The Collegian – Sept. 25, 2020

Lady legend

Remembering RBG

PERSPECTIVES

The

@Collegian_GCC @gcc.collegian The Collegian: The GCC Newspaper Friday, September 25, 2020

Gotta watch it twice

Got football?

ENTERTAINMENT

SPORTS

‘Tenet’ is first pandemic blockbuster

PAC announces spring schedule

Collegian

Missing The Award-Winning Grove City College Student Newspaper

Vol. 106, No. 4

2020 takes and takes and takes

@GCC_KITTYPURRY

Campus in mourning over loss of Kitty Purry Shelbi Henkle

Contributing Writer With the semester returning to full swing and a sense of normalcy returning, something appears to be missing despite the COVID-19 restrictions. To the upperclassmen, there seems to be an apparent lack of the beloved furry friend, the campus cat, the icon named Kitty Purry.

She rose to fame around

2018 and gained a mass following of 1,660, including President McNulty, on her Instagram @gcc_kittypurry.

But this semester there has been no sign of her.

According to her owner, Campus Safety removed Kitty Purry from campus and turned her into an unknown animal shelter.

Her owner said, “That is so wrong, though, because they knew she was my cat. They

brought her to my house in their truck multiple times.

I even spoke with them and asked them to call me whenever, and I would come and get her.”

Assistant Director of Campus Safety Kent McFadden disputed that claim.

“Campus Safety did not have anything to do with the disappearance of Kitty Purry. We miss seeing the cat around,” McFadden said.

Judge deems Wolf ’s shutdown unconstitutional David Zimmermann News Editor

Last week, U.S. District Judge William Stickman IV, who presides in Pittsburgh, ruled against Pa. Governor Tom Wolf’s pandemic restriction orders, deeming his office’s COVID-19 response measures unconstitutional.

The plaintiffs, which included seven businesses, four legislators and four Pa. counties, filed a complaint this past May arguing that Wolf’s statewide lockdown and business closures restricted Pennsylvanians’ constitutional rights.

In response to the court order, Wolf’s office attempted to seek a stay of the court order while they also filed

an appeal of the judge’s decision. On Tuesday, Judge Stickman denied Wolf’s request to stay the order.

The federal judge’s ruling eliminated the state’s limit on the number of people who can gather either indoors or outdoors.

State Representative Tim Bonner, one of the plaintiffs in the case, said that Wolf was not acting within the provisions given by the Constitution.

According to Chair and Professor of Political Science Dr. Michael Coulter, who teaches state and local politics, “The federal judge makes a strong case that the practices and orders of the Pennsylvania governor did not respect the First Amend-

ment’s protection for freedom of assembly and freedom of speech or the Due Process Clause and the general liberty protections in the Fourteenth Amendment.”

Bonner said the business closure restrictions were arbitrarily established without any reasonable explanation as to why some businesses were allowed to operate yet similar businesses had to close.

Bonner also disagreed with Wolf’s “one size fits all” approach to the state’s public health and safety order, noting that Mercer and Butler counties’ viral infection rate was below 1 percent of the population.

WOLF 9

The owner said, “I tried everything I could to keep her home, but the college was her home.” Kitty Purry was not content to remain at home and was often seen stalking squirrels and entering dorms.

Many students are missing her presence since it is one more college tradition that has slipped through their fingers this year.

“It was a delight to see her

on campus, and I looked forward to seeing her around and getting pictures of her,” junior Margaret Roy said.

Junior Micah Toney said, “There goes our chances of getting a statue of her,” when learning that Kitty Purry may not return to campus this year.

Lauren Moneymaker, a junior, also made a thoughtful KITTY PURRY 3

COVID to NOVID Haley Greene

Contributing Writer Another school year has arrived, and millions of students and teachers are experiencing an unprecedented experience due to COVID-19.

Nationwide, universities are enforcing strict masking and social distancing policies in efforts to stay open. In addition to these precautions, Grove City College partnered with a third-party contact tracing app called NOVID to aid in identifying COVID-19 cases and exposure.

At Carnegie Mellon University, math professor PoShen Loh and his team produced the app, which allows contactless tracing of COVID-19.

NOVID allows users to anonymously track their interactions with other people by using ultrasonic

technology.

It senses how close individuals are to each other and for what length of time. It then builds and displays a social network based off these interactions, gauging the risk of getting COVID-19.

“One of the parts of COVID-19 that’s so bad is it spreads before you know you have it. How do we find a way to reduce the spread if it’s spreading invisibly? That’s how the idea for building the network came in,” Po-Shen said in an interview with Johns Hopkins University News-Letter.

At Grove City College, President McNulty strongly recommended students to download NOVID onto their cell phones in the college’s Fall 2020 Health and Safety Plan, disclosed in August.

NOVID 3

Editorial

Page 2

The award-winning Grove City College student newspaper, Sept. 25, 2020

From the Tower

Read the news

There’s no doubt about it – news has gotten a bad reputation over the years.

Political divides and ulterior motives permeate our news, trying to convince rather than inform, and to shame rather than illuminate. Sometimes we can’t tell the truth from the lies.

Misinformation has made our country a volatile place.

Our society waits for the spark that will turn us into the wildfires we (ironically) watch on the news.

In light of a polarizing presidential election, an ongoing pandemic, heightened racial unrest and economic uncertainty, discerning the fact from the fiction is more important than ever.

We need to protect ourselves, but how can we discern amidst the cacophony of voices?

Ignoring the news is not the answer. Sticking your head in the sand will not make the desert go away. Keeping to one perspective is no different.

Though discerning news takes time and energy, you do it in the same way you absorb daily information. We are constantly making decisions and weighing information against what we know.

Doing this in the context of reading and watching the news is just as, if not more, important as analyzing your daily information. If you can make judgment calls throughout your normal day, you can discern the news.

There are several ways to improve your news absorption.

When hearing a shocking story from someone, your first response is typically, “Really? How do you know?” to which your informant gives their connection to the story. Hearing from a sister’s cousin’s brother’s wife’s aunt’s grandmother makes the story lose some of its potency. Just as convoluted sourcing de-authorizes a person’s storytelling, so it does for a news source.

In daily storytelling, the appropriate behavior is to make sure you hear a story from several sources before you share it with others. Hearing the story from only your classmate makes the story less believable than if you hear it also from the professor, the department chair and the Student Life and Learning office worker. Otherwise, it is trivialized into mere gossip. In the same way, news should be from multiple authoritative news platforms before being considered as truth.

Finally, it’s not appropriate to share something you heard without knowing the whole story. Just knowing that Jane Doe got kicked out of school doesn’t mean as much unless you know the whole story. With news, you need to read the whole story before sharing it with others. Supporting misinformation by sharing posts you don’t read makes it harder for you to get the truth.

News is in a tough spot, but it’s not lost. It takes diligence and commitment to truth on your part to ensure a hopeful tomorrow for information quality.

Paige Fay

Editor-in-Chief

Collegian Staff Editor-in-Chief Paige Fay

Copy Chief Britney Lukasiewicz

Managing Editor Anna DiStefano

Business Manager Kathryn Miller

Section Editors News David Zimmermann

Copy Editors Jessica Hardman Ashley Ostrowski Claire Josey Lauren Ness Kylie Jasper Joanna Thorpe Elizabeth Schinkel

Community Fiona Lacey Perspectives Clark Mummau

Photo Chief Wes Kinney

Staff Writers Scott Amon Noel Elvin Connor Schlosser Gabrielle Capaldo Jules Wooldridge

Design Chief Caleb West

Staff Adviser Nick Hildebrand

Sports Emily Rupczewski

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 David Zimmermann for his editorial tact, initiative and quiet confidence.

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

Zimmermann

BRAIN TRAINING

Playing the system is an Olympic sport Emily Rupczewski Sports Editor

So as it turns out, I’m not crazy. Up until this year, I really thought I was losing it.

Exiting high school, I was dangerously confident. I was convinced that I was ready to transition to college life.

Up until this semester, I struggled to stay afloat in just about everything I did my first two years of college.

Needless to say, I was not ready, and college life served me a large slice of humble pie. I was surprised because the 100s-level dual enrollment classes I had taken gave me the impression that college classes would be a cake walk. Oh, the naivety.

In my defense, no one warned me that making my life’s decisions based on my successes at 17 years old was a good idea either, yet that’s the expectation put on high school students, especially high-achievers.

After a lifelong career of doing extremely well in my classes, I struggled in my classes my first two years.

Somehow, I spent my first two years of college exhausted, silently struggling and feeling like I was playing catch up. The amount of times I felt lost and found myself saying “we did not learn this in high school” was astronomical.

So where did I go wrong?

Was I just dumb? Did everyone lie to me my entire life and tell me I was smart when in reality I just worked harder than my peers? Unlikely.

After thinking about it and reflecting on my last few years of high school, I finally figured out my issue: I had learned to play the system.

