor? Can we see any of his influence in your acting in “Antigone?”

Michael Kolker: I think it best not to think about me and my acting. I’m not much of a thespian, but I will use this platform to say that Toby McGuire’s Spiderman is much better than Tom Holland’s.

Ben Cooley: Rowan Atkinson, and oh yes.

Money management

Beginner’s budgeting

Luke Eldridge

Contributing Writer Broaching the topic of budgeting can appear to be an insurmountable task.

The idea of restricting consumption comes across as an obligation to most, something students rarely want to do. Saving money is a lot like attending an extended family member’s Christmas party: something you know you should do but something you’d rather not do.

With the lack of enthusiasm around putting money aside for the future, how can you establish a realistic budget? Figuring out your monthly income is a good place to start.

After establishing your earnings for the month, you must to have to have an introspective conversation with yourself.

What percentage of these earnings do you wish to put aside to call your “savings?”

There is no cookie cutter percentage; everyone makes a different amount of money during the school year (if they work at all).

For example, a student working six hours a week at the help desk in the TLC, making $7.25 per hour, could set aside 30 percent of their weekly paycheck. This means that the student would be contributing roughly $13 a week to their savings account.

6 Basic budgeting questions 1. How much money do you have at the start of the semester?

2. How much money do you plan to make during the semester?

3. What are your fixed expenses (Netflix, Spotify, phone bill, etc.)?

4. How much money do you want to allow yourself to spend while going out with friends?

5. How much money do you want to have in your savings account by the end of the semester?

6. How are you going to keep yourself accountable?

Before you can determine this percentage to save, you have to determine how much money you spend. Taking out school-related expenses, you can begin to see where you spend your money.

For most Grove City students, going out once a week for food is common. However, according to thecoachkshow.com, a blog devoted to teaching “useful skills to college students,” visiting the bar and/or McDonalds once a week can accumulate into a bill of $1,670-$2,090 per semester.

For anyone wanting to increase their semester savings, simply not going out to the BR or Rachel’s Roadhouse for Wing Night as often can make a major impact.

Again, while you don’t necessarily look forward to spending more time on campus, a couple weekends spent in the dorms can have a large contribution to graduating

with less debt.

So, how can you start saving? While this question has been answered by many people, my recommendation is to keep it as simple as possible. Set aside some time before the semester starts and ascertain the facts.

Asking yourself the six fundamental questions shown abovce and establishing answers is a solid step in the right direction.

Accountability at the beginning of the semester can be a challenge. Many apps allow you to sync your bank accounts to analyze where your money is going throughout the week. PocketGuard allows you to track your spending to further build a better budget.

Building a proper budget as a college student is difficult and mundane; however, getting a grip on your financial life now can lead to better habits after graduation.

The Collegian,

Jan. 31, 2020

Page 5

7 questions with...

Dr. Jim Thrasher

Specializing in a Hollywood atmosphere and student-friendly pricing, Cinema Grille enjoys a warm welcome to Broad Street.

FIONA LACEY

Folmar fires up the Grille A new restaurant comes to Broad Street

Fiona Lacey and David Zimmerman As of January, the beloved Sweet Jeanie’s is no more and the new Hollywood filmthemed restaurant, Cinema Grille, has taken its place on Broad Street.

The grille opened this January by the Guthrie’s owner and Founder of the Veritas Academy of the Arts, Spencer T. Folmar ’10. Folmar’s vision was simple: create a restaurant full of art and film that invited its customers into a Hollywood atmosphere of bright lights and classic films.

“I love cinema and film, and I work full time in the Hollywood industry,” Folmar said. “Since I’ve owned the Guthrie, I’ve started to appreciate how I can serve

and inspire people through art.”

One of the best ways to continue serving others, Folmar says, is by feeding them.

According to Folmar, he had been looking for extra screening space in Sweet Jeanie’s for half a year until Sweet Jeanie’s notified him of their closing.

“They told me they would no longer continue operations, so we decided to take them up on their offer.”

Since then, Folmar and his team have been working to cater to everyone in the community, even, Folmar says, college students.

“To make sure students could afford our menu, I looked at all other competing prices of Hollywood-themes restaurants, and I cut them in half, or in some case, even two thirds,” Folmar said.

Collegian Crossword

“Cinema Grille can be nice place to with your friends if you want to try something other than Bon Appetit.”

Due to the restaurant’s close location to the college, students only have a short walk, Folmar added.

