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The @Collegian_GCC @gcc.collegian The Collegian: The GCC Newspaper
Friday, October 16, 2020
Collegian The Award-Winning Grove City College Student Newspaper
Vol. 106, No. 6
HAL to get a new name David Zimmermann News Editor
forced quarantine protocol immediately around 10 p.m. “We all received emails from Joseph Cirelli saying that we all had to quarantine,” Littleton said. Thinking she would receive instructions in the morning, Littleton waited till midnight, but never heard back. She awoke at 2 a.m. to knocking on her door from the Resident Director of Harker Hall, Katie Oomkes, who told her she was to immediately move her items to the ground floor of MEP dormitory. “I kind of thought I was still dreaming for a second,” Littleton said. “Even if I did
Last week, the college announced that the Hall of Arts and Letters (HAL) academic building will be renamed in honor of alumnus Richard Staley ’62, who donated a $4 million gift in support of the college’s mission. On behalf of the college, President Paul McNulty ’80 expressed gratitude for Staley’s donaSTALEY tion. “Richard is one of the college’s most generous supporters, and this gift will enhance our ability to manage both the challenges of today and the strategic opportunities of tomorrow,” said McNulty. “His contribution is an extraordinary encouragement to the entire Grove City College community.” Others felt similarly about the donation. Professor of English Dr. H. Collin Messer, who is also the assistant dean of the Calderwood School of Arts and Letters, said, “I am thrilled about Mr. Staley’s gift. It is a fitting honor for one of our most generous alums.” In response to his generous contribution, the college’s Board of Trustees approved of the rededication of HAL to the Staley Hall of Arts and Letters, which will take place at Commencement 2021. While many students support the college’s decision, some may find it difficult next year to stop calling the building HAL. Although disappointed that the name was changing, sophomore Caleb Van Grouw said, “I think it’s a good move considering the donation that was given. Obviously, I’ll always think of it as HAL, but I think the donor deserves to be honored in some way.” At first, freshman Elizabeth Hatton was surprised about the news. “It’s a strange mix of feelings. I’m sad that the name is changing because it won’t feel as familiar anymore. But I also think Staley’s contribution is a worthy reason to rededicate HAL,” she said. Hatton added, “I will do my best to get used to calling it STAL or whatever name people decide to go with. But in all honesty, it’s going to be difficult to not call it HAL because it’s a natural habit at this point.” Van Grouw agreed. “I’ve been calling it HAL for so long that it will be hard to change. I think I would need
QUARANTINE 3
HAL 5
Hicks stands empty after college shifted to to-go dining in response to the increase in COVID-19 cases on campus.
MAYA LINDBERG
Tag — you’re it!
Students isolate as cases rise Paige Fay
Editor-in-Chief The first week and a half of October has seen a significant spike in COVID-19 cases on Grove City College’s campus. The college saw five cases in the first six weeks of the semester but now the number has jumped to 19 since Oct. 11. “Given the remarkably low number of cases in the first several weeks of the semester, it was somewhat overwhelming at first to see the numbers grow so quickly,” Grove City College President Paul J. McNulty ’80 said. The college began to see this rise in cases in the middle of last week. Each positive case means managing a list of primary and secondary contacts in an attempt to control the spread. “Student Life and Learning and Operations quickly jumped into action and are now managing this quite effectively,” McNulty said. The college postponed almost all campus activities – such as dining in cafeterias, athletic events and extracurriculars – except for chapel and classes. In an email to students on Oct. 9, McNulty said that the administration will be reevaluating these conditions on Oct. 16 to decide whether the policies need to continue or be expanded. “We felt it was wise to stop for a moment and make sure we’re not missing anything,” McNulty said. “We wanted to stem the spread by being proactive.” According to emails from Student Life and Learning, once a student tests positive for COVID-19, the student must provide a list of primary contacts. These contacts
are people with whom the positive student was within six feet for longer than 15 minutes. Primary contacts undergo PCR testing at the Zerbe Health and Wellness Center and are relocated to a quarantine location on campus or transition to finish their quarantine at home. Those students must remain in quarantine the full 14 days since contact with the COVID-positive student. Quarantined students on campus have their meals delivered to their door and can leave their rooms to use the community restroom and do their laundry at specified times. The primary contacts then provide the college a list of their contacts. These contacts, secondary to the COVID positive case, are asked to self-isolate in their rooms, attending classes virtually and only leaving their rooms to get meals, do their laundry and use a community bathroom. Students in self-isolation may return to their normal routine if their primary contact tests negative. The college has reserved about 75 rooms for quarantine and coordinated with local hotels in the event campus space has been exhausted. According to Nurse Director of Zerbe Health and Wellness Center Amy Pagano, the center has conducted over 300 COVID-19 tests since the beginning of the semester. Of the tests, 192 were given since Oct. 1, and 115 were given from Oct. 5 to Oct. 10. The COVID-19 tests are PCR tests, which means they are obtained by nasal swab. Each student undergoing a test receives it through ExISOLATION 3
EMILY RUPCZEWSKI
Missing the boys, two students gather outside a ‘mole hole’ window at MAP West to communicate with quarantined friends.
Students enter quarantine life Fiona Lacey
Community Editor Wake-up calls came at 2 a.m. early last week for the Gamma Chi sorority, and it wasn’t pledge week. Due to the positive COVID-19 test of one Gamma Chi member, all members of the Gamma Chi sorority were forced into automatic quarantine late last Tuesday. One member already had COVID-like symptoms, so most of the sorority and those who had been exposed were already self-isolating, according to junior Gamma Chi sister Lauren Littleton. But when the member’s test came back positive, Student Life and Learning en-
Editorial
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The award-winning Grove City College student newspaper, Oct. 16, 2020
From the Tower
Stay in your own tower
Thinking back, everyone can remember “pre-COVID” times. Watching movies, looking at Snapchat memories and Instagram posts brings on nostalgia and a sense of “the good old days.” But, as with any days, we never know they’re good or old until they’re over. So, here we sit, many of us self-isolating or in quarantine, remembering back on those good old days and wishing we had some new good ones to share. Self-isolating and quarantine are hard. We wait in our towers, wishing we had some walls to paint or a chameleon with a knack for hide and seek. But the coronavirus doesn’t care if you’re a princess or if you have a lovely Broadway singing voice. A campus of Rapunzels, we sit and wait for Student Life and Learning to tell us to let down our hair. In this time of silence and stillness, we are reminded of the blessing of protocol. Not long ago, we faced an abbreviated semester in the face of global panic – a wave of fear that drowned the nation and whose tides “the Bubble’s” walls couldn’t keep out. But this time is different. This time we prepared. When we came back, we knew the risk and continued to walk forward. Why should we stop now when the finish line only gets closer? It’s time to step up and work hard to ensure we all stay until Thanksgiving. That means following protocols, no matter how frustrating or inconvenient they may be. While wearing masks fogs up glasses and causes breakouts and maintaining an appropriate social distance can be difficult, they protect others from ourselves and may protect you and your friends from direct contact. Self-isolation and quarantine are even less enjoyable than mask-wearing, but they are important to keep the campus safe. Perhaps they can also act as another incentive for stellar COVID behavior, along with a more likely spring semester. We want to learn. It’s why we’re at Grove City College. So, we need to make sure our friends and classmates can learn from the classroom and not Microsoft Teams. Part of what makes our education valuable is the inperson learning and human connection that makes up our community. Not only does following these rules protect those around you, but they protect you, too. Protect your freedom to learn in person by maintaining your distance and wearing your mask. So, as we wonder when our lives will begin, we can rest in the fact that we have made it this far, empowering us to continue even further.