Conflicted between genuinely wanting to learn and wanting to be the best, I found myself playing a game,

one I didn’t realize was dangerous until I began studying Education as a science.

I observed patterns. I could predict the kinds of questions my teachers would ask. I knew how to do everything right, but I didn’t know what I was doing. I became more motivated by the drive to succeed rather than the intrinsic motivation to master what I was doing. That’s what made me smart.

Not only was I compensated approximately zero dollars for being the top of my class, but it didn’t even prepare me for college. If anything, it got me to college. And that was it. I felt absolutely defeated. And I thought it was my fault.

As it turns out, getting students to college and getting them through college are two very different things.

It wasn’t until this year that I learned something about myself, and about education in general. As an English and Communication Secondary Education major, I have the frustrating pleasure of having one foot in the Education department, and the other foot in the rest of Calderwood.

In the Education department, I’m learning the art of teaching. In my experience, metacognition is both a blessing and a curse. In the rest of my non-education code classes, I’m learning in a way I don’t always agree with.

In college, there is no differentiation, no strategy, no scaffolding no formative assessment. Instead you get readings, lecture, discussion and academia.

I thought that’s what I was ready for. After not being challenged enough in high school, 18-year old me craved nothing but deeper academia. Now, I’ve realized a lot about my own self as a

learner.

My epiphany came through taking Upper Elementary and Middle Level Literature class. Once students reach high school, there is typically less focus on individual reading for leisure, much less student choice, and less focus on teaching students how to read and to enjoy reading.

In high school, my growth as a reader and as a leaner was stunted, and I didn’t even know it. Reading became a laborious task focused on teaching to the test and learning to check off the correct boxes.

Personal word of advice, if you ever find yourself learning to check off the boxes, I can promise you, you’re doing it wrong. Unfortunately, due to the utility value we place on education as an obligatory means of success, this is a major problem for America’s education system today—but I don’t have time to unpack all of that.

Don’t fall victim to checking off boxes. Sure, sometimes we have to grit our teeth, throw our feelings in the garbage and do hard things. But how long can we handle it until it makes us completely numb? When we lose sight of our “why” we lose sight of the privilege we have as learners to learn new things and things that interest us, simply because we want to.

They say it’s important to know where you came from in order to get where you’re going. Now that I’m aware of why college was such a wake up call to me, I’m no longer upset with myself. I have to extend grace to my own self and be intentional about what I’m doing and how I’m bettering myself.

Likewise, I urge you to do the same. Make the choice to forgive yourself and be better. Focus on your why.

This week in Collegian history

Co-eds and crime Sept. 24, 2010 “Top 15 things to give up before leaving GCC”

Sept. 26, 1980: “Warning issued to fraternity”

The points made in the Perspectives piece about making it outside of “the bubble” still ring true today.

Here’s 3:

“The Adelphikos housing group has been issued three letters of warning from the College which may result in the loss of housing group privileges for the second semester.”

Infractions included: “loud, excessive noise” , “reports of vulgar, obscene remarks directed towards female students from the Adel section,” and “the floor of their section was littered with fire crackers and ‘excessive debris.” Additionally, an unidentified vandal broke six windows on Lincoln’s second floor and was seen running up to the third floor onto the Adel hall. The group was fined $60.00 per

1. “Leaving your wallet as a marker on your table.

Anywhere else that wallet would be gone within seconds.

2. Advertising on the sidewalks with chalk. Some may call that “vandalism.”

3. Throwing your friends in a creek when they get engaged. The unlawful touching of another is called “battery,” and this will only confuse and moisten your friend.”

window, plus and additional $50.00 fine.

Sept. 30, 1970: “Earnest prayer for mixed dining pleaded by co-ed” Students pleaded for coed dining.

“Due to the renovations taking place in the MAP kitchen and dining room, the Grove City women must go over to Ketler dining hall for their meals, and all men must eat at Hicks. Why, since the women must leave the dormitory, anyway, can’t dining be co-ed? …Also it’s a more natural atmosphere to have the students of both sexes mixed.”

Emily Rupczewski

Sports Editor

News The Collegian,

Sept. 25, 2020

Page 3

Bee project causes buzz

College’s apiary research nabs national fame Jacob Green

Contributing Writer Despite a hectic past few months, research and activity at the Grove City College apiary was humming this summer.

Dr. Tracy Farone, Professor of Biology, and her research assistants are now enjoying widespread recognition through their work in the apiary, a collection of four beehives and adjoining pollinator garden.

Senior Katerina Bailey, one of Farone’s research assistants, has been instrumental in writing biosecurity guidelines for veterinarians who work with bees. These guidelines commanded national attention, and Farone confirmed that the Honeybee Veterinary Consortium has elected to post them within the next month.

“It’s so cool that an undergraduate student is helping write these guidelines for veterinarians,” says Farone.

“It’s something that hasn’t been done before.”

Bailey voiced similar excitement, saying, “It feels good to be able to contribute to well-known veterinary literature while still being an undergraduate.”

With the support of Penn State University, Bailey also headed up a Beescape study to monitor the health of the

GCC

Dr. Tracy Farone built the college’s first apiary upon her return from her sabattical in 2019. Farone and her students have brought acclaim to the GCC bIology department hives.

“PSU donated scales that we placed under the hives.

These scales are equipped to measure how outside weather and temperature affect the overall bee weight of the hive,” explained Farone. “It’s Bluetooth technology, and we can sync all the data to our phones.”

Deidra Ressler, another of Farone’s research assistants, jump-started a bee photography and anatomy project.

Throughout the summer, Ressler snapped pictures and captured honeybee specimens to photograph under a scanning electron micro-

scope, thanks to the support and instruction of Dr. Jeffrey Wolinski.

“We are planning on putting these into a coffee-table book with educational captions that will show both the science and beauty of these creatures,” says Farone, who hopes that the book will foster pollinator awareness and expand public education on honeybees.

Farone’s ability to link other college departments to her work has been integral to the success of the apiary.

With direction from Professor Glen Sanders, Grove City student artists painted

COVID-19 cuisine

Sally Gustafson Contributing Writer

It was the best of times… and then the worst of times.

For on-campus dining, that is.

Grove City College’s meal plan upgrade in MAP and Hicks cafeterias, which sent students into a frenzy of food-fueled optimism at the beginning of the Spring 2020 semester has, thanks to COVID-19, been replaced by an adjustment of an entirely different sort—the switch to grab-and-go dining.

In an ironic twist, the exquisitely plated, sauceswiped entrees have been replaced by single-use plastic packaging.

Adjustments to packaging seem par for the COVID-19 course. But these are not the only changes.

Senior Adriane Slater explains, “When I arrived on campus, I noticed the options were very limited, sometimes down to one meal option for the whole day.”

Slater noticed, too, that the charcuterie boards, panini presses, made-to-order stir fry, omelets and mousse shooters of last year were gone. The shrunken menu leads her to wonder, “Why would changes in packaging have to change the contents of the meal?”

Senior Sam Harryman enjoys the way grab-and-go packaging allows students to

KITTY PURRY continued from 1

remark stating, “It was nice to have a lighthearted little thing. Campus was so stressful. It was a great inside joke to have among the students

the hives with colorful designs. Farone clarified the benefits of visually distinct hives.

“The foraging bees are more likely to come back to the correct hive this way, which helps stop the spread of disease between neighboring colonies.”

Additionally, Farone is aiming to improve the apiary with help from the Electrical Engineering department, which will run electricity out to the apiary.

Help also sprouted from within the Biology department last fall, as Dr. Jan Dudt and his botany class conduct-

ed useful plant identification work around the area.

There are more opportunities awaiting Farone and her apiary, including research on bee venom and its potential anti-cancer properties.

Farone added that the apiary’s garden also received “Pollinator-Friendly Garden status” from Penn State, which will boost research options.

The apiary has afforded Farone and her assistants the opportunity to contribute to the science surrounding bees, bringing acclaim to the Biology department.

NOVID

health and safety.

Sophomore Sydney Laughlin recently downloaded NOVID. She appreciates that the school has provided a way to track possible COVID-19 cases but says the app could use some improvements.

“My swim coach wanted the team to download it. It wasn’t mandatory, but I decided to do it to play it safe,” Laughlin said. “I personally don’t care for it. It’s annoying to have to turn the app on every time I want to see if I have been exposed.”

Vice President of Student Life and Learning Larry Hardesty says the app is designed for the user more than for the college.

“It is designed to allow the individual to know if they have been in direct contact with someone who has tested positive, which would then allow them to reach out to us,” he said. “However, those using the app have complete privacy and we have no access to the data for tracing purposes independent of their coming to us.”

Hardesty uses the app and has found it to be helpful in several ways, including the app’s proximity function in maintaining a six feet distance from his colleagues.