Cinema Grille’s prices stay true to Folmar’s description, as breakfast foods like French toast and crepes remain in the $7-8 range.

Student reception on campus remains largely positive, as many are excited about the change.

“I do think it was a great opportunity taken by the Guthrie to save a building from being vacant…especially in a unique space like Sweet Jeanie’s venue,” sophomore and Guthrie intern Molly Miller said.

“I prefer Cinema Grille.

They have a nice selection

of music, and the place is decked out with new tables and chairs. It will be nice to have a quality restaurant like that nearby,” junior Jonathan Clive agreed.

Folmar plans to show films as well as host live concerts in their new open space. Further down the road they plan to use the space for wedding receptions, banquets and birthday parties.

“I think everyone should be getting out and supporting small businesses like this when they come around,” senior Nicholas Mullins said.

“Frankly, I’m hardcore rooting for more things like Cinema Grille to come around.”

Try out Cinema Grille this weekend and grab an inexpensive bite to eat for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

13. Loch of the Scottish Highlands 21. “Smoking __ ___?”

23. Popular evergreen 25. AI text readers 26. “Until next time,” in texting lingo 27. Willie Wildcat team, informally 30. A slave, in Laconia 31. June/July on the Hindu calendar 32. Tic-tac-toe win 33. Medicine vetting agcy.

34. Kaczynski of una-

bombing fame 37. Pester 38. Ratite ostrich relative 39. Crib (Abbr.)

41. When tripled, meaningless chatter 42. Lace again 45. After Nov. 47. Pain in the neck 48. This is India author Santha 49. Julia Michaels’ debut single 50. Get back

What’s the first thing you listen to when you get in the car?

Station Z-104. There’s lots of oldies, and those songs bring back good memories of people, places and things.

What book are you reading for fun?

“You Win in a Locker Room First” by Jon Gordon and Mike Smith.

What is a piece of advice, quote or verse that identifies with your life right now?

A quote by Francis Chan I’ve had up in my office for years: “Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter.”

What is your favorite restaurant to go to with your family?

Any place with gluten-free food. My wife and three kids are all gluten intolerant.

What movies, if any, make you cry?

“Remember the Titans” or “Chariots of Fire.”

What’s one thing you are looking forward to today?

I really enjoy coming to work and just living out my calling. I’m blessed by God to have a wife, three kids, a home and a job.

What is one word that describes you?

Thankful.

By Joshua Tatum ACROSS 1. Residents of 10 Downing St. 4. Oedipus Rex setting 10. General Soleimani (ex-)employer 14. Cut (off) 15. Kiss, slangily 16. Cobbler’s concern 17. Tooth-pullers’ org.

18. Largest island of Japan 19. “Well, darn it!”

20. Central integer 22. “We Do It Better” pizzeria 24. Subgenre including Pink Floyd and Radiohead 28. Bow-___ pasta 29. Grove City “attic” hair salon 35. Speaks publically 36. Suffix with cath- or electr37. Baked or lima, for example 40. In the style of (Fr.) 41. Wide 43. Strike caller, for short 44. To walk as a child 46. Grove City cinema 52. Duracell Bunny concerns 53. Accomplish

55. Grove City Japanese “bar” 60. Freud’s topics 61. Laudatory poems 62. Like 32 percent of B.Y.U. students 66. One in a Swiss range 67. Bluish-green color 68. “Weary Willy” creator Kelly 69. League for Brown or Harvard 70. To make content, usually with food or drink 71. Gradients 72. Super Mario Bros. console DOWN 1. Tiananmen Square, for example 2. The second “M” of Manhattan’s MoMA 3. One side of the battle of Thermopylae 4. Growth stimulator (Abbr.)

5. Healthy insurance opt.

6. A long, long time 7. Brown beurré pear 8. Canyon’s reply 9. A quick glance, in British slang 10. Netanyahu’s nation 11. Stadium crowd sound 12. High, in Milan

Follow us for the solution!

@Collegian_GCC

@gcc.collegian

51. Transition, for Pikachu 54. Annual sports awards show 55. Takes down 56. Notion 57. Like an anal-retentive’s room 58. Web browser language (Abbr.)