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 Sports Emily Rupczewski Photo Chief Wes Kinney Design Chief Caleb West
Staff Writers Scott Amon Noel Elvin Connor Schlosser Gabrielle Capaldo Jules Wooldridge Ayden Gutierrez 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.
HANNAH HAMMERSLEY
Virus reveals spheres of influence Anna DiStefano Managing Editor
For a small campus, we have a lot of opportunities. It’s one of the perks of coming to a place like Grove City—you can be involved in just about anything, regardless of your major. The Collegian’s own design chief is a mechanical engineer. But our greatest strength has become one of our greatest weaknesses. In a place where everybody knows everybody a million different ways, a single positive test can have huge complications. As the cases began to rise last week, and we watched more and more people we knew go into isolation, and even quarantine, my roommates and I began to analyze our own interactions. It started out jokingly, a COVID-19 edition of six degrees to Kevin Bacon, but it quickly turned serious. Who could take us out? And if one of us went down, the others wouldn’t be far behind. The end of last week was surreal. Isolation emails
were coming in left and right. Events cancelled. Dining halls reduced to take out. Open hours put on hold. It felt like the second week of March, right before we all packed up and moved out. In the time since that foggy week of uncertainty, the college has emphasized our core value of community—reminding us that our community is what makes us special, what will help us persevere and what we are working to preserve. So far, we have adapted to our new community. We have redefined what it looks like and worked to stay. We’re just hitting some bumps in the road. As I reflected on this elevation of our community, I was reminded of another one of our values: stewardship. On tours, we’ll frame stewardship to prospective students in terms of spiritual gifts or finances. In my Baby Environmental Science class, Dr. Jenkins described stewardship as taking care of what God has given you. Now, we must be stewards of our health. Err on the side of caution, not out of fear, but out of love. While we want to be careful for our own health,
This week in Collegian history
Love, politics and football Oct 11, 1920 “Affairs de coeur” The Collegian in the 20s often included what can only be described as a gossip column in almost every issue. The highlight from that issue came from Memorial Hall; student Dave Tallant was “acquiring considerable repute among the under-classmen as an advisor in ‘affairs de coeur’” – that is, affairs of the heart. According to the column, several “interesting romances have already been starting under his fatherly tutelage.” Later in the column, student Neal Nevin is announced to be sitting the football season out, “owing to an acute attack of the heart.” Some things never change.
Green Eyeshade Award
Oct 16, 1940 “Collegian Sponsors Straw Vote for President: Grove City Students Vote Next Monday and Tuesday for Roosevelt or Willkie”
This week’s Green Eyeshade Award goes to Design Chief Caleb West, for stepping up in unique circumstances with a willingness to work and great attitude.
Like 2020, 1940 was a presidential year, with sitting President Franklin D. Roosevelt challenged by Republican nominee Wendell Willkie. October 80 years ago, the Collegian held a straw poll – an unofficial ballot conducted as a test of opinion – “to determine who the next president of the US would be if the students of Grove City College were electing him.” Will Grove City choose to give FDR another term as president, or will
the
The Green Eyeshade Award honors student contributors that demonstrate consistency and excellence in their work.
West
we are not doing all this for ourselves, but for each other. Allow yourself to be inconvenienced. Inconveniences, unfortunately, are not new. Right now they take the forms of wearing masks, staying on campus and isolating. Like many on campus, I have spent time in isolation. Isolation, or “QuarantineLite,” can seem extreme, or even ridiculous, at first. You didn’t even come into contact with the positive test—you might have just eaten lunch (when we were allowed to dinein) with someone who sat near someone who tested positive. This situation, when you are isolated because you know somebody who knows somebody, gives insight to our spheres of influence. We do not realize just how connected we are and how many people our actions affect. Contact-tracing has brought our web of a community into focus, highlighting the strands that link one person to the next. As the image becomes sharper, we realize the magnitude of our actions and the weight they carry.
they show him the door, in favor of Willkie? Ballots will also include an opportunity for students to express feelings about the new draft law passed that year. Tune in October 23, 1940 (covered in the next issue of the Collegian) to find out. Friday, Oct 17, 1980 “Letters to the Editor” Grove City of the 80s is certainly different from Grove City of today, in more ways than one might automatically think. Hopeman and Lincoln residents, look and weep, as this time 40 years ago, football games were not allowed on the Lincoln lawn! In this letter to the editor, student Michael J. Kling wrote in to share a “distressing sight” he had witnessed… “A group of KAPs were playing an organized football game in front of Hopeman Hall.” This, however, is not the actual distressing sight. Apparently, the college security force responded to this defiance of college policy by driving the security truck “down the main drive past Hoyt Hall, then veered off the road and came to an abrupt halt on the sidewalk,” thus effectively ending the students’ game with this “hazardous driving.”