“It has been helpful to see my network grow to over a thousand people, meaning the GCC community seems to be embracing the tool,” Hardesty added. “It is reassuring to know none of my direct or secondary contacts have had exposure to a positive case.” found impact on the school, which went as far as people petitioning for a statue to commemorate her. Whatever happened to her, Kitty Purry’s legacy will remain in the minds, if not the hearts, of all who knew her.

continued from 1

eat meals outside, but he recognizes that “it will definitely be less enjoyable when the weather gets worse.”

He notes, too, the absence of a familiar favorite, crepes, and suggests, “Sunday brunch is lacking—they should put crepes in Sunday brunch.”

The alterations are significant, but recent improvements have stirred some excitement. Sushi Nara, an independent sushi company, provided sushi rolls and poke bowls for lunch in MAP cafeteria from Sept. 2–4.

Word spread quickly around campus, and, according to Slater, many students made sure to arrive early to lunch before supplies ran out. Slater also notes that “the dessert game has been pretty strong,” and soup, pizza and hot sandwiches have returned.

She figures that as Bon Appetit, the college’s food service provider, has adjusted to this semester’s restrictions, there have been more options in both MAP and Hicks.

The college’s first lady, Brenda McNulty, who last semester penned an upbeat message about the dining upgrade, titled “Eating in Eden,” agrees.

“It’s disappointing that things can’t be the way they were, but we are learning a lot about new ways to get food to students and the campus seems to be responding with

gratitude and is well fed.”

According to JonErik Germadnik, Bon Appetit manager, students can expect a menu expansion over the course of the semester.

He explains, “While beautifully plating things is a bit of a challenge given the current to-go service format, we definitely intend to start phasing in more options to the menus in both MAP and Hicks.”

He mentioned the return of some favorites, stating, “We will look at adding back those hot sandwiches like the meatball sub, pressed Cuban sandwich and Italian sausage, and I know the students loved the three-cheese gourmet grilled sandwich. Adapting the charcuterie plates for grab-and-go is something that we are working on currently for both cafes. We have started a version of this at the GeDunk already.”

Slater and Harryman both agree that the dining experience has improved since the beginning of the semester. As the campus adjusts and food offerings expand, approval of on-campus dining may rise.

McNulty says, “Bon Appetit has gone above and beyond to meet students’ needs.”

How far these efforts will go, and how students’ attitudes will shift as rain, chill and mid-semester anxieties return, remains to be seen.

According to the plan, “the app uses the phone’s speaker when a person is in proximity to someone else who is also using the app.”

If someone who uses the app has tested positive for COVID-19, they can open the app and indicate they have tested positive. When it is notified of an infected individual, NOVID sends an alert to those who were in close contact with the infected individual for longer than 15 minutes.

NOVID allows users to self-report symptoms, if they have them, every day. Students who have received an exposure notification are advised to schedule a screening with the Zerbe Health and Wellness Center on campus.

There were many reactions; some students felt that having to download NOVID was invasive.

“I guess it’s a good idea if someone wants to do it,” said senior Brittany Dundas.

“I think it would be crazy if they tried to make us download the app, but then again, if they did make us, you have other choices. You can do class online, you can take a gap semester, you can transfer to a new school. But I wouldn’t be happy if they made everybody download it and I’m glad they didn’t.”

Other students, although they recognize the drawbacks, such as high battery drainage, are willing to have the app if there is a chance that it will contribute to their

and now we have lost that.”

Senior Matthew Becker said, “Kitty Purry had an owner, but for myself, and I’m sure many others, I still felt like she was my own pet, and she became an integral part of our community in

just the two short years I saw her.”

Not everyone missed Kitty Purry. Senior Jesse Belitz does not miss seeing the cat around campus, especially since she frequently made visits to his first-floor room.

“Kitty Purry may foster unity, but at what cost? She is the devil in the form of a cat,” Belitz said. “She is entitled, prancing on to campus knowing she’s about to get whatever she wants.”

Kitty Purry made a pro-

Community The Collegian, Sept. 25, 2020

Page 4

‘I’ve been there’

7 Questions with...

Lewis speaks out about race Fiona Lacey

Community Editor Dr. Cedric Lewis has always been a Black man, but never felt the weight of it as much as he did this summer.

Black Lives Matter protests and an open dialogue finally brought racial injustices and everyday cultural insensitivities to light in an American discourse, he said.

Lewis, an adjunct professor at the college for eight years, experiences racial insensitivities all the time, and some have even taken place on campus.

Lewis visited the Open Forum, put on by Students Excited about Diversity (SEAD) on Sept. 8, and was overwhelmed by the turnout and the support of the students on the issues.

Feeling he had a great amount of experience relating to the matters at hand, Lewis took the microphone for a few minutes.

“This summer was sort-of the culmination of what it means to be a Black man in America,” Lewis said. “I’m one of the three Black professors on this campus, and I’ve experienced some insensitivity.”

He told the audience of 40 a handful of stories- run-ins with the police on his own porch steps, being stopped multiple times on the road, police asking if he had stolen the car he was driving.

“I stopped driving commercial cars after that,” Lewis said later in his office. “It happened all the time.”

He told stories about college students, too.

“It was my first day teaching at the college,” Lewis said. “I walked into the classroom, and right away a student looks at me and says, ‘Can I help you?’ I said, ‘I’m your teacher, can I help you?’” Lewis shook his head

Dr. Kristina Pazehoski Associate Professor of Biology What do you listen to on your ride home?

WES KINNEY

at the memory. “I had to literally go through my resume and tell them about the 20 plus years of education and experience I had in the field.”

Lewis’ experience is not singular at Grove City, as he expressed on Tuesday, “Minorities on campus vent to me all the time, and I encourage them to come to my office, because I get it- I’ve been there.”

“I know what he’s talking about,” Lewis said, referring to an African American student’s mention of a numb feeling arising in response to cultural insensitivity and racism. “It happens all the time.”

“When you’re a young Black kid, and you experience racism for the first time, it hurts. You think, ‘what was that about?’ After a while, it doesn’t even phase you anymore, you just kind of shake your head and keep going.

For many African Americans, there’s a point where you say that’s the way it is,”

he said.

The call of “Black Lives Matter,” to Lewis, does not represent the well-known BLM political organization, but the fundamental need that is not being met by the rest of American society.

“Of course all lives matter, but Black lives matter, too,” Lewis said.

As Lewis sees it, the way it is should not be the way it is. The healing can come, though, through empathy, listening and an open dialogue between cultures that differ, he said.

“We’ve just got to have more conversations with each other,” Lewis said. “We tend to relax a little bit when we are around people who look like us. [We need to] get to a point where we can feel that way no matter who is in the room.”

It was Lewis, though, who seemed to feel at ease, and became emotional towards the end of his time speaking at the forum. “I didn’t want

to get emotional,” Lewis said as tears streamed down his face. “But I’m so happy to see each of you here. You are showing Christ’s love.”

“I think I was very encouraged by the people that were there. It was a bit of an emotional release. For anybody to be able to openly share their truth, that will happen,” Lewis said.

Silence was followed by a hearty applause when Lewis finished speaking. Lewis is the father of nine children, many of them adopted.

“I’m married to a Grover, and have two blonde blueeyed daughters,” Lewis said.

“They’re my own. If we can just see each other as children of God, we would be in a better place.”

Lewis said he’s excited about discussion on campus this semester. “We’re having a lot of great speakers who are going to flesh a lot of this stuff out and bring it to the forefront. It’s just simply time.”

London school not lost

What are you currently reading?

Just finished “The Spark of Learning” by Sarah Rose Cavanagh. It is about harnessing the power of emotions to fuel learning – a lot of great practical examples to use in the classroom that I’m hoping to incorporate in some of my classes.

What’s something you’ve been pondering lately?

How to teach large numbers of students in a very personalized way, offering them choices to dig into something that is of interest to each one of them individually. I have ~170 students in my Bio 101 class, and rather than having a one-size-fits all approach for everything, I’m pondering how I can provide them with a chance to take what we learn in the day-to-day lecture and use it to understand a topic of their interest that they can get really excited about.

Favorite restaurant right now?

Matt Lamberson

Fox’s Pizza – my family orders from there 2x/week!

Contributing Writer

I first noticed the old-looking building when I visited Grove City as a junior in high school.

It was this old 18th century small building that looked like a one room schoolhouse.

Me and my family were driving up to the intersection of PA-208 and Mercer Butler Pike Road, when I saw it on the side of the road, across from Compadres Mexican Restaurant- I thought, ‘that’s something you don’t see every day.’

When we got to school this semester, some friends and I decided to check it out.

So we drove up to the same piece of land, parked on the grass, and got a good look at the building itself. Later I found out that it was indeed a one-room schoolhouse, and it was called the London School. There was actually an almost identical one to it just up the road in Liberty, too.

An old book from the college library says it was built

Podcasts: Nature Podcast, Another Mother Runner, Teaching in Higher Ed, occasionally Armchair Expert Or Music: Avett Brothers, Oh Hellos, Lumineers, They Might Be Giants

Name the one movie that makes you tear up.

Just worked through all the Toy Story movies with the kids – I cried in pretty much all of them.

