The
The Award-Winning Grove City College Student Newspaper
Friday, March 20, 2020 @Collegian_GCC
Collegian
@gcc.collegian
Vol. 105, No. 15
The Collegian: The GCC Newspaper
Corona closes campus Classes canceled for a week and dorms emptied
Grove Moves Online Paige Fay
Managing Editor
THE COLLEGIAN
Grove City College is taking precautions to keep students, faculty, administration and staff safe during the Covid-19 outbreak, and even the wolverine statue isn’t risking an outbreak.
Anna DiStefano News Editor
In a whirlwind of emails over the course of a week, the College ultimately decided to send students home amid the coronavirus pandemic. The final call from College President Paul J. McNulty ’80 came Monday. That afternoon, Vice President of Student Life and Learning Larry Hardesty advised in an email that all students “who are able to return to their homes during this period
must now do so.” In his own communication Monday, McNulty cited both the CDC and government leaders’ recommendations as guidelines for the College’s decision. “The College must comply with all relevant requirements and recommendations by managing our affairs appropriately,” McNulty wrote. “For example, the CDC’s recommendation to limit in-person events to no more than 50 persons presents a severe practical challenge for
student dining and campus life. Clearly, our government leaders want families to stay home for the next couple of weeks. Also, we cannot in good conscience continue with our plans if we are not confident that our staffing levels are sufficient.” By Friday the recommendations had become orders as Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf announced that all “non-life sustaining” businesses must close down their physical locations. The College will shift to
online instruction Monday, March 23. While the campus evacuation was somewhat expected, some students are left with a sense of loss at the abrupt transition. “I feel like I’m in shock and am uncertain of exactly how to react because I don’t know if I’ve said my final goodbyes to seniors or if we’ll actually be back before the end of the semester,” junior Courtney Mattey said. “I feel upset on CORONA 3
Okies tell all Alicia Beaujon Contributing Writer
The number of Google searches for ‘Grove City College’ spiked on March 2 when a group of male students appeared on the Women Tell All episode of The Bachelor. “I know you boys from Grove City College,” Bachelor host Chris Harrison said when he called them out on national television. “These are big fans—superfans— over in Pennsylvania.” According to junior Scott Hangliter, the group was invited on the show after a video from one of their watch parties went viral. He went on to explain that his friends and family were excited when they first found out he would be appearing on the show. He and seven other students told their professors they would be missing their Friday classes that week, but they didn’t specify why. After a long flight delay, the boys arrived in Los Angeles early in the morning and made it to the studio
GCC
Members of the Omnicron Xi fraterinity traveled to Los Angelos for the live taping of the Women Tell All episode of The Bachelor. The group went viral after Bachelor Host Chris Harrison reposted a video of their watch party on instagram which led to their invitation to the live show. in time for the Women Tell All—the episode where the most memorable women of the season return to confront bachelor Peter Weber and each other. Although they did not get to meet any of the contestants, several of them waved to the boys in the audience and seemed to know who they were. “After the show was over, we got to hang out for a bit, take pictures on the stools [where the women sit] and talk to the producers for a little bit,” Hangliter said. Later that evening, the
group went to Griffith Observatory to overlook the city. The next day, they hiked to the Hollywood sign, explored Hollywood Boulevard and visited the Santa Monica Pier before heading back to the airport to catch their flight home. The Grove City College response to the boys’ appearance on the show was positive. Many students posted clips of the episode on their social media, and several alumni called the college regarding the school’s appearance on the show. “I had 30 or 40 plus peo-
ple—some who I haven’t talked to in years—text me and ask like ‘why are you on my screen right now? Why are you on The Bachelor?’” Hangliter said. “All of our phones were blowing up that night.” He explained that most of the excitement died down after the episode aired, and despite the many questions they got from fellow students, he and the rest of the group did not know Peter Weber’s final pick before the general public. “It’s an experience,” Hangliter said.