59. Q&A subreddit 63. Coop queen 64. Verizon comp.

65. Latter halves of the Bible (Abbr.)

The Collegian: The GCC Newspaper

Through the lens,

Jan 31, 2020

Insider’s view

Standing proudly at the top of the quad, Rockwell Tower is an iconic symbol of Grove City College. On the inside, the tower is marked by students who have etched their names and cartoons on the masonry. Although not open to the public, it is traditional for science majors to find their way up to write their names before graduation. If you are lucky enough to be one of the few who climb to the top, you are rewarded with 360 views of campus and a history lesson scratched into the walls.

Photos by Wes Kinney

Page 6

Through the lens,

Jan. 31, 2020

Page 7

Perspectives The Collegian,

Page 8

Jan. 31, 2020

Free speech cowed at GMU

Police threaten arrest for hanging YAF posters Erin McLaughlin Contributing Writer

Well, that was new.

This weekend, as a senior Young Americans for Freedom (YAF) officer at Grove City College, I participated in my first YAF training seminar in D.C., a conference teaching young Conservatives the basics of running a successful YAF chapter on campus and methods to combat leftist propaganda. While hanging posters at George Mason University (GMU) in Virginia, the police accosted one of our members, barricaded our buses and other YAF students were shouted off campus.

As part of the YAF conference training, the organization bussed around 120 of us YAF college chapter members to George Mason University to help the GMU YAF chapter hang up posters advertising the club, currently in search of new members.

The posters promoted quotes from Ronald Reagan, such as his famous warning, “Freedom is only one generation away from extinction,” and innocuous pro-free speech sentiments like “Support Free Speech Not Political Correctness.”

Within a few minutes of stepping foot on the school grounds, a triggered snowflake called the police. Multiple officers accosted Kevin McMahon, a YAF staffer, and threatened to arrest him for exercising his free speech

rights since he was outside of the designated “freedom of speech area.” YAF reports, however, no trace of the free speech zone on GMU’s website.

The officer also threatened McMahon with arrest under the pretext that the wind could knock posters down and count as a littering offense.

Seriously?

I bet all of Antifa’s crowbars and battering rams that no other group is held to such a ridiculous standard.

YAF Spokesman Spencer Brown remarked on the university’s attempts to save face: “It’s befuddling that the GMU administration is denying what YAF has on video.

YAF Program Assistant Kevin McMahon was clearly told by campus authorities that he could only post flyers within a ‘free speech area.’

It’s absurd that a public university would attempt to limit the free expression of students seeking to provide their peers with a more balanced education.”

Our YAF leaders thoroughly researched GMU’s poster policies and determined that none of McMahon’s actions violated a single school policy. Ironically, the only crime was promoting freedom of speech. Nonetheless, feathers were ruffled; snowflakes were triggered – so someone had to pay.

Following the first incident, a passerby was aggravated by our posters and heckled another group of us off campus. Before we could leave, the police also temporarily barred our buses from

entering the parking lot.

Ah, to live a day in the life of a conservative.

I’ve joked that this week felt like a rite of passage into the conservative movement.

But it’s the sad reality that conservatives face. We have a target on our back. Unfortunately, it comes with the territory of exercising our constitutional free speech rights.

Remember in Portland, police stood and watched while violent Antifa protestors beat up conservatives and bloodied gay men. Conservative speakers have been heckled off campus, threatened, physically abused and shouted down. UC Berkeley, the University of Oregon, UCLA, the University of Michigan and so many other universities have made national headlines for the violence and intolerance of their fractious liberal students. Professors are fired for their political beliefs and forced out for merely tweeting against political correctness. You might even be arrested for having the audacity to propose that it’s ok to be white.

And yet young conservatives peaceably promoting freedom of speech are ironically threatened with arrest.

There’s an insidious toxicity ingrained into the liberal ideology. Never have I seen the unhinged insanity of the left like I did this past week.

Reading about the insanity on campus is one thing –experiencing it and witnessing the closed-mindedness of the far left drove home the reality of their disturbed state of mind.ly have nothing left but force and violence.

TWITTER/KEVIN MCMAHON

For anti-vaxxers: education, not compulsion Lauren Ness

Contributing Writer Measles was declared eradicated from the United States in the year 2000, yet, the CDC reported 1,282 cases of measles across 31 states in 2019.

Just last year, there was the highest number of cases since 1992. How could an eradicated disease resurface, let alone resurface to that extent?

Because of two measles outbreaks in Washington state, their legislature voted to remove the personal and/ or philosophical exemptions to the MMR vaccine (measles, mumps, rubella). A student cannot attend school until their immunization record shows the reception of the MMR vaccine.