What are you looking forward to today?

Hanging out with my 5 kiddos & hubby in the evening.

Favorite class you’re teaching right now?

FIONA LACEY

The schoolhouse on PA-208, called London School, has historical ties to Grove City College. in 1872, before the founding of Grove City College. Its class reunions are currently still going on, or were at the time of the book’s publication.

I found out Grove City College founder Isaac Ketler,’s wife taught there, along with another famous name, Joseph Newton Pew, the father of J. Howard Pew.

I looked at some older maps of the area and saw there’s this road right next to the school. We saw this outlined path in the grassy lawn beside the school building, and figured we’d check it out.

It was pretty eerie, and there really wasn’t anything down there. When I did more research, I figured out the land that we were standing

on- the road, the lawn, and the London schoolhouse, was all owned by Walmart.

This was very surprising, and I still don’t know much about why they own it. It was an adventure either way, though.

I’m planning on heading up to Liberty to check out the other schoolhouse; I imagine they’re almost identical.

BIO 101! It is a huge class, and I’m really challenged to learn names with the masks right now. I’m usually pretty good with picking up names quickly, but this is tough.

The students are great – they humor me by chuckling a little bit at my bad jokes, and working hard on the crazy activities & assignments I come up with. It is such a joy and blessing to be back in the classroom as opposed to working remotely!

The Collegian, Sept. 25, 2020

Page 5

Rooted in mentorship Scott Amon Staff Writer

HANNAH HAMMERSLEY

Andy Crouch spoke at chapel and convocation last week about images in our culture and creativity.

Living like Christ Applying his teaching

Clark Mummau Perspectives Editor

On Sept. 17, Christian author and public speaker Andy Crouch spoke in chapel on “Recovering our Creative Calling.” He discussed “the fourth plinth” and the need of Christians to fill voids in our culture with examples of Christ-like love and humility rather than trying to elevate ourselves. He tied his message with the current trend of tearing down statues and said that we should all be mindful of how we live.

Similarly, this summer the Sierra Club said that “it’s time to take down some of our own monuments” because of the role and relations their founder, John Muir, had with racism and the eugenics movement.

“The wild places we love are also the ancestral homelands of Native peoples, forced off their lands in the decades or centuries before they became national parks,” Sierra Club President Michael Brune wrote in an article for the organization.

This decision shows a loss of respect for one of the most prominent naturalists in America’s history. However, I think that the Sierra Club is making a wiser choice than simply tearing down a statue

and erasing any remembrance of him except for his less honorable portions. The Club is planning on “studying their history and determining which of their monuments need to be renamed or pulled down entirely.”

They will also be making the majority of their leadership people who are “Black, Indigenous, and other leaders of color” and mirroring this change throughout their whole organization.

While these are admirable efforts, I do not think that they are necessary. Like many other stautes, we commemorate the good and not the evil.

“But dig deep enough in the story of any hero or heroine, and you may well find a reason not to put them on any pedestal,” Crouch said.

Because we are all corrupted by sin, all of us, no matter how much good we accomplish, will also have innumerable sins that will be especially accessible because of the internet.

Crouch also expressed doubt that there would ever be anyone that we would believe in enough anymore to make into a statue. He extended our culture’s doubt of the past to a doubting the present by saying we are “a world that has toppled its he-

Collegian Crossword Across

2. Nov. 3rd

3. not varsity, not IM

4. fall coffee flavor

5. acronym, career fair

6. number of spring foot-

7. movie at the Guthrie

ball games

9. lost cat

8. recent iOS update

10. next month

12. number of positive cas-

11. RBG, adjective 14. love, Greek groups 16. next week 19. annual fall fun 20. newspaper style 21. flying dorm visitors 23. acronym, highest court 24. streaming service in controversy 27. savor this from last week 28. what Truman wrote 29. stay away 30. funniest headline winner

es last week 13. keep this in the door 15. acronym, student government 17. no more Sunday brunch here 18. college special 20. cartoon, revisited 22. creek and government 24. section, front page 25. home of online Collegians 26. update, can leave campus if it’s this

32. new major 2020

31. home for bees

34. first name, VP SL&L

33.

Down 1. Judge’s ruling of Wolf

acronym,

sports organization

campus

roes but is not sure it wants anyone else to build.”

While it is easy to say that all statues are mere history and thus should stand, many monuments do have shameful histories.

For example, Stone Mountain in Georgia was opened exactly 100 years after President Lincoln’s assassination on April 14, 1965, in the midst of the Civil Rights Movement.

Clearly, this monument to the Confederacy is meant to remind the Black people who live in the South who has the power even though slavery is abolished.

So the question remains: how do we, particularly as Christians, meet this cultural moment? As Crouch suggests, we should be iconographers rather than iconoclasts.

We should be the image of God and further the image of Christ in all of our actions.

We should stand up for those oppressed by certain monuments.

I also think it means that we should use our critical thinking to determine when to show grace to those who came before us when we celebrate their successes rather than remembering every sin.

After all, Jesus forgives us of our sins, but he also judges those who are unrepentant.

Mentorship programs are an important part of Grove The purpose of mentoring programs according to Elizabeth Messer, the Women’s Ministries Coordinator is “to provide first year students with support and encouragement throughout their first year of college.”

Growth through the mentoring programs is also a two-way street. “Through this program, our hope is that both the mentor and the mentee will grow personally and spiritually through this experience,” Messer said.

Starting this semester, a large number of the women’s mentorship groups were combined into one large mentor group, Deeply Rooted. The program quickly became a major success with 180 upperclassmen wanting to be mentors and 150 mentees joining.

“In the women’s program, we had around 40 more mentors than we needed so we were really able to match according to majors and interests” Messer said. Additionally, because of the program’s high turnout, Deeply Rooted is able to include more people, such as international students.

Deeply Rooted’s success is mirrored by the male counterpart mentoring program, the MENtor Project. Through the past few years, MENtor has been able to keep track of its growth.

“We have had a remarkable increase in the number of guys in this program in the last three years,” Pastor Eric Phillips, the Men’s Ministries Coordinator, said.

At its start, the program had around a dozen mentors and mentees in total. Now, MENtor has a little over a hundred guys.

“There is a really great group of upperclassmen guys that have taken it upon themselves to grow this program,” Phillips said.

Both Deeply Rooted and MENtor have similar approaches to the relationship between the mentor and mentee. Both groups understand that the strength of the program relies on spending

time with the mentee. The activities that the mentors and mentees partake in is largely up to the two, Messer said, but some typical activities include “getting a meal together, studying together or going on a walk or run together.”

Each week can look different, and “we also encourage mentors to include their mentees in activities that they are already involved in such as campus ministries groups or attending a worship service together,” Messer said. Through these efforts, the mentee is introduced to the different aspects of campus and can meet people they would not have otherwise.

MENtor’s activities are similarly styled but tend to be a bit more structured. Mentors meet with their mentee at least once a week for an hour, Shane McCosby said, and the beginning meetings help introduce the mentor and mentee. McCosby is in his second year of being a part of the MENtorship program.

“At first it is just to get to know each other, but later on we try to start some kind of spiritual study specific to the needs of the freshman,” McCosby said. Frequently, this spiritual study includes “some kind of bible study, or a spiritual growth plan specific to that freshman.”

The Deeply Rooted and MENtorship are designed to aid students as they mature both personally and spiritually.

McCosby adds, “The MENtor project, or Deeply Rooted, is a great way to invest in a new student on campus.

The freshmen here need guidance and community, as we all do. I would urge readers to consider joining these programs.”

By becoming a mentor, students impart the knowledge they have learned from their victories and defeats, while mentees benefit from this knowledge and gain a friend in the process.

Those interested in joining either Deeply Rooted or the MENtor Project can reach out to Elizabeth Messer or Pastor Eric Phillips.

Through the lens,

Sept. 25, 2020

Page 6

Fall in love... with bunnies!

A look at the annual Fall Fest Art and Text by Wes Kinney

Did you miss out on this year’s Fall Fest, put on by Student Government Association? In case you missed it, there were BUNNIES! Th- Th- Thats right folks, students took part in a myriad of activities put on by the student groups of campus.

From antler ring toss to marshmallow in a cup, students balled out at various booths. Tickets won for tasks completed were used to “purchase” miniature pies and candied apples. Due to its outdoor setting, this event attracted a number of students and social distancing was easily achieved.

Yet another success.

Through the lens,

Sept. 25, 2020

Page 7

Perspectives The Collegian,

Page 8

Sept. 25, 2020

Thank you, RBG

Student reflects on justice’s legacy Susannah Barnes Contributing Writer

In a photo of her Harvard Law class, Ruth Bader Ginsburg sticks out.

Not only because she is markedly smaller than all her classmates, but because she is the only woman in the photo. Ginsburg was not afraid to stand alone waiting for others to stand beside her, and she fought tirelessly throughout her life to bring more minority voices to the table.