In addition to changes surrounding life on campus, academics are changing form in response to the pandemic. Academics will transition to an online platform. Faculty have been receiving training regarding online teaching platforms with Microsoft Teams being the primary software. “There are some things you can do in a classroom that you can’t quite do online. There are some things you can do online that provide something equivalent to what you do in the classroom,” Dr. Eric Potter, associate professor of English, said. Dr. Gregory Bandy, professor of Communication Studies, has used online educational strategies for his courses, but has never taught solely online before. He says that a smooth transition will rely on how students learn to use the online platform, the reliability of a person’s network connection and how students deal with the dynamics of online learning. “It’s different than a live classroom,” Bandy said. “Grace, flexibility and selfdiscipline are key.” Student perspective on taking online classes are mixed. “As a self-driven student, I’m not too mad about online classes because I feel I can handle the load on my own,” sophomore Molly Miller said. “I do feel my motivation slowly waning with each day, though, since home is usually a place to relax. Now, online academics have taken that away.” Despite such unprecedented circumstances, the faculty resolve stays strong. “For at least a thousand years, a university has had three components: books, lecturers, and inquiring community… Distance learning is about one/third of this; it is better than nothing (one third of a steak is better than no steak), but not best,” said Dr. David T. Gordon, Professor of Religion and Greek. Bandy offered some encrouragement, paraphrasing Winston Churchill’s resolve: “We shall teach on the beaches, we shall teach in our living rooms, we shall teach in our backyards and on our streets, and yes, we may even teach in our pajamas; but we shall never surrender,” Bandy said.
Editorial
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The award-winning Grove City College student newspaper, March 20, 2020
From the Editor’s desk
Playing the long game Grace Tarr
Editor-in-Chief I am a contrarian, which is not news to my mother. At a time when the entire world seems to be reading from the same newsreel, I am uninterested in writing about the most global issue to strike since WWII. My lack of interest is probably due to overexposure to every opinion on the current crisis. A little pandemonium can go a long way but when it is all-encompassing we are numbed, like how water feels shockingly cold when we dip only our toe in, but once we have swam around we stop even really feeling the sensation of wetness. Released in late 2019, “If The World Was Ending” is a song by JP Saxe and Julia Michaels. The chorus goes, “If the world was ending you’d come over, right?” The irony, of course, is that no one can come over. And probably the world isn’t ending, but it certainly has ground to a screeching halt. Yes, school has closed. Yes, many of us have lost opportunities and precious time with friends. We miss our routine and life at school precisely because it is worth missing, which is itself a blessing. In 1939, amid the threat of a coming war and air raids, the British government released a campaign of posters that read “Keep calm and carry on” to boost public morale. In the mid 2010’s, the campaign resurfaced as memes with people altering it such as, “Keep calm and let karma finish it”
or “Keep calm and act like you know what you’re doing.” Amid the new outbreak of Covid-19, the posters might say, “Keep calm and stay at home.” I don’t think anyone ever told the British government that the worst possible way to keep someone calm is to tell them to calm down. That said, what was good enough for air raids, is good enough for us now. Collectively, we have very short memories – our own culture verges on amnesiac. The crisis of today is always the “greatest the world has ever seen.” The problem is that when we forget the past, we think of ourselves as too special and unique. My grandpa grew up going to a one room schoolhouse where they practiced hiding under their desk in case the Russians launched an attack. When my greatgrandfather was sent to Guam in WWII, he left his pregnant wife and was stationed there for four years. He didn’t meet his daughter until she was four years old. My great-grandmother – who is now 96 and pushing the bracket of those most effected by the current virus – lived through the Great Depression with her ten other siblings by rationing bread. All of that is just within a few generations of my family, and there are probably similar stories perched in your family tree. This is not the first time such things have happened, and it will not be the last. We were born into a world already choking and reeling from centuries upon centuries of tragedies. This too, shall pass. Keep calm and carry on.
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
Entertainment Nora Sweeney
Sports
Connor Schlosser
Photo Chief Wes Kinney
Britney Lukasiewicz Davis Miller
Natalie Dell Claire Josey Michael Martin Lauren Ness Elizabeth Schinkel Caleb West Joanna Thorpe
Staff Writers
Katheryn Frazier David Smith Mackenzie Stine Mallory Trumbull Jules Wooldbridge David Zimmermann
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... Connor Schosser for his hard work through adversity and dedication to producing a newspaper even amidst a campus-wide evacuation.