Washington has legitimate reasons to require the MMR vaccine. 87 people were affected by the two outbreaks, which is 87 too many for a supposedly obsolete disease.

Many of us are familiar – and even identify– with a sense of hesitancy towards vaccinations. We desire autonomy in regard to what enters our bloodstream and, rightfully so. Personal exemption to vaccinations is one of the many rights we

possess, but is it possible for that right to hold qualifications?

Part of me completely agrees that the individual should chose for themselves whether to accept a vaccination or not. The other part of me sees the historically proven benefits of vaccinations and the negative implications vaccine refusal has on the wellbeing of the community. Nonetheless, embracing one side or the other completely proves complicated and difficult.

We have vaccines to thank for protecting us from what were once serious, lifethreatening diseases like polio, tetanus and smallpox.

Life expectancy certainly increased due to vaccines. With the resurgence of measles, however, one has to wonder if those seemingly antiquated diseases could make a comeback.

A common phrase in this debate is herd immunity: if enough people are vaccinated from a particular disease, it cannot spread effectively and therefore even those who were not vaccinated are protected. Total protection is not guaranteed, however, for those with weakened immune systems – children, those fighting cancer, and the immunocompromised.

Researchers notice a rise of unvaccinated people groups

CITY OF TORONTO ARCHIVES

in communities. The majority of the recent measles outbreaks involved these very groups of people who were not vaccinated against measles. The vaccination rate dropped below the level necessary to maintain herd immunity and therefore the disease was able to spread.

Moreover, the rise of international travel, immigration and global communities only increases the opportunity for disease to be introduced and threaten public health.

Can too many people claim vaccine exemption? It appears the answer is yes, and we are slowly seeing its consequences. I do believe those opposed to vaccines have the right to claim exemption from them. Nonetheless, I still find myself wrestling

with how to practically approach this question.

I do not think prohibiting all personal exemption is the answer, as some states like California and New York have legislated. In fact, I believe this will only increase the likelihood of outbreaks as those opposed will only become more adamant and seek alternatives, thus leading to increased pockets of unvaccinated groups and back where we started.

Perhaps increased awareness is a viable approach.

A common cause for vaccine suspicion is a distrust of modern medicine and its practices. Some health organizations seek to give constructive information about vaccines with the intent to decrease the sense of “man-

datory” and “forcing” terminology. Informing people of the risks of not vaccinating their own child, the effect that has for the general population, especially those who have disadvantaged immune systems, may better prompt the reception of necessary vaccines.

The reality is this: the number of personal exemptions claims from vaccinations is rising, but so are disease outbreaks. Exemption is a right of the people and should be respected as such. However, I urge us to approach this controversy well-informed by the truth and also the consideration of the public’s health.

While personal exemption is an individual choice, it has community implications.

The Collegian,

Jan. 31, 2020

Page 9

Virginia gun laws fall short Still need a ‘good guy with a gun’

Elvin Noel

Contributing Writer On January 20, roughly 20,000 Second Amendment supporters filled the streets around the State Capitol in Richmond, Virginia to protest new legislation that was to be voted on by the House that following Friday.

Virginia’s governor, Ralph Northam, proposed legislation on gun control to Virginia’s newly democratic controlled house and senate. This past summer, Northam proposed this same package of legislation to what was then a republican controlled house and senate. It was shot down.

According to “The Washington Post”, Northam called a General Assembly session to introduce gun control legislation in response to a shooting at a Virginia Beach municipal building in May killing 12 people, pledging to pass more gun laws.

Northam presented eight bills which are in the adjacent table.

Three of these bills were passed in the Virginia Senate on January 16 including SB 70, which requires background checks on all firearm transactions. SB 69, which regulates firearm purchases to one handgun per month. SB 35 gives the ability for municipalities to enact stricter laws than that of the state such as banning guns in public buildings, parks, etc.

Additionally, on January 22, the Senate passed the “red flag” bill.

These bills were then passed on to a House committee for review, causing the protest outside of the State Capitol. On January 24 the committee passed 7 out of 8 of Northam’s proposed bills not including the ban on assault rifles. These bills will then move to the entire House to be voted on.

As seen through the protest, many Virginians are

AP/JULIO CORTEZ

Gov. Northam’s gun package 1. Ban assault weapons, silencers, high-capacity magazines and other such “dangerous weapons.”