Ginsburg’s own experience with gender discrimination is what lit a fire under her to fight for equal opportunity for all.

In a story that is now a part of the Ginsburg legend, the then Dean of Harvard asked her and the other eight women in her Harvard Law class how they justified taking a place that would have gone to a man.

Ginsburg in her 1993 Senate hearing recalled the other indignities she faced at Harvard and explained how those pushed her forward to fight for the women who would follow in her footsteps.

Though she continued to face more discrimination that limited her opportunities, Ginsburg thrived and used these challenges as fuel.

In the 1950s RBG was told by her male supervisor that she would be paid at a lower wage than her male coworkers because she was pregnant and may not be able to travel.

Ginsburg had to accept the lower wage, but eventually, she was able to strike down the laws that allowed for this type of discrimination against pregnant women.

Before being appointed to the bench, RBG argued six cases on equality in front of the Supreme Court and won five.

From challenging the law that prevented men from receiving survivor’s benefits under the Social Security Act to striking down an Idaho law that favored men over wom-

NEW YORKER

en in estate battles, Ginsburg fought to ensure that everyone had equal rights under the law.

Her career began supporting men who experienced gender discrimination, which then gave her the credibility and legal savvy to fight more complex laws that disproportionately harmed women.

During her tenure at the American Civil Liberties Union, Ginsburg argued against laws that seem too archaic to have existed as recently as the 1960s and ‘70s.

She fought to allow women to have a bank account without a consigner, to allow wom-

en to get a pension equal to men and to allow unmarried women to take out mortgages. And these are only a few examples out of the 300 cases of gender equality RBG fought during her legal career.

Justice Ginsburg leaves behind an incredible legacy.

The generation of law students she mentored and those she inspired will continue to fight for equal rights.

Women across the country have livelihoods and careers that would not have been possible without Ginsburg’s work both in front of the Supreme Court bench and be-

hind it.

As I enter my career in politics, my horizons are much broader because of RBG. Although Ginsburg and I could not be further apart on the political spectrum, I will always look up to her. Without Ginsburg, me and other young women pursuing political careers, would have a much harder path.

RBG will continue to influence and inspire for generations; her legacy has only just begun.

There is no denying that she truly was the Notorious RBG.

Just how far can he go?

John Kalajian

Contributing Writer We are living in a period when the powers of the executive branch of government are being expanded to see just how far they can go.

All over the United States, governors have issued executive orders over the past several months that have closed businesses deemed by them to be unessential, have forbidden students from returning to school and even limited travel between states.

Perhaps the most outrageous of these was Executive Order 2020-21 issued by Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D), which temporarily banned “public and private gatherings of any number of people occurring among persons not part of a

single household” with a few exceptions. This, in effect, banned travel between residences.

Governors have placed restrictions never seen before on American life. In the name of public safety, governments are now telling Americans where they can shop, where they can eat, what directions they can walk, when they can go to school, how they are to worship and when they are permitted to visit family and friends. This amount of control has never been seen before. Who says Bernie Sanders needed to be elected to make America socialist?

However, in this gloom of top-down control in the name of the public safety, there is a light on the horizon. On Sept. 14, a Pennsylvania federal judge ruled that some of Governor Tom Wolf’s (D) restrictions are unconstitutional.

The judge, William Stick-

man IV, appointed by President Trump, found that Wolf cannot arbitrarily decide what venues one can assemble in and not, that people have the right to travel wherever they want under due process and that the right to work an occupation of personal choosing is fundamental and Wolf does not have the authority to interfere with that.

To a strict constitutionalist, these sound like easy decisions, but not to nanny-staters who believe that rights are only legislated and can be taken away depending on the circumstances.

This ruling is a score for the former. If this ruling stands in higher court, then all gubernatorial orders regulating travel, assembly and choice of work will be overruled.

This could be the beginning of the end of government control over our lives that has become the norm

since February. And thanks to President Trump confirming more judges than any of his predecessors, the chances are high that there will be a near victory for small-government supporters. Nowhere in the Constitution is it permitted to run roughshod over the rights of Americans, even during a national emergency, because dictatorial leaders could then name anything a “national emergency”.

If you think there are not people in Washington who would like to name climate change and poverty as “national emergencies”, assuming dictatorial powers to “fix” them, think again. The recent Pennsylvania ruling is a glimmer of hope for those who long for the days when the government did not tell us how to live our lives in detail and a reminder that we are still the freest country on Earth.

A return to what?

Clark Mummau Perspectives Editor

Whenever I hear anything about the word “return” in a revivalist context, my mind first thinks, “what date is it this time?” But “The Return,” a global movement led primarily by Messianic Jewish pastor Jonathan Cahnm, is not to be interpreted in that context.

Rather than the second coming, this movement refers to “the return to God by coming before His presence in humility, in sincerity in prayer, and repentance.”

The period of national and global prayer and repentance officially began on the Feast of Trumpets, Sept. 18 and lasts until the Day of Atonement, Sept. 28. From Friday night to Saturday night, there will be speakers and people gathered at the Washington Mall.

“The Return” draws on the prophet Joel’s call for “a solemn assembly” of all people and leaders to repent in light of the pending Day of Judgment. According to Cahn, such assemblies are special times for repentance from sins that “may invite the judgment of God upon the nation.”

Such times of repentance are important, for we are people of unclean lips among a nation of unclean lips.

From our allowance of slavery for so many years, de jure and de facto discrimination afterwards, the promotion of abortion and non-traditional marriages and not to mention a national spirit of pride and selfishness, we are truly a sinful country.

However, I do not think we are truly at the critical point that Cahn and many politicians make it seem like we are in. A president and even a Supreme Court justice only have limited influence on the entire nation. The true heart of a nation lies in its people, and people do not typically change in an instant.

I do not mean that this movement is misplaced. In fact, I think it has a correct emphasis on repentance and turning to God as the impetus for change rather than our own works being what leads to change. I do, however, fear an over-reliance on such revival movements to bring spiritual growth. God is not dependent on our collective efforts to glorify him.

Furthermore, revivals are all a work of God. Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:5 that “we were dead in our trespasses,” but God “made us alive together with Christ.” Without God acting first to reveal our sin, we are blind and unable to repent.

A revival focused on human efforts is bound to fail, but one dependent on God’s bringing life to otherwise dead people will have success.

So, what will this “return” accomplish? Hopefully, the Lord uses it to convict many people of their sins and to change their hearts to serve Him alone. Any shift towards a more God-fearing society, even just one soul saved, would be reason to rejoice in the work of the Lord here on earth before He inevitably does return to perfectly consummate what He began.

The Collegian,

Sept 25, 2020

Page 9

In defense of the free market The issue of intellectual property Sam Branthoover Contributing Writer

In the past week, senators from both sides of the aisle have been taking shots at Google along with other large tech firms due to perceived monopolistic tendencies.

Pending lawsuits against the firms and growing congressional sentiment give a bleak outlook for the future of the aforementioned tech giants, but not much thought is truly given to the reasoning for such anti-trust actions.

Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri summed up the concerns of the investigation by claiming that Google controls too much of the market in internet advertising and consumer data. Apple and Amazon have also been the target of recent monopoly scrutiny, and it is easy to speculate why; Apple has recently become the first two-trillion-dollar company, and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos has gained billions throughout the pandemic.

Many look at these firms, shake their head and ask, “How are these companies allowed to make so much?” I propose an alternative question ─ how are they not making more?

When firms arbitrarily charge high prices, competitors will undercut prices because of the profit incentive.

If Google is taking too much data, charging too much or including too many ads, consumers will inevitably choose better services provided by competitors. But this has not been happening, and lawmakers are quick to blame Google and similar tech firms.

Senators Ted Cruz and Amy Klobuchar alike believe that Google buys competitors to maintain monopoly; however, logically, this does not make sense. If true, what

WOLF

continued from 1 He said that Wolf never published any criteria for “essential” and “non-essential” businesses nor the reasons he had for granting waivers.

Coulter said, “Judge Stickman zeroed in on Wolf’s lack of a formal and transparent process for determining which businesses were essential or non-essential.”

Bonner argued that businesses should make their own decisions of whether they remain open or closed subject to federal and state health and safety measures once the initial emergency had been confronted and contained.

“The judge supported this position as he held that we have a constitutional right to work, and only the most compelling circumstances should interfere with the right to provide for your family and yourself. If our businesses remained shuttered, other crises will emerge as we will lack the tax revenue to fund health care, law enforcement, pensions, schools and roads,” Bonner said.

While Coulter agreed with Bonner that Wolf seemed unprepared for the ruling, Coulter argued that, in the

BUSINESS STANDARD

would stop any individual with a laptop from creating a “competitor” and instantly getting bought up? Google would go bankrupt.

What senators and many others seem to misunderstand is that companies often find it mutually advantageous to share resources, which commonly ends in one acquiring another. Indeed, what we find in the case of Google and Apple is not a case of victimization of the consumer, but that of the corporations themselves.