SCHLOSSER
GRACE TARR
Back to square one
Home shows us who we were, are and will be Paige Fay
Managing Editor For many, the coronavirus pandemic brings a premature homecoming. Freshmen have yet to experience a Grove City spring while seniors are left with a disrupted ending. The future is uncertain, and we’re stuck at home with all the time in the world to think about it. It’s frustrating – dare I even say unfair? – to have an abbreviated semester, let alone to continue it in isolation with our families. For some that could be the best thing to ever happen to them, but I would guess that for most it’s the least ideal situation. For such an extrovert such as myself it can be the latter, especially when I found myself talking to the pictures on the walls during breakfast. Yet being home surrounds us with the familiar. Our parents ask us to do the same old chores, our siblings make the same old jokes and our pets still like to be scratched in the same old spots. Coming home, we effortlessly fall into our routine of origin. In every other context, such routine can be so…an-
“Home is who we were, exposes who we’re becoming, but, overall, reminds us of who we are. Being an everchanging people in an ever-changing world is exhausting. Home is where we rest and reset.” noyingly normal. To us, our college self is as divergent from our high school self as a caterpillar from a butterfly. Why go back to inching from leaf to leaf when you’ve been soaring above the garden? In Erikson’s stages of development, adolescence is the stage where identity conflicts with role confusion. Adolescents pursue a sense of self and personal identity as they explore which role they will occupy as an adult. Typically, this stage covers ages 12 through 18, but college prolongs this discovery period. Spending time away from our homes allows space to pick up new skills and experiment with new ideas. Our original perspective is tested against the world’s novelty, shaping us into modern versions of ourselves. Home can feel stifling because we’ve been so inundated with the new that looking at the old is boring. Being home after venturing in the world, we are looking at our first selves
and know every cracked detail more intimately than we would wish. Instead of letting boredom affect our homecomings, we can allow ourselves to feel recalibrated. Being filled with new things and experiencing daily change can lead us to where we don’t recognize ourselves anymore. We look in the mirror and don’t remember where we came from or how we got here. Home is who we were, exposes who we’re becoming, but, overall, reminds us of who we are. Being an everchanging people in an everchanging world is exhausting. Home is where we rest and reset. For freshmen, this is the first perspective test on their path to self-discovery. For seniors, this is time for recalibration before the new chapter that extends beyond their driveway. For all of us, it’s a time to quiet ourselves amidst the cacophony of uncertainty…at a reasonable social distance.
The Collegian will suspend regular publication until we all can return to campus. The staff will continue to monitor the situation on campus and report when appropriate on new developments. Watch our social media channels for updates and announcements.
News The Collegian,
March 20, 2020
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Collegian wins four awards
Newspaper recognized for excellence among Pa college publications Collegian Staff Six staff members and contributors to The Collegian, the student newspaper of Grove City College, won four 2020 Student Keystone Press Awards from the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association. The awards recognize excellence in collegiate journalism and cover work completed in 2019. The Collegian’s current Editor-in-Chief Grace Tarr ’20 shared a second place award for layout and design with her immediate predecessor James Sutherland ’19, who led the newspaper in 2018 and 2019. Their winning entry “On the hunt” previewed the Wolverine football team’s 2019 season. It was published on Sept. 6. Staff Writer Erin McLaughlin ’20 took second place in general news for her story “Students object to the text,” which was published in the Sept. 27 edition. The story covered a campus controversy over a textbook used in a required western civilization course. Perspectives Editor Joshua Tatum ’20 earned a second place award for columns with three entries from fall 2019: “The why, not the how,” “The art of not giving a rip” and “#!@%&$: Profanity is complicated.”