Jules Wooldridge
Staff Writer
News The Collegian,
Oct. 16, 2020
Page 3
Breen takes chair Lillian Ford
Contributing Writer With his success as a leader in the business world, Edward Breen ’78 is now taking on the role of Chairman of the Board of Trustees. Breen will replace former Chairman David Rathburn ’79. Both Breen and his wife, Lynn, have known Rathburn since the late 1970s, and Breen has served on the Board with Rathburn for the past two decades. Graduating with a degree in Business Administration and Economics, Breen started out at General Instrument, a small cable TV equipment company based in Hatboro, Pa., later becoming chief executive officer of the company. He then moved on to sell the company to Motorola, of which he became the CEO as well. He became the CEO of Tyco International and later the CEO of DuPont, where he
just celebrated his fifth year. Breen and his wife Lynn are both alumni and have been highly involved with the college. To them, the college means a lot because it is where they met and holds the values to provide the philosophy of a Christian worldview, a free society and the love of your neighbor. The college also contributes to the future success of students in their careers as the education is rigorous, thus preparing them for the world in which they will be employed. Breen said this new position has allowed him to give his time to the college as a leader to help grow the college even more. As a result, he has some short-term and long-term goals. Among his short-term goals would be to become “more familiar with the college’s strengths and challenges, and to support (Pres-
Choices of interest Karsten Lagerquist Contributing Writer
A few weeks ago, I wrote an article discussing the importance of beginning to invest now instead of postgraduation. As I alluded to in the previous article, the money that you put into stocks specifically should be limited to those dollars that you will not need within the next year or two. Our asset allocation strategies as students need to be more diversified. The stock market is simply too volatile in the near-term, regardless if you invest in an index tracking mutual fund or pick individual equities that catch your eye. This begs the question: what should we currently be doing with our money that we will need soon? How can we make the most of our resources without taking on more risk than is wise? Returns will need to be compromised to some extent because high returns require the investor to take on more risk. But a happy medium between risk, safety and returns can be found in the world of fixed-income investing. Fixed-income investing is named as such because the investments within this category normally have guaranteed interest payments at a specified interest rate attached to them. Bonds are one of the most common forms of fixed-income investing. Simply put, bonds are just loans. Corporations and municipalities issue them to raise funds. The issuing entity gets the cash it needs, pays the investor interest for a certain number of years, and then repays the amount it initially received once the bond matures. Depending on the financial state of the issuing entity, a bond’s
price will increase or decrease. However, the price remains fairly stable. Thus, it is easier to know what return the bond will yield. Bonds are generally traded through brokers individually or as a part of a fund. Investors have the option to hold their bonds or to sell them to other wouldbe-investors. A simpler and safer option would be putting money into a Certificate of Deposit (CD). CDs are close cousins of regular bank savings accounts. The difference between the two is that the money you put into a CD cannot be removed until the end of the CD term without a substantial penalty being incurred. CDs can be opened at any bank for almost any length of time ranging from 6 months to 5 years or longer. Because the bank is guaranteed that you will leave your money with them for that specified time, the bank is willing to offer higher interest rates to you as the depositor than to those with the ability to withdraw as needed. For this reason, the longer the term of the CD, the higher the rate will be. A simple Google search yields the best current CDs offered by various banks. Asset allocation, the process of deciding what types of investments to make, is crucial. After all, investing is not just about stocks. They may be flashy, but stocks are not always appropriate for a given situation. Lower risk, fixed-income investment options (like bonds and CDs) that keep cash safe while still yielding tangible benefits are most ideal, especially when the immediate goal is to reduce the amount of debt acquired during college.
ident) Paul McNulty and his leadership team in managing through this current pandemic crisis,” he said. In addition to the shortterm goals, he also would like to focus on the balanced budget in order to keep the college on top of things financially, as well as ensure the school is marketed to prospective students in this ever-changing market. In regard to helping with attracting prospective students to the college, Breen said new programs are being developed, such as new master’s degrees in systems Engineering and Data Analytics, as well as the nursing program with Butler County Community College. These degrees will help both future and some current students with the ability to study and later apply their learned skills to the job market, he said. The Breens look to continually support Grove City College to help the future gradu-
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celtox Lab. After a test is taken, it is packaged and overnighted to a lab in California where results can be delivered within 24 hours after the lab receives it, according to Pagano. “We begin testing in the morning and the lab pack goes out at 2 p.m.,” she said. “Any testing done after that goes out in the next day’s shipment.” She urges students to follow COVID-19 containment guidelines: wash hands and receive a flu shot. For students in self-isolation or quarantine, the experience has varied by situation. For seniors Emily Kuhn and Naomi Shrom-Kuc, their quarantine experience moved them to a nearby hotel beginning Saturday night. “Emily was woken up to a call at 11:30 p.m., and I saw her on the phone, and she told me,” Shrom-Kuc said. “We were in shock and overwhelmed because we were not previously in self-isolation.” Shrom-Kuc and Kuhn were tested Sunday morning and have not left their room since. Because the two are roommates and exposed together, they were able to quarantine together. “Hardesty has been fabu-
QUARANTINE continued from 1
have COVID, (which I don’t) how many more people could I infect while sleeping alone in my single room? There wasn’t much logic behind this.” Littleton packed up as much as possible and headed to MEP. “By the time I had gathered all of my things from my third floor, single room in South and had moved down to MEP, it was already 3 a.m.,” Littleton said. “I probably didn’t fall asleep until 4 a.m. having to email my professors about why I wouldn’t be in class and asking to reschedule an exam and having had a pretty stressful evening.” After hearing she’d have to quarantine until Oct. 14, Littleton decided to return to her home in Tennessee for
DUPONT
ates in becoming leaders in both their communities and careers. Through serving as the new Chairman, Breen will continue to help the college grow, as well as become a key part in making the decisions that allow the college to be a facilitator for the growth
of its student body. “We need to think outside the box, and continue to promote the college as a special place where we come together, with our faculty and student body, to create a college that is beyond compare with our peers,” Breen said.
lous in the whole process. Calm, comforting and with just the right amount of wit,” Shrom-Kuc and Kuhn agreed. Both pass the time by staying in touch with friends and family, doing apartmentfriendly workouts, playing card games and getting lots of sleep. Senior Spencer Simpson was in self-isolation last week and used the myGCC portal to report secondary exposure and receive a Provost’s excuse from in-person classes. Simpson self-isolated with his roommate, “so time was not difficult to fill.” He passed the time by watching TV shows, playing video games and participating in family Zoom calls. “I think the college is handling the situation sufficiently,” he said. “They have been careful and thorough, and I daresay that this past week is the worst the situation could progress with the active approach the college has taken.” Senior Barbara Matthews has been in self-isolation since Oct. 9. She knew that she would be notified soon after the student she was exposed to alerted her of the situation. Matthews’s roommate is also in self-isolation, so both have been navigating over-
lapping class times that require active participation. Matthews struggles with understanding the college’s inconsistencies with the policies, though she knows that the pandemic has caused a lot of uncertainty. “I respect the college ultimately leaving most of the responsibility to us individually, but I cannot accept that as a viable solution when so many people are actively disregarding the policies that have kept the virus contained thus far,” she said. She stresses that consistency makes it more difficult for students to find loopholes and faults in the college’s system. She and her roommate are frustrated to look out their windows in self-isolation to see students disobeying social distancing and masking policies. This makes Matthews unable to “continue to be optimistic moving forward.” McNulty reminds students that “we can’t have it both ways. We cannot expect to be together until Thanksgiving and not do our part limiting the possible spread of the coronavirus on campus. This is not a liberal versus conservative or a Democrat versus Republican thing. This is just a good faith effort required by law to keep the dear people of our community as healthy as possible.”
the remainder of her quarantine. Littleton’s experience was not isolated, of course. Many of the Gamma Chis and others who were exposed waited into the night for their instructions. Junior Barnabas Chen, who was exposed to several Gamma Chis and also in selfisolation on Tuesday night, had similar memories. Chen was notified around 11 p.m. that he needed to start moving his things to a quarantine location. “Before our arrival at the MAP ‘mole hole,’ we waited for a response from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m.,” Chen said. “The rooms are six feet underground, and the most exciting time of quarantine is when the food arrives outside our door.” “All of this was kind of a nightmare, [but] I will say that Mr. Cirelli and the team who has been handling the
COVID cases and quarantining students on campus have been truly helpful,” Littleton said. “We are all unanimously blown away by how kind and accommodating he has been during this time of panic.” All students who were told to quarantine immediately Tuesday night were required to get tested at the Zerbe Health and Wellness Center the next morning at scheduled times. Most students received their results the following evening. Even with a negative test result, all quarantined students were to continue quarantining until Oct. 14, with some situations extending beyond that date. Chen, who was released from quarantine on Wednesday, is relieved to resume his normal routine. “I’m happy to be out,” Chen said. “Quarantine is like prison.”