2. Require background checks for all firearm transactions.

3. Regulate firearm purchases to one handgun per month.

4. Allow municipalities to enact stricter laws than that of the state law.

5. Require lost or stolen guns to be reported within 24 hours.

6. Enable law enforcement to “temporarily separate a person from firearms if the person exhibits dangerous behavior that presents an immediate threat to self or others.” This is known as the ‘red flag’ bill.

7. Forbid subjects of protective orders from possessing guns.

8. Stiffen punishment for allowing access of a loaded, “unsecured” firearm to a minor. provoked by these proposed bills. These citizens expressed their frustration through what was reported as a “peaceful” rally, having only one reported arrest.

An attendee of the protest, Ben Rego, wisely explained that the Second Amendment isn’t just about self-defense, but also protection from a tyrannical government. He ex-

pressed that the second point he addressed has been lost in almost all discussion of the Second Amendment.

Veteran Tim Hunter simply reflected, “There is a reason it is second on the list.”

Sen. Amanda Chase, RChesterfield, explained her concern for SB 35. She referenced a mass shooting in Las Vegas three years back

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in a gun free zone further explaining that gun free zones won’t create safer environments, but more dangerous ones for law abiding citizens.

The red flag bill presents the largest problem as it is too open ended and arbitrary.

The first line of SB 240 reads “creates a procedure by which any attorney for the Commonwealth or any lawenforcement officer may apply to a general district court, circuit court, or juvenile and domestic relations district court judge or magistrate for an emergency substantial risk order to prohibit a person who poses a substantial risk of injury to himself or others from purchasing, possessing, or transporting a firearm.”

What exactly is defined as “a substantial risk of injury to himself or others?” As a law, this statement is posing too much of a threat towards the Second Amendment. After all, is owning a gun not a threat on its own? How is one expected to know who a bad person is versus a good person? There is no set-instone formula to follow.

As Plato so wisely expressed in his “Apology”, “It is likely that neither of us knows anything worthwhile, but he thinks he knows something when he does not, whereas when I do not know, neither do I think I know; so I am likely to be wiser than he to this small extent, that I do not think I know what I do not know.”

Essentially, unwise people think they know something when they don’t, while wise people know they themselves don’t know. The red flag bill will create a simple loophole to be used to the government’s advantage if they decide they know better.

It gives them the ability to deem any person a risk.

Laws are created two-fold, to keep both citizens and lawmakers in line. Because of the First Amendment, bad people can say stupid things every day of the week, but also one wise person can say one wise thing when needed.

Similarly, because of the Second Amendment, bad people can use guns irresponsibly, but also one wise person can use a gun responsibly on the day that it is needed most.

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The Collegian, Jan. 31, 2020

Page 11

Dunking on 100

Connor Schlosser Sports Editor

The 16-2 women’s basketball team continues to roll on through their historic season with head coach Chelle Fuss at the helm earning her 100th career win last Saturday as coach of the Wolverines.

“I honestly did not know I was close, so it was definitely not a distraction,” explained Fuss on her milestone. “Our goal is simple; get one percent better every day. I hope I have many games left, not because of some record, but because I love the team and I am not ready to take the court without them.”

With the Wolverines close 68-65 victory over Saint Vincent Wednesday, Grove City edges closer to gaining supremacy in the President’s Athletic Conference.

The women are undefeated in their non-conference matchups and have only fallen to two conference foes this season, leaving their conference record at 8-2.

Their first defeat was at the hands of Saint Vincent 82-71 in an overtime decision for their second conference matchup of the season.

With what looked like an early defeat at halftime with a 40-28 Saint Vincent lead, senior forward Kate Balcom and junior guard Jess Bowen had a combined 44 points throughout the game to ignite a Grove City comeback and force overtime. Unfortunately, the Bearcats were able to get on a 7-0 run and keep Grove City from gaining momentum late. Balcom and Bowen earned 11 and 10 rebounds respectively to give them each a double-double in their conference duel.

The second loss was a close battle against conference rival Westminster falling 5349. It was a back and forth contest with the Wolverines trading buckets with the Titans throughout the game’s entirety. Grove City got out ahead in the third, but West-

Sports at a Glance News Men’s Track & Field

The men’s track and field team had a decent outing at the SPIRE Invitational last Saturday. Juniors Jared Gay and Seth Ray both earned 1st place among Division III entrants in shotput and high jump respectively.