Not only are these firms the subject of antitrust investigations and exceedingly high tax rates, but they are also victims of true monopoly: intellectual property laws.

Originally, intellectual property laws were implemented to spite large corporations, as they were meant to give state monopoly privileges to small businesses.

The thought was that this would incentivize inventors, assuming they would legally own their invention both physically and in thought.

But unsurprisingly, allowing individuals to own ideas literally has tended to have unforeseen consequences.

Instead of incentivizing technological development, patents have done quite the opposite. In best case scenarios, they give monopoly grants to individuals with no actual

ability to produce their product efficiently and in scale. In worst case scenarios, vague patents are scooped up by lawyers who then hold said patents for no other reason than to sue large firms for patent infringement.

This may seem like an uncommon occurrence, possibly so rare that it’s not worth investigating, but data suggests otherwise. From 2009 to 2013, Apple spent more money fighting patent litigation with non-practicing entities (firms that only exist for patent litigation) than they did on their entire research and development budget.

The same is true for Google.

The lesson that should be learned is not that corporations need more oversight; it is that we need to stop making the world poorer in our effort to make ourselves richer. Jeff Bezos owns a company that provided millions of Americans with a safe alternative to shopping at stores during a worldwide pandemic, Google provides a free search service that is faster and smarter than any competitor and Apple puts phones on the market that we would have thought were science fiction twenty years ago. We need to admit that some companies are built on quality goods and services, not just state-mandated monopolies.

case of a national emergency, state governments are to be given “extraordinary power.”

Stickman wrote, “The fact is that the lockdowns imposed across the United States in early 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic are unprecedented in the history of our commonwealth and our country.”

Bonner said, “Stickman acknowledged that quarantines are lawful and appropriate for those who have been exposed to a disease, but a lockdown of an otherwise healthy population is unprecedented.”

Dr. Caleb Verbois, associate professor of political science and pre-law advisor, disagreed with Stickman saying that his statements were “utterly absurd. I have a hard time taking that seriously.

We’ve had all sorts of public safety restrictions in prior pandemics, plagues, diseases and wars.”

For example, during World War II, the federal government restricted certain civil liberties, such as freedom of speech, to quell dissent and preserve national security.

During the 1918 flu pandemic, restrictions on transportation and public gatherings were made to limit the spread of influenza. The country now finds itself in a

similar situation.

“We restrict people’s rights in emergency all the time,” Verbois said. “If there is a live shooting in a neighborhood, the police are going to stop you from going home.

That is a restriction of your rights. You should be thankful if they stop you because they might keep you alive.”

Stickman stated, “In an emergency, even a vigilant public may let down its guard over its constitutional liberties only to find that liberties, once relinquished, are hard to recoup and that restrictions – while expedient in the face of an emergency situation – may persist long after immediate danger has passed.”

Bonner said, “In this instance, Judge Stickman believed that the immediate danger and initial purpose of the emergency conditions had passed and that a longterm approach under standard constitutional governance should now occur.”

While there is debate about whether Wolf’s orders violated the Constitution, Coulter said, “One thing that COVID-19 has taught us is that our present laws don’t seem prepared to address a pandemic, especially if one is more contagious and deadly than the present one.”

Dark history in repeat Hayley Grosh

Contributing Writer Human trafficking, also known as modern-day slavery, takes people’s freedoms and seeks to make profit from it.

Traffickers target vulnerable populations such as single mothers, children, people experiencing homelessness and more.

They trap people by trickery, fraud or physical force and make their victims work in inhumane conditions without appropriate compensation or care.

Human trafficking is often for the purpose of forced labor. In the United States and globally, labor trafficking looks like an individual forced to work in homes as domestic servants or factory workers held in inhumane conditions with little to no pay. Sex trafficking can occur within fake massage businesses, escort services, residential brothels, truck stops, strip clubs, hostess clubs, hotels, and in public on city streets.

In the United States in 2019, Polaris, an organization that investigates human trafficking occurrences, identified 22,326 trafficking victims and survivors. Although this is a staggering number, the real number of people affected by human trafficking in the United States that year is expected to be much higher. According to the Human Trafficking Hotline, human trafficking affects 24.9 million people globally, yet again this number is assumed to be a fraction of the people actually affected.

Recently there has been a spike of human trafficking during the Coronavirus’ rampage. This is projected

to continue as long as the economy’s low state persists.

In the wake of COVID-19, the population of vulnerable people has increased. As more people lose their jobs and their financial state teeters, traffickers are swooping in to claim the vulnerable.

Traffickers are masters at targeting the vulnerable through deception. One may hear of a job that doesn’t sound entirely ideal, but the target may take it anyway, thinking they will not have to be there long. However, the trafficker may likely usurp control through coercion, threats against the victim’s family and violence. They may mentally, emotionally and physically break down their victim until he or she feels powerless and worthless and no longer sees a way to escape.

What I just described could be a summary of millions of individuals’ experiences in human trafficking in the United States and around the world. This is wrong and needs to be put to an end, and this form of modern-day slavery continues to occur even in “the land of the free.”

When Jesus was on earth, he commanded his disciples to care for the vulnerable, oppressed and forgotten. As Christians, we are to follow the same command today.

We must protect the vulnerable around us.

Every human being is intrinsically endowed with God’s love and purpose. That is a gift that no wrong action or decision could take away from them. Jesus died once and for all, in order that all people might know him. Jesus valued every life, and we too need to show the same care for God’s people by fighting for the freedom from oppression of all enslaved people.

Perspectives Policy

The purpose of the Perspectives section is to give a space for student voices.

Here, student writers have the space to critique, question and analyze the world around them.

Perspectives articles represent the views of the individual writer. They do not represent the views of The Collegian, The Collegian staff or Grove City College.

While pieces in Perspectives are subjective by nature, The Collegian has standards for publication.

Articles submitted for publication are expected to provide arguments of substance that rely on fact and are void of foundationally emotional and biased arguments.

This is not a space to parrot party lines. Perspectives articles are expected to take original stances, and, where applicable, consider

Take photos but have nowhere to display them?

Join our team!

For more info about being a Collegian photographer, email gcc.collegian@ gmail.com.

the interaction of faith within their topic.

This is a space where all voices can be heard. It is our goal as The Collegian staff that Perspectives reflect the diversity of thought represented on the college’s campus.

Additionally, The Collegian will not accept a Perspectives article if the topic has not been reported on by the newspaper. This means that the publication of a submitted or proposed article may be delayed so The Collegian can provide a factual, unbiased context for the paper’s readership.

If you would like to submit an article for publication or want further clarification of The Collegian’s expectations contact Editor-in-Chief Paige Fay, Managing Editor Anna DiStefano, or Perspectives Editor Clark Mummau.

Connect with us!

Stay updated with our social media

@Collegian_GCC @gcc.collegian The Collegian: The Grove City College Newspaper

Entertainment

Page 10

Sept. 25, 2020

Theater’s ‘last chance’

NOLAN FANS

‘Tenet’s’ innovation, detail brings in movie-goers Chris Murphy

Contributing Writer “Tenet”: The theater industry’s last chance of survival.

While some businesses have been able to survive with little-to-no revenue since March, many cinema owners have put their venues up for sale or closed their doors entirely.

With recent movies like “Mulan” (2020) being put on Disney+ and others like “Wonder Woman 1984” being pushed to the holidays, “Tenet” serves a dual-purpose of provider and probe.

“Tenet” and Christopher Nolan’s determination to have a major release have been the answer to prayer for cinema owners around the

nation. Studios are sure to use this release to judge future release dates. That being said, is “Tenet” worth returning to your local theater?

“Tenet” is an incredibly hard movie to summarize without giving away vital information about the plot. In simplest terms, “Tenet” is an action movie where two timelines run concurrently, in opposite directions.

John David Washington plays ‘The Protagonist,’ a CIA operative who has been tasked with investigating the origin of ‘inverted’ objects— objects that have crossed from the current timeline to one running backwards.

At the source of the inverting process is the potential for unprecedented and irreversible destruction. To save

humanity, The Protagonist must learn how to battle an enemy that has already fought their battles; and, yes, the plane crash from the trailers serves this purpose.

I’m hesitant to share more details about the movie but, like many of Nolan’s other movies, this film is filled with details, plot twists and stunning effects to up the ante.

The visual effects stunned me many times throughout the film, as they feel rooted in the plot yet defy many expectations of visual media.

Duels taking place across timelines and fight sequences happening in reverse set a new precedent, potentially standard, for this movie genre.

Nolan is amazingly inventive, and his filmography

is packed with movies that break the mold, such as “Inception’s” dream layers and “Interstellar’s” depiction of space and time.

“Tenet” is creative to an extreme, leaving the audience wondering about the consequences of inversion and thinking about the film well after watching.

Unfortunately, there’s almost too much to unpack with this movie and the plot seems rushed along for the first act.