Community The Collegian, Oct. 16, 2020
Page 4
Churches: We miss you Fiona Lacey
Community Editor Because of COVID-19 restrictions, Student Life and Learning strongly encourages students to attend oncampus church services livestreamed in classrooms and auditoriums. As COVID awareness rises, the lack of church fellowship has weighed heavily on some. But this desire is not isolated to just students, as local pastors feel the weight, or even more so the loss, of seeing their college students every Sunday morning. “I miss them,” Rector Ethan Magness of Grace
Anglican Church said. “I’m missing their faces, speaking with them, praying for them in person. We are not fully us without them.” Magness, a well-loved priest to many on the Grove City College campus, sees the lack of students as a huge loss to the church family. “It’s a dismembering of the body of Christ, at least a temporary dismembering. The loss is staggeringly difficult to calculate, especially on the spiritual level,” Magness said. Grace Anglican’s attendance is made up of 45 percent college students, many of whom attended regularly
and volunteered in Sunday school and Youth group ministries. “They make up about 60 percent of our volunteers,” Magness said. Chris White, pastor at Gateway Christian Church, is troubled but hopeful at students’ physical separation from the church. “This season is full of frustration and heartache on a number of levels,” White said. “(But) God is using this to show us the full depth of His grace and truth.” In response to not only COVID-19 restrictions of Slippery Rock University and Grove City College, but also local and state guidelines, the
entire Gateway community decided to go fully online, with different groups of the community worshipping in different “bubbles” as White termed them. “The best way [for us] was to worship together in spirit but apart in person,” White said. White described a multi-group system in which many “bubbles” of people take part in a “multiple service model.” White acknowledged that this system is second best to what he really wants for the people of Gateway. “We miss being together in person, (but) it seemed best to worship in the same room
with people,” White said, “knowing that we are still together in spirit.” Magness misses this spirit of his beloved students. “There is this energizing dynamic that is missing when they are gone.” “This is a moment of crucifixion, (but) life hands us a lot of these,” Magness said. “I think this temporary affliction will be replaced, in time, with a renewed and energized sense of mission and ministry with our students. God never picks us up without setting us down in a wider place.”
Hogsette heading out Shelbi Henkle
Contributing Writer Dr. David S. Hogsette, Director of the Writing Program and a Professor of English, is stepping down after six and half years of teaching at the college. Hogsette is responsible for establishing the Writing Program, creating four new Hogsette courses, including the Foundations of Academic Discourse Writing 101 course, two minors and five concentrations. Prior to coming to Grove City, he was teaching at the New York Institute of Technology and directing their writing program and volunteering at the Yanbian University of Science and Technology in China over the summers. It was at the Yanbian University where he met a colleague with Grove City ties, Professor Sam Oh, who suggested to Hogsette that he should apply to be the “founding director” of Grove City’s Writing Program. “I had been praying about becoming more directly involved with Christian higher education, and this opportunity seemed to be a good fit,” Hogsette said. The rest is history. Hogsette has enjoyed teaching and connecting with the students over the course of his time here. He has always had a particularly “fun vibe” to him and has constantly been willing to help students out. One particular student who still sticks out to him from his time at Grove City is Ethan Mitchell, who was in his science fiction course during his second semester of teaching in Spring of 2015. Mitchell had created a one-man theatrical performance of “A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” for his final. Hogsette was concerned at first for allowing a student to do this. “[It was] A total leap of faith. Ethan blew us away, as only Ethan could do. I’m so glad I took that risk,” Hogsette said.
Regarding leaving the campus, Hogsette “deeply appreciate[s] how intentional GCC is about exploring the interrelationships between biblical Christianity and academic disciplines. I will miss the openness this community enjoys regarding faith and learning.” He deeply respects the college’s values, and he hopes to utilize them once he returns to China in “a secular, global context.” With this being his last semester at Grove City, his new position as the Executive Director of the School of English Studies at WenzhouKean University is fast-approaching. But this is not his first time teaching in Asia, let alone China. Hogsette created the Writing Program in Nanjing, China, later returning to volunteer with orphan children. He also taught at Yanbian University and at a seminary in South Korea. “Throughout my career as a professor, scholar and administrator, I have been drawn to global higher education,” Hogsette said. So when the opportunity presented itself to return to China, Hogsette seized it. Hogsette will take the position as Executive Director of the School of English Studies at Wenzhou-Kean University in Wenzhou, China. “(It) is such a great fit for both (me and my wife). It truly is an answer to prayer,” he said. The Wenzhou-Kean University will allow Hogsette to give Chinese students a solid liberal arts education, teaching and “think(ing) more deeply about what constitutes human flourishing and how to best achieve it globally.” He looks forward to this opportunity but will miss the Grove City College community. “Teaching at GCC enabled me to discover that I had been integrating faith and learning long before I knew what that even was.” He is thankful for the “professional development” he has gained here and is “forever grateful.” Dr. Hogsette, known as the “fun professor” around campus, made many seemingly dull Writing 101 classes enjoyable and entertaining, spontaneously playing rock-n-roll music while doing it.
GCC
Dr. John A. Sparks ‘66 teaches a class in this file photo. Though retired, the former professor remains a part of the Grove City College community.