CORONA
continued from 1 behalf of the seniors who are losing the opportunity to have their last performances, last meetings, last meals and so on. There is no time to process, and I feel a loss but also like it really hasn’t hit yet.” “Going home was bittersweet,” freshman Abby Supplee said. “I’m glad to see my family and spend more time with them, but mostly I miss Grove. I wish I could still go to class rather than be online and I wish I could see all my friends rather than have to video call them.” The College encourages students to prioritize their health and the health of those around them. “As you go about your daily routine, please remember your health must be a priority right now. Take care of yourselves. Take care of your family and loved ones. Stay home, stay safe and stay healthy. Practice the habits of social distancing and hygiene shown to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, and be wise,” Hardesty said in the conclusion of his Monday email. While most students plan to head home, that possibility is not available for everyone. The College is ready to continue to house international students and students with home life situations that could be compromised upon their return. For these students, the College will continue to provide room and board. Those staying on campus are expected, as Student Life wrote in the email, to take on a “posture of selflessness.” This means that students who must remain on campus are expected to follow the
THE COLLEGIAN
The Collegian staff and contributors won six Keystone awards for general news, columns, photo story and layout and design. The Keystone reflects the work of colleges across Pennsylvania. Contributing photographers Ivy Nowakowski ’20 and Mikayla Gainor ’23 shared an honorable mention prize for photo story for “Just Dance,” a gallery of photos from the 2019 Orchesis dance show that was published Nov. 15. “The student journalists on the staff of The Collegian do amazing work every week. CDC’s recommendations of social distancing and hand washing, leave campus for only essential reasons. No visitors will be allowed on campus, unless they are parents picking up a student to return home. According to the Monday email, one dining hall, the library, academic buildings, Zerbe and the Counseling Center will remain open. That status in light of Wolf’s order wasn’t clear on Friday as The Collegian went to press. Student Life asks that all students monitor their email over the next few weeks. The office will communicate via email when students can return for the remainder of their belongings if the College decides to complete the semester online. There is no official word yet on whether students will be refunded for room and board or receive pro-rated costs. This flight from campus also affects Student Life for the 2020-2021 academic year, with room draw season close upon us. The Colonial Hall Apartment Draw was originally scheduled for Monday night. In light of the College’s decision, Student Life decided to proceed with room draw manually. Students wishing to live in the apartments next year were asked to fill out a form that the office staff will use to call roommate groups until all the apartments are filled. More specific details were included in an email sent by Director of Residence Life Jonathan DiBenedetto. Room draw for underclassmen is currently scheduled after the April 13 return date, and as of now, no changes to that process have been announced.
It’s gratifying to see their talent and effort recognized again by the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association,” Nick Hildebrand, the newspaper’s adviser, said. “Their dedication to the craft of newspapering and ethical journalism is an inspiration.” This marks the third year in a row that The Collegian was recognized by the PNA
with Student Keystone Press Awards. The Collegian competed against dozens of other Pennsylvania scholastic newspapers in the contest’s division II, which includes colleges and universities that enroll fewer than 10,000 students. The Collegian is studentrun newspaper published weekly during the academic
year by Grove City College. The
Collegian
nameplate
dates back to 1891, when the College published a periodical journal reprinting lectures and speeches by College officials. The student newspaper bearing The Collegian name began weekly publication in 1914.
Econ in the time of Corona Karsten Lagerquist Contributing Writer
It is impossible to ignore COVID-19. It has altered almost every aspect of our lives. The reality is, though, that the effects of the coronavirus will be felt long after the virus itself is cured because of how it has affected the U.S. economy. Ever since it popped up in China, our economy halfway around the world has felt the pressure. You see, many companies’ supply chains are routed through China. As a result of many Chinese factories having to temporarily close, companies have been left scrambling to source materials and parts to other locations in order to avoid decreases in production and exposing consumers to reduced availability of products. Since the virus has landed on American shores, though, the economy is being constricted far more directly and totally. In many areas of the country, including Pittsburgh, only essential businesses like grocery stores and gas stations are permitted to remain open. All other business is shuttered. That means that there are no shoppers shopping and no workers working. The economy has ground to a halt. Obviously, this means that economic statistics like GDP and growth rate will not look pretty in the near term. This goes further than temporary halts of production and a few days with dark windows, though. You see, companies still have to pay debts and expenses. However, many compa-
THE NEW YORK TIMES Amid the social ramifications of Covid-19, the economy has taken a hit and will be slow to recover.