Women’s Track & Field

GCC

Junior Gretchen Elsey prepares to pass the ball during the game against Saint Vincent Wednesday. minster outscored the Wolverines 16-6 in the fourth quarter collecting the win and snapping the Grove City six-game win streak. Balcom led the Wolverines with a dozen points, while senior forward Jess Book collected 10 boards.

Westminster currently leads the PAC with a 9-1 record, with Saint Vincent and Grove City sharing second place with two conference losses apiece.

Despite those two close defeats, the Wolverines have dominated the remainder of their competitors throughout the season. Their biggest blowout victory was against PAC runt Geneva 100-39 in early January. Grove City was in command that entire contest where five Wolverines made double figures in point production.

Freshman guard Emma

Vezzosi led the onslaught with a career-high 19 points for the Wolverines. Balcom and Bowen piled on 15 and 14 respectively. Sophomore forward Allison Podkul chipped in 13 points, while junior forward Gretchen Elsey tacked on 11 more.

The Wolverines are showing no sign of slowing down in the home stretch, now a three-game win streak.

With seven games remaining, six of those games are PAC matchups including a rematch with rival Westminster. It is vital that Grove City proves their worth over the Titans and even the series if they want to take the top spot in standings.

The Wolverines will host Bethany this Saturday at 1 p.m. Their last meeting resulted in a commanding Grove City win over a struggling Bethany 77-31.

National sports column

Super Bowl set

Connor Schlosser Sports Editor

The stage is set: two teams of red, white and gold will duke it out in Miami on Super Bowl Sunday.

The Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers, both known for their high caliber topfive offenses, will likely put on a high-scoring firework display of points come Sunday night.

Offensively, these teams are in the same league regarding firepower. Let’s break down some obvious offensive weapons. Ranked second behind the fallen Baltimore Ravens in average team points per game with 30.2, the San Francisco 49ers are quarterbacked

by Tom Brady’s former apprentice, Jimmy Garoppolo.

Jimmy G is having his best season throwing 27 touchdowns with 3,978 yards, but with a less than impressive 15 interceptions to go along with his stats.

Kansas City is ranked just behind the 49ers averaging 29.8 points per game, thanks to last season’s MVP, Patrick Mahomes. Playing 14 games

this season, 2019 Mahomes is not the same 50-touchdown 2018 Mahomes, but he is effective in putting up similar numbers statistically as Garoppolo with only five interceptions. However, in their respective conference championships Mahomes went off when it mattered throwing three touchdowns in clutch turnaround victory over Houston, while Garoppolo relied on Raheem Mostert and the rush game to get it done over Green Bay. When it comes to the tight end department, it is debated who has the edge: the 49ers’ George Kittle or Chiefs’ Travis Kelce. Kelce is already an established star who will likely see more targets than the younger Kittle. Kittle, however, has a slight advantage over Kelce this season on completion percentage with 79 percent. But Kelce faces more difficulty making catches than Kittle since San Francisco has a stronger defensive presence than their matchup. Outside of the tight end position, Kansas City has the edge in receiving with freaky fast Tyreek Hill and Sammy Watkins.

Richard Sherman, Nick Bosa and former Chiefs defensive end Dee Ford are some notable pieces to

San Francisco’s defensive scheme that Kansas City’s D simply cannot match. San Francisco’s stronger line will apply pressure to the quarterback, keeping Mahomes on his toes every snap.

Not nearly as wide of an age gap between coaches of last year’s Super Bowl of McVay and Bellichick, there is still a 20-year difference between the head coaches of this year’s matchup. Fortyyear-old Kyle Shanahan has only held a head coach position since coming on with San Francisco in 2017. The immortal, mustache-rocking Andy Reid has been commander-in-chief since 1999, originally with the Philadelphia Eagles only to move on with Kansas City in 2013.

This is not Reid’s first rodeo in high pressure games and, simply because of his experience, he has the edge over Shanahan.

While Mahomes may be the more consistent quarterback in the long run and Reid the elder coach, I have to hand it to the 49ers this season. Although both are high caliber offenses, the 49ers likely have the advantage on the defensive end and give more opportunities for the 49ers to get ahead and grab the chip.

The women’s track and field team placed two runners within the top 20 competitors at the SPIRE Invitational last Saturday.

Senior Heidi Hoffman earned 10th overall in the 5,000 meters, while junior Michaela Higgins placed 18th. Hoffman and Higgins earned third and fifth respectively among Division III competitors.