Sparks sees hope Scott Amon Staff Writer
Dr. Jon A. Sparks ’66—a name well known on campus until a few years ago, has been keeping up on the strained political environment in light of the 2020 presidential election. Sparks joined GCC’s faculty in 1976 until retiring in 2013. During his time at GCC, he was chair of the Business department from 1990-2003 before becoming the Dean for the Alva J. Calderwood School of Arts and Letters until his retirement. Sparks continues to put his teaching experience and law degree to use by helping students grapple with the controversial events of the day: the presidential election and Amy Coney Barrett’s hearing. As Sparks sees it, as the election approaches, incivility flourishes. Conflict has always existed within politics, reflected Sparks, but past division “was tempered by the respect for the opponents’ views.” Important issues to many voters have changed over time, becoming more personal. “Since the 21st century has become obsessed with the questions of race and sexuality,” Sparks said. “Issues that deeply touch our identities as persons, the clash of views on these subjects go deeper.” To Sparks, the issues of foreign policy make the political science majors and professors take up arms, but issues like abortion create an emotional response in everyone. The view that this time is the most politically divisive in our history, however, is not accurate. Sparks remembers the 2000 election and its own chaos it ensued. “That election strained
our political system,” Sparks said. And the consequences of this election still remain today. As he puts it, “It helped to create suspicion about the electoral process which we are witnessing again this time around.” When he was a student in the mid-1960s, Sparks experienced his own share of political instability. The Vietnam War was historically a controversial war, Sparks said, but students still respected each other’s views. “I still signed up for classes from the professor with whom I did not agree [with] as did others.” As the 2020 presidential election draws near, Sparks knows the tensions are high. The most recent presidential debate did not increase the voter’s confidence in their choice of candidates, but Sparks wishes to advise the confused student. “I personally look at policies and not personalities. Both presidential candidates have checkered histories which raise questions about their integrity,” Sparks said. “Consequently, we are left only with their actions and policies to have insight into their intentions.” In response to Supreme Court Justice Nominee Amy Coney Barrett’s upcoming hearing, Sparks wants to challenge some ongoing narratives surrounding Barrett’s background. The supposes issues of Barrett’s faith and family are, in fact, bonuses to Sparks. As Sparks sees it, “Judge Barrett is a dedicated Christian as well as a wife, a mother and an astute lawyer.” He sees Barrett’s faith as not only a plus but a sign that she understands integrity. “As a Christian, she also knows the meaning of taking a vow, which she will do if
GCC
Sparks, seen here in the 1965 yearbook, served as features editor of The Collegian.
she is elected,” he said. As the media has reported, Judge Barrett clerked for the late Justice Antonin Scalia, being accused as an Originalist, but Sparks disagrees with the terms. It is important, he said, to understand what an Originalist interpretation of the Constitution means. “Judge Barrett’s view is that she ought to determine what the drafters of the Constitution and its Amendments meant to accomplish with the words they chose,” he said. Sparks mentions that in his own field of estate law the same methods are employed, “we seek the intent of those who penned documents like contracts and wills.” If a revision is needed in the Constitution, he said, then an Amendment is put forth. Though the current election and debates surrounding Judge Barrett are complicated and divisive, Sparks reminds us that, no matter what, the world will not end Nov. 3. “We will have another chance to express our pleasure or displeasure the next time around. Even in what we regard as dark providences, there is a plan that is not ours but that of our Triune God,” Sparks said.
The Collegian, Oct. 16, 2020
Page 5
Seven questions with…
Dr. Dale McIntyre Professor of Mathematics What do you listen to on your ride home? HANNAH HAMMERSLEY
Matt Walsh speaks to students in Sticht Lecture Hall as part of YAF’s lecture series. Walsh, who contributes to the Daily Wire, argued that the left is trying to change reality when it comes to life, marriage and gender.
Walsh comes to campus
Clark Mummau Perspectives Editor
Matt Walsh, a writer and speaker with the Daily Wire, spoke Oct. 8 in Sticht Lecture Hall about how the political left is trying to change reality through views on life, marriage and gender. He was invited by Young Americans for Freedom (YAF) through the Robert and Patricia Herbold Lecture Series, which is bringing conservative viewpoints to college campuses. YAF President senior R.J. Debo said that Walsh was originally scheduled to speak last April, but that was canceled due to the coronavirus. The national chapter suggested having him speak as the group’s first event this year. “The event had gotten
canceled two times before we were finally able to get it scheduled. The two cancelations were due to COVID concerns,” Debo said. “The process involved hundreds upon hundreds of emails, scheduling the livestream, photography as well as coordinating with YAF about accommodations for Matt. I started planning this event back in June.” While some students were excited for the speaker, others, like president of the College Democrats, junior Rebekah Scharfenkamp, were concerned that, “bringing an outside person on campus to speak without any mask or other precautions contradicts what this school has been trying to do to protect the students and faculty.” Both conservatives and liberals were at the event,
but the event remained civil, and many conservatives on campus praised the civility of those who disagreed with the speaker. “I have seen lectures given by people like Matt Walsh on other campuses, and the more viral ones usually having students screaming or trying to disrupt the lecture because they do not agree with the message. Thankfully, none of that happened in the lecture hall,” sophomore Jett Curran said. “I have to hand it to the College Democrats. They for sure disagreed with Matt on many things, and it seemed as though a good amount of them showed up at the event,” Debo said. “But they were all very respectful and allowed Matt to finish his talk with no interruptions. Props to them for that, it was
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very good to see.” YAF considers this event a success and hopes to bring other conservative speakers to campus, but some students desire other opinions to be expressed on campus. “Given that our college is more conservative leaning, I would not mind hearing speakers from across the political aisle,” Curran said. “I would call on the administration to allow them or College Democrats to bring an accepting and affirming speaker on campus (whether from a Christian perspective or not),” Scharfenkamp said. “We must learn to respect each other’s opinions and try to return to a period of civility. I think we do that well here at GCC for the most part, but we can always do better,” Debo said.
Serving in the shadows
“The Case for Miracles” by Lee Strobel. What’s something you’ve been pondering lately? The upcoming election: Will my candidate pull it off? Favorite restaurant right now? Either El Vallarta Mexican Restaurant in Hermitage or J. Hicks on the Square in Mercer. What movie makes you tear up? “Fireproof,” “Ben Hur” or “The Scarlet and the Black;” I love movies about forgiveness. What are you looking forward to today? After driving more than 800 miles the last couple days, going upstairs to bed! Favorite class you’re teaching right now? Classical Analysis and Calculus III for content and Finite Math for getting to know students outside of STEM.
Brenda McNulty ’80
First Lady, Grove City College We often revel in the beauty of our campus, there’s something to enjoy at every season of our lives at Grove City College. But we do realize what efforts are made to keep the campus so beautiful? One person, who retired recently, Gary Cozad, put his heart and soul into keeping this campus looking radiant every day. Gary’s gardening responsibilities covered mowing, weeding, trimming and watering. He personally watered any potted flowers you see on campus, at each major building. As a matter of fact, Gary was the first employee I met at the college as he was watering the large pots at the front of Crawford Hall when I walked up the steps to see Paul’s new office. The next day a small vase of colorful zinnias appeared on my back patio in an antique mason jar. Sensing my love of flowers Gary shared a few from his personal garden in one of his favorite vases. What a way to welcome the new
Talk radio, when I’m not reflecting on the day’s events.