nies do not have the cash on hand to make payments for too long without a cash flow from revenue without cutting employees, reducing costs or minimizing operations. The longer the economy is halted, the more exposed companies with debt-heavy capital structures or cash-intensive business models become and the higher the likelihood that they will have to permanently shut down. In essence, the coronavirus is weeding many of the weak businesses out of the economy and forcing the strong companies to be strategically defensive and less willing to take on risk. The Trump administration is working on getting at 1 trillion-dollar stimulus package to try to help the situation. The proposed plan includes approximately 500 billion dollars dedicated to helping businesses weather the storm. Sixty percent of
that is earmarked for small businesses, while the other forty percent is scheduled to go to other sectors whose cash-intensive models make them extra vulnerable. The merits of such a package are debatable from a theoretical economic perspective, but I will leave that for readers to explore further themselves. We are all hunkering down to protect ourselves from COVID-19; the economy can do no such thing. It is feeling the pain that the virus has caused. Corrections like this are not fun. Hopefully, the extreme measures being taken by authorities can shorten the length of our shutdown and we can return to normal soon. All we can do in the meantime is wait, pray for safety and look forward to the light at the end of the tunnel.
Sports The Collegian, March 20, 2020
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Seniors reflect Final season canceled for safety
Connor Schlosser Sports Editor
As of March 13, 2020, the President’s Athletic Conference has indefinitely suspended all varsity athletic related activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. No more classes on campus. No more games for student athletes. Along with the PAC’s suspension of games, Grove City College itself shut down campus and is moving to an online platform beginning Monday. This could not come at a worse time for Grove City sports. A banner year already for Wolverine athletics, several sports were just getting ready to kick off their seasons. Grove City College football had a historic 9-2 run with senior record-breaking running back Wes Schools finishing his notable career as a Wolverine. The women’s soccer team dominated this season becoming PAC champions and competing in the Division III tournament.
The Rudy Gobert effect Connor Schlosser Sports Editor
What happened? It was all good just two weeks ago. We were watching our favorite NBA teams clinch playoff spots. We were eagerly waiting for March Madness brackets to take shape. But now, we have realized how vulnerable we are. French star center of the Utah Jazz, Rudy Gobert was the spark behind the wildfire of sports league cancellations last week. Monday, March 9 Gobert was seen mocking the COVID-19 virus by jokingly touching all the microphones after his media interview before running off. Fast-forward to Wednesday 18, Gobert tested positive for coronavirus before the game with the Oklahoma City Thunder sending the NBA and the sports world into shock. Despite Gobert not attending the game on Wednesday, the game was immediately shut down before tip-off upon hearing Gobert’s results. Later Wednesday evening, the NBA announced that the league would be suspended, postponing all games until further notice. After the NBA abandoned shut down,
most of the sports world would follow that example. Cancellation announcements and postponements flooded ESPN’s headlines in the following days. The NCAA’s Championship Tournament was cancelled, the MLB announced a twoweek delay to the regular season, the NHL postponed games, the English Premier League suspended their soccer season until April and even the Masters Tournament for golf has been postponed. Gobert’s teammate and fellow all-star, Donovan Mitchell confirmed he had tested positive for COVID-19 and would be self-isolating. Saturday, Detroit Pistons player Christian Wood also tested positive. Wood had matched up against Frenchman days before and likely picked up the virus directly from him on the court. In the NBA’s ongoing team testing, it was discovered on Tuesday that Kevin Durant, along with three other Brooklyn Nets players tested positive for coronavirus. With the recent diagnoses, that makes seven NBA players with COVID-19. Eight NBA teams have fully undergone coronavirus testing, and it seems that Adam Silver’s decision to suspend the NBA may have spread a serious pandemic within the NBA. Utah Jazz players had pri-
vately said that Gobert was careless in the locker room – touching other players and their belongings. It was reported that a child from Rhode Island, who had later tested positive for the virus had met with Gobert and gotten an autograph. It is likely that Gobert received the virus from this meeting days before he had tested positive. Since the NBA’s suspension, Gobert has pledged to donate $500,000 to make amends for his careless behavior. Parts of his donation will be going towards the Utah Jazz arena workers and families within the state as well as families in Oklahoma and his home country of France. It is frustrating as a fan to see the NBA practically shut down before our very eyes. Yet it is perhaps the best way to prevent further spread of the virus. However, Gobert’s donation brought attention to a group of people that are vital to the logistics of our beloved games: arena/stadium workers. Hundreds of people just got laid off and are out of a job until further notice. Outbreaks remind us that we are mortal and not superheroes.