The initial rush of the opening sequence is followed by exposition and world building. While both are necessary to establish the intricacies of the plot, it’s here where viewers may find themselves struggling to piece everything together.

I recommend a second viewing to make sure nothing’s missed.

Overall, “Tenet” is another incredibly ambitious movie from Christopher Nolan and the time spent waiting for another theatrical release has paid off huge dividends.

While the movie would be just as innovative at home or on a phone, watching it on a big screen brought back the sensation of being fully immersed in the film.

It is yet to be seen if “Tenet” can save the theater industry, but it sure is giving it a chance.

It is exactly the film that movie-goers have been missing but expect to need a second viewing. I give “Tenet” an 8.5 out of 10.

David Zimmermann

“And that’s why I made ‘Cuties’: to start a debate about the sexualization of children in society today so that maybe — just maybe — politicians, artists, parents and educators could work together to make a change that will benefit children for generations to come,” she said.

I do not think that the promotion of pedophilia was the intent of Doucouré; however, that is what the audience perceived the film as.

There is even a scene that suggests that an older man is attracted to Amy and her friends as he watches them dance. Other shots, rarely focusing on their faces, excessively feature the girls’ bodies as they dance.

It seemed like the director started with good intentions of being a film that criticizes the sexual exploitation of young children, but ultimately failed to deliver that message, as it ironically indulges in those very same images.

When making art, an artist has enormous potential to communicate a message; the same is true of films. A director must make creative decisions to further enhance the plot while keeping the message at the core of the story.

Although the story progresses in “Cuties,” the message Doucouré wanted to share was lost in translation.

“Cuties” is neither good nor appropriate art and the film’s message clearly missed the mark. Art should make you feel something; the most that this film makes you feel is discomfort.

Not so cute News Editor

NICKELODEON

Avatar’s second wind Molly Miller

Contributing Writer Long ago, 2005 more like, “Avatar: The Last Airbender” premiered on Nickelodeon.

Many future Grove City College students were watching.

The animated series dominated TV screens, featuring a war-ridden universe where humans can ‘bend’ the four elements using movements similar to martial-arts. Their only hope is a master of all the elements, known as the Avatar. Only they could end the 100-year war and bring peace to the world.

Last May, amidst the COVID-19 lockdown, Netflix added “Avatar” to its library.

In one day, it was resurrected and thrust into the public eye. This time it would leave a bigger mark on viewers, including students.

With reality on hold, former fans took to watching the show as a form of comfort. Those who were not previously interested in “Avatar” were intrigued by its resurgence of popularity. I was a member of the latter group.

I took the leap. I sat down on my couch, heart open, expecting the show to require a few episodes to find a

rhythm. It was quite the opposite. From the intro to the credits, the “Avatar” universe completely immersed me.

Returning to campus, I found many students felt a bond with the series after just one viewing. We all felt compelled to return a second or third time. But why? As adults, what could we gain from watching a kids’ show years after its original release?

Drawing from my own experience and interviews with others, I have reached a few conclusions.

For adults, investment can only happen with successful worldbuilding.

Alongside expert comedic writing, “Avatar” weaves a cohesive narrative while discussing hot-button issues.

Sexism, destiny, revenge, justice and honor are a few recurring themes our characters navigate throughout the show. We get much of this from our protagonist, Avatar Aang.

As a 12-year-old Airbender raised by monks, Aang wrestles with his destiny of stopping the war. How can he respect all life while stopping the tyrannical Fire Lord?

How can destruction result

in peace? These questions win resounding praise from students as they remain relevant through childhood and adulthood.

This leads to my last discovery: Grovers are suckers for moral growth, and “Avatar” boasts a hilarious and inspiring cast of relatable characters. From goofy Sokka and motherly Katara of the Water Tribe, to angsty Fire Nation Prince Zuko, everyone learns about themselves and respects others for doing the same.

“Avatar” teaches that everyone has a past that shapes them, something most modern shows neglect. Interestingly, all interviewees praised the growth of the antagonist, Zuko. Even though he is Aang’s ‘enemy,’ we feel for him.

Watching an antagonist fight against their past is awe-inspiring to adults and kids alike.

It fosters inner strength and reminds us that everyone deserves freedom from past mistakes if they repent.

That justice is possible without violence.

Earlier this month, Netflix’s latest film, “Cuties,” sparked controversy as it gratuitously portrays the sexualization of young girls.

This French coming-ofage film tells the story of an 11-year-old girl named Amy who finds freedom dancing in a sexually provocative dance crew. As she learns to express herself in new ways, tensions within her family begin to rise.

Once released on Netflix, many viewers were outraged that the film featured scenes with young girls performing sexually suggestive dance moves. The audience’s distaste for the French film soon led to the “#CancelNetflix” trend on Twitter, which caught the eyes of U.S. politicians such as Ted Cruz and Tulsi Gabbard.

This is the main problem with “Cuties” that many expressed—it enables pedophilia and child sex trafficking.

In a statement to Variety, Netflix, along with director Maïmouna Doucouré, defended “Cuties” as “a social commentary against the sexualization of young children.”

According to a Washington Post op-ed penned by the director herself, Doucouré wrote that the film was intended to be a critique of how young girls have been sexualized in modern society, especially with the technological advancement of social media.

The Collegian, Sept. 25, 2020

Page 11

Michaela Burke passes the ball to a teammate during a September 2018 game against Adrian College. The Wolverines won 2-1 in double overtime.

GCC

Senior season sidelined

Athlete reflects on changed year in soccer Michaela Burke Contributing Writer

From the first moment I stepped on to campus freshman year, I heard people saying, “These four years will fly by. Cherish every moment that you can.”

If I am honest, I brushed that advice aside for the majority of my time here.

There were even moments when I thought that time was not moving fast enough! It is probably cliché to say, but now, in my last semester, I realize that I could not have been more wrong to feel that way. It is easy to get caught up in the monotony of

things and to lose sight of the good and the memories that are surrounding you.

I feel like in athletics, this is all too true. Athletes get so focused on practices, schedules, schoolwork and performance that they are unable to see the true heart of what they are surrounded by. This is the rut that I found myself in just last spring.

Although it may sound strange, in some ways I am thankful for COVID and all it has brought about. When you are forced to stop and reflect on your life, you tend to see a lot more clearly.

It is so easy to be bitter during this time, having had our seasons taken away and knowing that I will not have the opportunity to play with

my teammates again. But when we only focus on the negatives and the uncertainties, that is the attitude we are going to portray to the world – fear of the unknown.

The time away from school and soccer helped me to realize the reason everything is happening. It is not the uncontrollable nature of things; it is God slowly working everything out the way He has always been planning.

There is something so much greater in store for us, but we find ourselves getting caught up in the self-pity of our situations. As a team we have eight core values that we all strive to live out. I want to focus on two of those.

One: we support the team mission regardless of our in-

Around the Majors Connor Schlosser Staff Writer

Over 400 players were selected before Albert Pujols in the 1999 MLB draft.

Notable names such as Josh Hamilton, Josh Beckett, John Lackey and Coco Crisp lined the earlier rounds of the draft class, but with the 18th pick of the 13th round, the St. Louis Cardinals found a hidden gem.

Fast forward 20 years, 10 All-star selections, three MVPS and two World Series later to today, Pujols is still making headlines.

The 40-year-old “Machine” surpassed legendary Willie Mays’ record of 660 home runs last week, ranking Pujols fifth in career homers.

Ahead of Pujols sits the controversial Yankee great, Alex Rodriguez, with 696 home runs, while fellow Yankee legend, Babe Ruth, holds third with 714. Hank Aaron boasts 755, while Barry Bonds wears the crown with 762.

The Machine, now with the Los Angeles Angels, has declined to his worse career batting average in the .230s, but nonetheless remains a

threat when up to bat.

The League’s regular season schedule has been trimmed significantly from the typical 162 games to a measly 60. This shortened season places emphasis on divisional play, slotting postseason action to begin the first week of October.

It has been a banner year for Los Angeles sports in both basketball and baseball, unless you are with the wrong LA squad. While the Lakers and Dodgers are the favorites in their respective leagues, the recently eliminated Clippers and the Mike Trout-led Angels have been disappointing.

You can bet on Mookie.

He is the real deal. And when you remember that Betts and the Dodgers have a young Cory Seager and veteran pitcher Clayton Kershaw in the fold, you get a promising mix of talent with limitless World Series potential.

Tampa Bay has a clear ray of hope for the postseason.

The Rays have elevated past their AL East rival of New York and are on their way to secure divisional dominance. Holding a young and hopeful roster, the Rays

have excelled from being the joke of the AL East in 2016 to a juggernaut of 2020.

The San Diego Padres sit just behind the Dodgers in the NL West but are projected to go deep in the postseason. The Padres have a young, strong and talented roster, boasting big name Manny Machado, 21-yearold Fernando Tatis Jr., Eric Hosmer and recently acquired pitcher Mike Clevinger. San Diego is a legitimate threat to LA. The Bay Area belongs to the Athletics, not the Giants.