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President Paul J. McNulty presents Gary Cozad an award for his long service to the college in August 2019. president and his wife to the college! The watering that Gary did was in addition to all of his other responsibilities to empty trash receptacles, move furniture around, furniture delivery and set up for events, etc. I’m sure Gary did many things that I am not even aware of. The one I have the most appreciation for is the watering. We do not have irrigation on this campus. When the buildings were built most of them were only given one or two outside hose bibs, and some have none. This means Gary had to fill up a large water container and drive it around from building to building to water all the pots and any new plantings get-
ting established. What a labor of love! The flowers that we’ve enjoyed all over campus have been kept alive by Gary’s tender care. We talk a lot at the college about pursuing your calling with excellence, doing your work as unto the Lord. It was mentioned recently in chapel that the way we can glorify God is to serve Him faithfully in the mundane. Watering flowers may seem mundane, but think about how many times you are mindlessly heading into a class building and or you have been hit with some bad news and as you approach that building you notice some beautiful flowers in a pot near the entrance. That beauty has the ability to lift
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your thoughts to the Creator of that beauty and to direct you to remember that He is with you. A small thing has suddenly been elevated. I know many of you get to know the staff here and are especially kind and interested in their lives, this is a mark of warm, godly character on your part. It’s harder to interact with our grounds crew as they are often wearing ear buds and protective gear to do their jobs. The next time you see them (and especially if you notice whoever will be watering in Gary’s place) give them the thumbs up to show your appreciation. I know I will truly miss Gary; he filled our lives with beauty every day.
everyone around me to start calling it STAL for me to make the switch.” Junior Jonathan Clive thought that the renaming of HAL “felt unnecessary. Just like the SAC to the STU, students still call it the SAC, and it becomes confusing for visitors and new students and faculty.” However, Clive thinks that some students might switch to calling it Staley Professor of Biblical & Religious Studies Dr. Carl Trueman said, “I guess I will call it ‘Staley’ although to me it will probably still be ‘the building where I work.’” Senior Nicholas Mullins does not see students calling HAL a different name next year. “I’d imagine it’ll be a while before people stop referring to it as HAL though. Students tend not to like change,” Mullins said. “But I’m sure everyone is grateful for the generous donation, and I think it’s a perfectly reasonable and good thing to do to rename the building as a thank you.”
Perspectives
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The Collegian, Oct. 16, 2020
WALL STREET JOURNAL
Behind the plexiglass In VP faceoff, Harris comes out ahead
Mallory Jones
Contributing Writer Traditionally viewed as an insignificant event, this year’s Vice Presidential debate held more weight than in previous elections, as both candidates represented a man who will enter the White House as the oldest president ever, and Trump was only just out of the hospital with COVID-19. Without meaning to be unnecessarily morbid, whether these candidates can reasonably be expected to finish their term is a real question for voters; we must view both Pence and Harris as potential presidents. Let’s begin with the mood of the debate in general: it cannot be denied that this was more civil than the
Presidential debate last week. On the whole, both Harris and Pence refrained from speaking over each other too much, and discourse remained largely focused on the issues rather than descending into personal attacks. Both were guilty of speaking over their time limit. Pence was especially so, with the phrases “Thank you, Vice President Pence” and “Excuse me, I’m speaking” among the most frequently heard all night. It was because of such breaches, the moderator said, that immigration went undiscussed. When the debate ended, I was disappointed to realize that it was not going to be covered. Because of COVID and Trump’s response to it, the situation at the border has become even worse for immigrants who are already hurting, people who, as
you’re reading this, are being held in inhumane detention centers separated from their children. This topic is an issue of real human lives being affected on our shores, and I was very discouraged to see it bumped in favor of the Paris Accord and our relationship with China. As far as who won the debate, I don’t think there’s any clear landslide in terms of rhetoric or presentation, but as far as policy details and the presentation of facts go, Harris pulled far ahead. While Pence disturbingly failed to answer questions such as what he would do if Trump refused a peaceful transfer of power and only vaguely mentioned what a Trump administration will do to address COVID-19, Harris consistently outlined the specific details of a Biden presidency plan. On the issue of Breonna Taylor’s murder, for ex-
ample, Pence offered brief condolences but ultimately affirmed his trust in our justice system and the jury who did not charge the officers responsible for her death. He then stated vaguely that he and President Trump support law enforcement, without any real discussion of how—or if—the issue will be addressed. Harris, on the other hand, cited her experience as a prosecutor to support the legitimacy of her opinion that Ms. Taylor did not receive justice and that work must be done on police brutality. She then specifically outlined the Biden plan for addressing this issue: banning chokeholds, requiring a national registry for police offenders, decriminalizing marijuana and abolishing private prisons. I do think Pence had some victories over Harris throughout the event. His
admonition that she should “stop playing politics with peoples’ lives” was important following her statement that she wouldn’t take a COVID vaccine approved solely by Trump. It’s very dangerous for a person with her influence to dissuade people from getting treatment that could save thousands of lives. Additionally, he pressured Harris several times to answer whether a Biden administration would attempt to pack the court if Amy Coney Barrett were confirmed, which she did not respond to. Overall, however, I believe Senator Harris showed a firmer understanding of the specifics of her candidate’s policies, made stronger cases for her opinions and showed a genuine care for all American people— not just those at the top.
half of his post is remarkable for a nation that has been attacked by fear and shattered hopes for many months. We are afraid of this disease. We let it dominate our lives. We don’t know what the future holds, and we see seemingly constant pain and suffering from so many people around us. We see no vaccine and no change in the way things are moving. However, we have a wrong focus. Especially as Christians, we are called to a higher fear and a higher domination: God, the Lord of Hosts. The coronavirus has not taken God by surprise. This sickness is not greater than that which Jesus healed during his earthly minis-
try. This disease is nothing compared to God’s power. It is nothing compared to Jesus’ atoning for sin. Sin is worse than the coronavirus. We all have it, we spread it to each other, we are never truly cured of its infection on earth, it debilitates our lives, and it kills us. Yet God sent his Son to redeem us from our bondage to sin. Surely, if we have been bought from bondage to sin by so great a price, we are also bought from bondage to the effects of sin. The Lord is now who we ought to fear, and God ought to dominate our lives. Still, it is tempting to think that God does not have control over this situation. We are prideful and rely on our own “really
great drugs & knowledge” to protect us. We fear what might happen if we are infected. We fear death. I don’t mean to diminish the real effects COVID-19 has had. Since the beginning of October, we have seen many new cases on campus, and it seems like over half the campus has been in isolation at some point. Even our ability to stay on campus feels tenuous at times. Through it all, though, and through everything we will ever face, we must remember that our eternity is secure in heaven with God. In this world we will face troubles, but God has overcome this world, so let us take heart. Even though we have hope after our eventual
death, we should not neglect the present. We are called to be subject to the governing authorities, and for us, that means listening to what the college says to do and obeying them. We are called to love one another as Christ love us, so we should take caution when interacting with others lest we potentially put them in a position of isolation. What does the future of COVID-19 look like? I’m not quite sure, but the future in general is rather bleak. However, no matter what happens, I will continue to try to serve and fear God until the day I die, and I will try to rely on Him alone for my provision rather than anything I or other people make or do.