Results

Men’s Basketball (11-7) W, Westminster (91-80) W, W&J (68-57) W, Waynesburg (80-58) W/L, Saint Vincent (68-64)

Women’s Basketball (16-2) L, Westminster (53-49) W, W&J (69-67) W, Waynesburg (77-56) W, Saint Vincent (68-65)

Men’s Swimming & Diving (2-6) W, W&J (134-79)

Women’s Swimming & Diving (2-6) W, W&J (130-53)

Upcoming Swimming & Diving

Feb. 1 vs. Pre-Pac Tune Up

Men’s Basketball Feb. 1 vs. Bethany Feb. 5 @ Chatham

Women’s Basketball Feb. 1 vs. Bethany Feb. 5 @ Chatham

WOLVERINE WEEKLY HONORS

James Wells Senior Forward PAC Player of the Week

Jared Gay

Junior Track & Field Field Athlete of the Week

Rachael Wallace Freshman Swimmer PAC Rookie of the Week

James Parenti

Freshman Track & Field PAC Rookie of the Week

Sports The Collegian, Jan. 31, 2020

Page 12

Plunging into PACs WES KINNEY

As the swim team looks to dominate PACs, swimmers get their heads in the game with proper preparation. PAC Championship will be held February 13-15 at the James E. Longnecker Competition Pool.

Joanna Thorpe Staff Writer

As the men’s and women’s swim teams approach the end of their seasons, the preparation for championships begin.

The swimming and diving teams commence their long season in early October and push through to early February with the start of the Presidents’ Athletic Conference Championships.

The teams return to campus in early January to carry their season-long momentum into their last few meets, followed by championships.

But training for the postseason begins far before the end

is in sight.

“Much of the preparation for championships takes place over the entire season,” senior Ben Slate said.

The team maintains a spirit of endurance throughout the season, remaining motivated to see preliminary training and every meet through to the end.

“We always try to remember that workouts we do in September have just as much of an impact on racing well at championships as workouts we do in January,” Slate explained.

Consistency seems to be a principle part of success for the swimmers; they dive into the season with a mentality of hard work that remains

Basketball beats back Bearcats Connor Schlosser Sports Editor

The men’s basketball team sits atop the President’s Athletic Conference Standings with their conference record now at 9–2 with their triumph over Saint Vincent.

In a 68-64 nail-biter, Grove City found victory in their closely fought game with the Bearcats. Senior guard Nate Peters led the Wolverines offensively putting up 14 points. In the final seconds, it was senior forward James Wells who turned the tables in Grove City’s favor during crunch time. As the Bearcats made a final push to tie the game, James Wells swatted the ball off the glass for a pivotal block. Wells finished with 14 points, two rebounds and a pair of assists in the Grove City win.

Looking at the Grove City’s overall record of 11-7 you may raise an eyebrow when told they lead the PAC. However, all but two conference matchups resulted in a Wolverine winner. Grove City’s early stretch of non-conference games was an early season checkup for the Wolverines. In their first seven non-conference games, the Wolverines went an unimpressive 2-5.

But now, this same squad is on top of the PAC maintaining a seven-game win streak with the end of the season now in sight. Seven season-determining games remain.

Chatham shares second place with Westminster in PAC standings behind Grove City and is waiting for Grove City to falter and scoop up

the top rank.

In their first meeting, Chatham robbed Grove City of a pivotal win at home in early January scoring 63-57, their second conference loss of the season. It was a close contest throughout, but Chatham got the jump in the final minutes to seal the deal.

Offensively, junior guard Justice Rice led the Wolverines with 14 while senior guard Nate Peters and sophomore guard Josh Snell contributed nine points each to the Grove City total.

Although this was a low point for Grove City’s season, they since turned it around for the good. One of their most notable victories was the overtime thriller against PAC rival Westminster to send them to the top of the pack.

Westminster matched Grove City in scoring throughout regulation, but three Wolverines surpassed the 20-point mark. Senior forward James Wells led the Wolverines with 24, half of his points coming from downtown. Junior guard Erik Meiners got it going offensively also tallying 22 points in 22 minutes. Rice also contributed 20 points and five rebounds. In overtime Grove City went on an 11 straight run helping cement Westminster’s fate.

The Wolverines will face Bethany at home at 3 p.m. on Saturday. Bethany currently has the worst record in the PAC, so it should be a guaranteed win for Grove City.