Defense appears to be a winning recipe for the A’s. With a solid pitching corps, and a talented Matt Chapman, Oakland has been looking great this shortened season.

A handful of teams are still holding their breath with championship hopes. Both Chicago squads are playoff material, along with Minnesota and Cleveland. A young Atlanta team has secured their spot as the NL East division winner. A wobbling New York Yankees team may have clinched a playoff berth but could struggle to go deep because of injuries.

October is coming.

dividual circumstances. No matter the plans you had, the work left to do or anything else going on, you are still prioritizing the team and our goal to play the game so that Christ is immediately evident. This includes the feelings of self-pity that a time like this brings about.

Two: we strive to leave a legacy in our program. As athletes our first thought when we hear legacy regards performance. How can we perform so that a legacy of our achievements and workethic is being remembered?

But that is the wrong way to look at it. A Christian athlete’s goal should be to leave a legacy for Christ. Our thoughts should reflect Him and focus on drawing others

closer to Him through our actions.

I would not have truly grasped this idea had it not been for my current situation. Although there is a lot of sadness and pain knowing that my time playing as a Wolverine with my teammates and coaches is over, I know this sport is a unique gift from God. Soccer can draw you closer to Him every time you step on the field; that is what this team has taught me.

I want to challenge all of the other athletes and students on campus to look at your life and ask yourself, “What type of legacy am I leaving? Is it one that points back to me, or one that leads people closer to Christ?”

SAAC

awesome to see athletes supporting each other at their games and bringing energy from the stands. Even though we all play different sports, we all wear the same “G” on our jerseys. We represent the same thing. SAAC helps us fuel the unity of the athletic department, and that’s what makes it really fun to be a part of,” Prouty said.

Part of what fuels the athletic department’s vision is the goal of “Wolverines Together.” It is one thing to say it and wear it, but it is another to represent it; SAAC is a major part of promoting unity across all sports.

“Through SAAC each sport has an opportunity to join with another team to do something they love,” Prouty said. “SAAC is one of the many ways that the student athletes can support and come closer to each other and God through being Wolverines Together.”

As the semester continues, expect to see more from SAAC, as they continue to help bring the athletic community together.

continued from 12 dition of softball’s junior Morgan Prouty, came out on top as the big winners of this year’s tournament.

“The kickball tournament was a ton of fun and was a big hit!” said Prouty, who praises this year’s SAAC team for all their hard work.

“The event was a great way for many of the athletes to be together again and competitive. Even though the athletic teams are still practicing right now, many of us miss the adrenaline and competitiveness of playing in games.

The kickball tournament was an amazing way to have a taste of that again.”

Most recently, SAAC has announced a lawn games night scheduled for athletes on Oct. 10.

In a time when student athletes need each other and need support, as they continue through this abnormal season, SAAC has stepped in to give athletes a support system for one another.

“My favorite part of SAAC is the community atmosphere that it builds. It is

SCHEDULE

expected to be released soon.

ible schedules, with schools maintaining the ability to schedule matches within a four-day window.”

Specific game-day dates for soccer and volleyball are

ing with member schools

continued from 12

Currently, the PAC is workto solidify these scheduling plans and working to create a spring athletics schedule for the remaining sports.

Sports The Collegian, Sept. 25, 2020

Page 12

Friday nights lights PAC announces spring football schedule

Emily Rupczewski Sports Editor

Football season will make its return to campus on March 12, when the Wolverines are scheduled to face off against Case Western University at 7 p.m. on Robert E. Thorn Field.

This week the President’s Athletic Conference officially released the 2021 spring football schedule. In addition to the March scheduling, these matchups will take place on Friday nights, rather than Saturday afternoons.

The PAC divided its 10 conference teams into North and South divisions. Each team will play a total of five season games within their divisions, plus one inter-division game at the end of the season.

Grove City has been named as part of the North Division, which includes Westminster, Thiel, Geneva and Case Western.

The Southern Division will be comprised of Bethany, Chatham, Waynesburg, Saint Vincent, Washington and Jefferson and Carnegie Mellon.

In these matchups, the first-place team of the North Division will face the firstplace team of the South Division, competing for the conference title. The secondplace through fifth-place teams will follow suit, each facing their opposite division equal for their final game.

The PAC has announced similar plans for additional traditional fall sports, volleyball and men’s and women’s soccer. Timelines and guidelines have been named with specific dates and schedules to follow in the coming

The football team continues to practice on Thorn Field for their upcoming spring season. weeks.

Volleyball is slated for an eight-week season, beginning on Feb. 25, and will be played between 10 teams over a season of nine games each, concluding on April 14. Volleyball will still have a PAC championship tournament played over the course of two days at the end of the season.

Men’s and women’s soccer will follow a similar pattern and will be allotted an eightweek season, where each of the 10 teams will play nine games, same as volleyball.

According to the statement issued by the PAC, “the schedules will be flexSCHEDULE 11

SAAC unites athletes Emily Rupczewski Sports Editor

If nothing else this year, the Wolverines find themselves together more united than ever before. Coming down from a year of multiple teams winning PAC championships in their respective sports, the Wolverines find themselves without competition this semester.

But one group on campus is striving to unite athletes across all teams and provide a competitive outlet for players this semester.

Grove City’s Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC) has taken leadership a step further this year. So, what exactly is SAAC? “SAAC works to bring the sports team together,” senior Vice President Jordan McConnell said.

“It’s a big representation of the ‘Wolverines Together’ mantra that is the vision of the athletic department. We do a lot of events at games to try to gather bigger crowds and just encourage support among the athletic teams.

We [also] occasionally vote on NCAA policies and issues.”

As well as being a member of the women’s basketball team, McConnell has served as a SAAC representative for her team for the last two years and has taken on the role of Vice President this year.

SAAC has been extremely active on their social media as well as involving athletes on campus in the wake of the competitive void this semester. Already, SAAC has put on a kickball tournament, where athletes from different varsity teams joined together and competed against one another.

“SAAC this year looks different because there are no games to go to at the moment.” McConnell explained.

“We’ve been focusing on trying to still have events, like the kickball tournament, where teams can come together, have some fun and do something competitive, because we are all missing that!

We have also just been trying to get to know the athletes of other teams better and build relationships across sports teams.”

Football and women’s track and field, with the adSAAC 11

FIONA LACEY

GCC

This week, the Presidents’ Athletic Conference released the schedule for the spring football season.

The club remix Ayden Gutierrez Contributing Writer

The future of Grove City College club sports is up in the air, but it looks like some of these athletes will still get the opportunity to play this fall.

Along with IM sports, club sports will look to give students another avenue to compete. Students have the option of men’s volleyball, men’s and women’s rugby, men’s hockey and women’s lacrosse. Although the option is present, club sports are not for everyone. They may not be considered varsity sports, but club sports still require an advanced skill level. Club sports are not just the next step up from IM sports; they are everything that varsity sports are, minus the name. In other words, to make these teams, you have to earn it.

The men’s volleyball team’s schedule is uncertain, but one thing remains clear: the players are preparing to play. Junior Sam Verrett is a member of the men’s volleyball club team.

“We don’t have too many restrictions so far,” Verrett said. “The worst thing is that our tournament season is up

in the air. There is a good chance that our tournament here at GCC gets cancelled, as well as most of the tournaments that we travel to.”

Verrett said that the team had a few more guidelines that they had to follow. He stated that masks must be worn while players are on the sidelines. Along with that, due to the amount of varsity teams using the PLC arena, the club team has been forced to use the IM court.

Junior Daniel DeGraaf, a captain on the volleyball team, said, “This season is definitely different than years past. Our season started a week ago with open gyms, and we should be able to start real practices within the next week. We had a lot of good, young players try out this fall. We were forced to make some tough decisions when it came time to cut.

With that being said, we have a deep roster with multiple guys posing the possibility to see the court. As far as games go, we most likely won’t get to do any scrimmages this fall. However, we have a big enough roster to have several inter-squad scrimmages. Besides, some of the best competition that we play all year before nationals in April is ourselves.”

Not all clubs are going to get the opportunity to play.

The men’s ice hockey team was forced to leave their league due to difficulties resulting from Covid-19.

Senior Dan Hagan, the president of the Ice Hockey Club, said, “Unfortunately, the Covid-19 restrictions have affected us in the same way as many other sports.

Our season in the HAHL (Hess Adult Hockey League) would have started in late September and ran through next April. However, due to the virus and its restrictions, we are sidelined and did not join the league this year. We will reevaluate the future of the club in the spring. We have a healthy budget right now, so we’re hoping to be able to rent out the ice [rink] somewhere here in the area.”

Covid-19 has taken its toll in 2020. In terms of athletics, it is not just the varsity teams that have been affected: club sports have been affected too. It is important that students continue to pray for all those being affected by this virus. Once again, it is time to put Wolverines Together to the test. In order for these athletes to get the opportunity to play, we must keep the faith and take all necessary precautions.