Fearing the right thing
Clark Mummau
Perspectives Editor “Don’t be afraid of COVID. Don’t let it dominate your life. We have developed, under the Trump Administration, some really great drugs & knowledge,” President Trump tweeted on Oct. 5. As I scanned the comments, a vast majority seemed angry, betrayed and hurt by the President’s actions and words since his diagnosis with COVID-19. For sure, Trump is out of touch with the vast majority of Americans, who don’t have access to the same staff and treatment options as him. However, the first
The Collegian,
Oct. 16, 2020
Clash on Campus
An evening of weak claims Katelyn Dauer
Contributing Writer
An end to soft conservatism
Opposing viewpoints on Matt Walsh’s talk
As the president of the unofficial Allies for Gender and Sexuality Inclusion (Allies) group on campus, I felt the need to attend Matt Walsh’s speech to hear his views and findings on the subjects of life, marriage and gender. In order to construct and build upon your own beliefs, you have to listen to people with the opposing viewpoints in addition to those with whom you agree. If you are going to have someone with certain views come to campus, you need to invite someone of the opposite viewpoint to speak as well. Open discussions are imperative for learning, but it is really hard to learn from each other when you only ever hear from one side. We should bring an LGBTQ+ Christian speaker to campus in order to hear another person’s beliefs and theological findings on these subjects. Matt Walsh and the Young Americans for Freedom are all about free speech, but do they really know what that means? LGBTQ+ people are constantly silenced and told not to express themselves even though God loves everyone unconditionally. Many LGBTQ+ students, including myself, feel unsafe on this campus, and this event made that worse. The posters for this event specifically targeted the LGBTQ+ community with its rainbow-colored letters. The first topic Walsh talked about was abortion. He kept referring to prochoice as “pro-abortion,” which is a term I have never heard anyone use before. Not one human on this earth is “pro-abortion.” No one wants this to happen. It is traumatic for the mother, and I would never wish that upon anyone. The fact that Walsh was trying to claim that the “left is redefining life,” goes to show his lack of credibility. Roe vs. Wade was actually decided by a 7-2 vote, with the majority being Republican. Abortion rates have decreased since Roe vs. Wade was put in place. Walsh also talked about the definition of marriage, and how the sole purpose is to reproduce. He failed to answer the question about the difference between a cisgender heterosexual couple who are infertile and a cisgender gay couple getting married. According to his definition, the purpose of marriage is to benefit society, specifically through reproduction, so technically the heterosexual couple should not get married either. Marriage is a recognizable union between two people who love each other. It is not just about sexual reproduction. It is about being recognized by the government as a family who can visit each other in the hospital or adopt and have a child together. When talking about gender, he stated that there is no biological evidence to support transgender individuals, which is incorrect. He completely ignored the psychological and neurological aspect of gender. A child can be born with a certain outward appearance but have a more feminine or masculine brain. He also failed to mention intersexuality, where a child is born with genitals that are not clearly male or female. The doctor usually just picks one, and that poor child is stuck within those constraints for the majority of their life. The brain develops slowly over time in the womb, while the genitals are the very last thing to be formed before birth. Someone’s physical appearance can change, but it is impossible to change someone’s attraction and gender neurologically. He did not have enough factual evidence or resources to support his claims, and it was clear that he had not done his full research on these topics. He contradicted himself quite a few times. Some of his statements were actually false, and he would have known that if he had done more research. If a campus group is able to bring someone whose unresearched opinions harm students, then the least the college can do is allow a wellresearched speaker to present the other side of the issues.
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 the inter-
action 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.
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John Kalajian
Contributing Writer
On Oct. 8, Matt Walsh, columnist for the Daily Wire, gave a talk in Stitch Lecture Hall entitled “Why the Left Wants to Redefine Life, Marriage and Gender.” D e s p i t e the perpetual threat of COVID-19, a full house was present (consisting of both conservatives and liberals) with a line queuing outside. In forty minutes, Mr. Walsh discussed why leftist arguments in favor of abortion, same sex “marriage” and gender theory do not hold up under their own criteria and fundamentally deny some aspect of reality. Other topics included feminism, religion and right-winged counterarguments on life, gender and marriage. Despite Grove City being labeled as one of the most politically conservative campuses in the nation, there is no question that some students did not GROVE CITY YAF approve of Mr. Walsh’s appearance, going so far as to tear down posters advertising the event and draw rainbows with chalk on the building where Mr. Walsh was going to speak. These subjects are what I and many others on campus like to talk about. Although most of the students and faculty at Grove City College would probably describe themselves as conservative or moderately conservative, far too many of them do not like having these discussions. Usually this is because the conversations make them feel uncomfortable, and although they may personally believe that abortion, same-sex marriage and gender theory are wrong, they are mortified at the possibility of offending anyone. They would rather keep their opinions to themselves for the sake of making people who disagree with them feel good. This kind of soft conservatism needs to end, and it’s events like these that call conservatives to action. There is a reason why Mitt Romney and John McCain are not looked favorably upon by many Republicans. Yes, God does call us to treat everyone with kindness, but this does not mean backing down from an opportunity to convey the truth when an opportunity presents itself. Sometimes the truth hurts, but it needs to be said. I sure hope that YAF and other organizations on campus will continue to invite speakers to campus that call and equip conservatives to stand up and speak out against the hard left that is attempting to deny the reality of life, marriage and gender. What I appreciated most from Mr. Walsh’s talk is that he did not attempt to use religious arguments to back up his points. This is very important, as religious arguments in favor of these ideals tend to not work if someone does not believe in God. Using hard logic without religious undertones, Mr. Walsh provided students with tools to talk to non-Christians on these subjects and argue points without having to invoke the Bible. My only critique is that I wish the talk had been longer. Each subsection of the talk could have been a two-hour lecture all by itself. Unfortunately, Mr. Walsh did not have the opportunity to dive into very fine detail on each argument or answer the many questions students had, but considering he had forty minutes to talk, I believe he presented his arguments clearly and respectfully. Despite being a conservative myself, I walked out with new information to use in the fight to save our society from relativism. Talks like these are needed more than ever on Grove City College, to help students grow a spine and get ready to take on the society that is ever encroaching on our values. The left has openly declared war on the right by attacking life, marriage and gender, and the only reasonable response, if we want to protect what we hold dear, is to grow in knowledge and strength, and that is what Mr. Walsh has provided.