Grove City will get their rematch with Chatham on Wednesday in Pittsburgh at 8 p.m.

throughout.

“Coach Fritz emphasizes having good habits from the start of the season, so we don’t have to change anything once championship season rolls around. By attempting to keep the mentality and habits the same, we are able to race at championships without letting nerves or jitters get in the way,” Slate said.

The constant dedication exhibited by the swim and dive teams from the start contribute to their preparation and stamina in the end.

“A large part of our preparation is physical with the workouts that Coach has us do in the pool and lifting in the weight room, but there

is also a lot of mental preparation,” sophomore Katie Carrasco said.

The teams prepare to compete in “the big meet atmosphere by focusing on all the little things in practice and training as if every repetition is a race and always maintaining a positive attitude often by encouraging each other,” Carrasco explained.

This encouragement furthers preparation for the meet “because we always know we can rely on each other,” Carrasco said. “This way, when we go into the meet, we are physically strong but also mentally strong, so that we can blow our competition out of the water.”

One important change the

swim and dive teams make as the season’s end approaches is to taper: reducing the distance while maintaining the intensity of swimming.

“Practices and workouts slowly change as we get closer to championships. Over the course of the three weeks that lead up to the meet, the distance we swim in practice tapers off as does our volume in the weight room. This ensures we are fresh and ready to race our best come day one of the meet,” Slate said.

The Wolverines look to bring their season-long endurance and preparation to the championships, beginning tomorrow at noon at the James E. Longnecker Competition Pool.

Mamba forever

Connor Schlosser Sports Editor

The world lost a hero last Sunday.

Kobe Bean Bryant, the 41-year-old father, producer, investor and NBA legend died tragically in a helicopter crash that also took the lives of all inside, including his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna.

This heartbreaking tragedy came as a global shock.

Less than 24 hours before his death, Kobe Bryant congratulated fellow basketball great Lebron James via social media for surpassing his record on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. The next day, while traveling with his daughter to her basketball game he was gone.

As a child, you recognize talent and what makes people different. We all have our childhood heroes and icons that we looked up to. Kobe was the hero that countless young men and women once idolized. Whether it was wearing his famed number eight or number 24 Laker jersey, or even if it was shooting a crumpled-up paper ball into a trashcan in high school shouting, “Kobe!” on the release; we all knew the name, “Kobe Bryant.”

Growing up watching the Boston Celtics big three, Kobe “The Black Mamba” Bryant was the super villain.

Mamba was a cold-hearted killer on the court who made my heart sink with every fadeaway. But as he got older and eventually retired, respect won out. Whether it was scoring 60 points in his final NBA game or shooting free throws with a torn Achilles, “Number 24” was one of a kind.

One Celtics fan said this on Bryant’s passing: “As Celtics fans, we didn’t think Kobe Bryant could break our

VOX

Basketball superstar Kobe Bryant passed away tragically early Sunday morning, leaving behind a legacy of excellence. hearts one more time. We was excited to focus on life were wrong.” outside of stadiums. As a He changed the game of father he could focus more basketball forever and de- on investing into his four fined a decade in sports. He daughters’ lives as well as became the role model and pursue other passions. inspiration for countless Gianna “Gigi” Bryant NBA and college athletes meant the world to her fawho received advice and en- ther. Gigi loved basketball couragement from Number and wanted to go pro just like 24 till the day he passed. her role model. Gigi played Mamba spent the entirety in her father’s Mamba Sports of his 20-year career with the Academy determined to conLos Angeles Lakers helping tinue the Bryant legacy. to raise five championship Gigi’s life was just beginbanners in his legendary ten- ning, while Kobe’s life as a ure. Eighteen All-Star selec- father was beginning to blostions, 12-time All-Defensive, som with his four daughters.

15-time All-NBA, two-time It is heartbreaking.

Finals MVP, two-time OlymAll our heroes have a time pic Gold Medalist and one- to go. This one was gone too time NBA League MVP are soon. He was an example of a handful of accolades and hard work and discipline and titles of the Mamba’s legend- a family man who invested in ary career. But these titles many lives. only offer a glimpse of the Kobe once said, “Life is too impact he had on and off the short to get bogged down and court. So much more could be discouraged. You have to be said. keep moving. You have to But Kobe was bigger than keep going. Put one foot in basketball. After retiring front of the other, smile and from the game in 2016 he just keep rolling.”