The men’s and women’s swim teams made a splash with both squads claiming the PAC title. In basketball the men’s and women’s teams both took home the PAC trophy. The men’s team, who finished on top of the PAC standings, won both in the Conference and defeated College of Wooster in the Division III tournament. The women, who had a memorable 25-3 overall record battled W&J for the title and competed in the Tournament. Baseball, softball, men’s and women’s tennis, track and field, men’s lacrosse, women’s water polo and men’s and women’s golf have all been cut short. For the baseball and softball teams, their seasons were just getting started. With both teams taking spring break trips to the Sunshine State, Grove City had a slow start to their season with some losses against non-conference foes. Returning from Florida, the Wolverines were ready to get back on track against PAC matchups. Senior Elizabeth Scherer said, “The cancellation of
the 2020 season happened so quickly. I understand that this is to protect all people involved and trust that God has a plan during this time. But that doesn’t mean that this is easy. I have been playing softball for the past 16 years, and I never got to say the proper goodbye to the sport I fell in love with so long ago.” “I will miss doing everything with them, even those 6 a.m. practices! God blessed me with the time he gave me to be a Wolverine Softball player, and I will forever be grateful to Him for that,” said Scherer. Senior Sarah Eidle summarized how it feels to have your final season canceled, “In a word: horrible. It’s really hard to watch 3.5 years (18 if you want to count everything before collegiate ball too) of hard work vanish before your eyes.” “I am very sad that I can no longer play because I love representing Grove City College. It has been an absolute dream playing my best friends and glorifying God through sport,” Senior Jennifer Elder said. Our spring sports will not be able to add to this year’s historic run in Wolverine athletics and over a dozen seniors across Grove City spring sports will miss their final season due to the outbreak. “God blessed me with the time he gave me to be a Wolverine Softball player, and I will forever be grateful to Him for that,” said Scherer.
Basketball ends strong Collegian Staff The Grove City College men’s and women’s basketball teams notched historic seasons on the court this year, setting program highs for win totals and each grabbing the Presidents’ Athletic Conference Championship. Senior guard Kate Balcom led the women to a programhigh 25 wins, their first PAC title in 33 years and their first birth in the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament since 1983. Balcom’s outstanding season earned her numerous accolades, including All-PAC First Team and PAC Defensive Player of the Year, the sixth-straight season a Wolverine has won the honor. She also made Second Team All-Great Lakes Region in D3hoops.com’s annual poll and finished as one of the 10 finalists for the prestigious Jostens Trophey, awarded annually to the best DIII men’s and women’s basketball players. Junior guard Jess Bowen joined Balcom on the AllPAC First Team after leading Grove City in scoring. Bowen and Balcom’s excellent peroformances propelled the Wolverines to one of their best seasons ever. The women lost just three games all season, including a first-round loss to topseeded Hope in the NCAA Tournament. The Wolverines turned College Arena into a fortress, winning home
games by an average of 35 points and dropping just one home match. For the men, the season started slowly. Grove City dropped five of its first six games as it struggled to find its feet. After returning from winter break, it all clicked. The Wolverines popped off a 12-game win streak, losing just one game to close the season before converting their hot hand into a PAC championship. The championship game saw another magical performance, as senior guard Nate Peters’ 28 points on 12-of-18 shooting propelled the Wolverines to a 26-11 comeback to defeat Geneva and claim their first PAC title in a decade. But midnight had not yet struck on Grove City’s season; they had one more dance left in them. Led by another outstanding performance from Peters (26 points on 5-of-10 shooting), the Wolverines stunned Wooster in their own gym in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, winning 67-62. They finally fell the next night, losing 84-66 to No. 15 Elmhurst. Head coach Steve Lamie earned Coach of the Year honors from the PAC, while three players made the AllPAC teams: senior forward James Wells made First Team, junior guard Justin Rice made Second Team and Peters earned an Honorable Mention. Wells also made Third Team All-Great Lakes alongside Balcom.