Letters to the Editor Policy Space will be provided for Letters to the Editor. Letters will be printed as submitted unless the editors choose to delete words or portions that are in poor taste, libelous or unnecessary to convey essential meaning. The editors may condense longer letters. Letters must include verifiable contact information, such as an email address. Anonymous letters will not be accepted. The author’s name will appear with the letter. Statement of fact and opinion in letters to the editor, editorials and commentaries are the responsibility of the author(s) alone and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of staff, the college, its faculty or staff or the student body. Letters must be received by 5 p.m. on the Monday prior to the
publication. All letters to the editor will be considered for publication from students, faculty, staff and alumni. A letter must meet one of the following criteria: it relates to an article published in or issue discussed in paper; it contains information of interest to all, or a segment of our readership (alumni, parents, donors, students, faculty and staff); it relates to college news or policy. We reserve the right to edit letters for clarity, correct grammar and punctuation, and length. We will not publish unsigned letters. We will not republish a letter that has appeared in another publication in part or in whole. Letters will be printed in the next edition of the paper in which space is available.
Sports The Collegian, Oct. 16, 2020
Page 8
Progress on pause
COVID uptick halts sports practices Emily Rupczewski Sports Editor
In response to the recent increase of COVID-19 cases on Grove City’s campus and rigid contact tracing, the college has made the decision to temporarily ban all group gatherings, including sports practices. President Paul J. McNulty ’80 and the COVID-19 task force rolled out these new restrictions in a campus-wide email last Friday. According to the email, these new procedures would remain in effect and be reevaluated today. After the Presidents’ Athletic Conference postponed all fall sports until the spring, teams began to gather and practice in preparation for their upcoming seasons. Teams have been permitted to practice with careful
regulations in place since Sept. 8, and most had already put in five weeks’ worth of practice. The Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC) released a statement from Athletic Director Todd Gibson in effort to clarify what is considered “extracurricular activities and gatherings.” “Due to a recent uptick in COVID positive cases, and student isolations and quarantines, we will be pausing all athletic activity at this time. This includes: practices, scrimmages, in person meetings as a team or individual meetings with coaches, weightlifting and conditioning, open gyms, open swims and any other athletic related activity,” Gibson’s statement read. In his notice, Gibson also announced that the PLC would remain closed for all
activity and encouraged students to continue to follow the precautions set in place by administration. Though the timeline for the new restrictions remains indefinite, Gibson clarified that athletic activity would resume as soon as possible. This statement re-issued by SAAC comes after a previous announcement of a tailgate that was scheduled to take place on Saturday before the baseball team’s inter-squad scrimmage. Due to the recent mandate, SAAC was forced to cancel its lawn games event and the tailgate which were both planned for Saturday. This year, per NCAA’s COVID-19 adaptations, each team’s season may be up to 114 days, which can be used at any time throughout the year, at the coach’s discretion, as opposed to 20-, 18-
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The Grove City mens basketball team took to the court in masks during their first practice. Basketball’s opening day of practices began Oct. 1, and had only practiced a little over a week before campus COVID restrictions put a pause on their season. or 19-hour week maximum used later on in the year. seasons. For now, athletes, coaches With this in mind, one ben- and students will wait for adefit of this mandated time off ministration to give the gosaves teams a week’s worth ahead to resume team activiof practice days which can be ties when it is safe to do so.
Running with perseverance Lakers make it 17 in bubble win Michaela Higgins Contributing Writer
In the spring, I was training for track season. Cancelled. All summer I trained for cross-country season. Postponed to spring. I continued to train through the end of summer for a possible fall track season. Not happening. All the miles, hill repeats, speed training and lifting were all for nothing. This was my first thought when I was shaken with the devastating news of my senior season being non-existent this fall. If there is anything I have learned from the crosscountry program here at Grove City, it is that running is not about running. Sounds weird right? If you would’ve asked me before coming to college why I run, I would’ve said because I like running fast and racing. While those statements are still true today, that is not why I run. So why do I run? I run because God has granted me the ability to run, and to run well. I run for fellowship with my teammates. Running is not about always being the fastest. Running is about dedication, bettering yourself, testing your limits and glorifying God in your heart, no matter how fast you are. When I run for reasons bigger than myself, such as for my team and to glorify God, there is no sadness when my season is taken away. Of course, it is a little upsetting when something you have worked for is taken away, but I know my end prize is so much greater than a sports season. Hebrews 12:1-2 says, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the
Connor Schlosser Staff Writer
GCC
Michaela Higgins competes in the Chatham Invitational in fall of 2019. She placed seventh in the race and the Wolverines came in second place in the invitational overall. cross, scorning its shame and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” My focus in this time of uncertainty has been on removing that which hinders and entangles me and choosing to see the good. This allows me to run freely, focusing my eyes on my real goals of running: fellowship and glorifying God. A phrase the cross-country team always repeats is “focus on what you can control.” This has been especially important during this altered senior year. Can I control COVID? No. Can I control that we don’t have a season this fall? No. Then these things should not be my focus. Can I control my training? Yes. Can I control my outlook on the situation? Yes. Can I choose to believe that God
is working all this for good? Yes. This is what I am focusing on. I sure hope and pray that I get to compete one last time for GCC in the spring, but if not, I will still enjoy the run all the same, because my eyes are fixed above. Sure, this season of life looks very different from what everyone was expecting, but God is still good. My encouragement to everyone is that in this season of uncertainty choose to focus on what you can control and fix your eyes on the only one true prize. Michaela Higgins is a senior cross-country runner and mid-distance track runner who consistently scored in the top 5 for the 20192020 season and qualified for NCAA regionals running a 6k in 24:17.
The Los Angeles Lakers won their seventeenth championship Sunday in Game 6 of the NBA Bubble Finals. In a difficult, challenging extended season, the stacked Lakers squad was finally able to come out on top over the underdog Miami Heat. This Los Angeles franchise is now tied for most championships with their historic rival, the Boston Celtics. The series between the Lakers and Heat saw two of the hardest workers in the NBA duke it out in an intense battle. The emergence of Miami’s Jimmy Butler as a championship contender was a sight to behold. But the King defended his crown this time around. The now four-time NBA champion, Lebron James was the catalyst of the Lakers playoff flow. James wore many hats for Los Angeles this playoff run. ‘The King’ nearly averaged a triple double stat line throughout the playoffs boasting 28 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists. All the plays ran through James in some shape or form whether he was scoring, grabbing boards like a power forward or dishing passes as a playmaker. Lebron’s all-star teammate Anthony Davis showed up to compete as well. AD was a two-way anchor for the Lakers down low averaging 27, 10 and four. This is Davis’ first season with the Lakers, but also his first title. The talented 27-year old forward and center has been an all-star each of his eight seasons except for his rookie season. He was the biggest name in free agency this past summer and made the decision to join Lebron in Los Angeles with the goal to finally win his first title
with a stacked mix of veterans and young talent. AD has now achieved that goal in his first season, joining the King and company. Among those veterans include past prime greats such as Dwight Howard and Rajon Rondo. For half a decade or so, Dwight Howard was the best center in the league. But now it’s 2020 and Dwight Howard has been a journeyman center, changing teams seven times. The eight-time all-star has unfortunately declined from his superstar prowess due to injury and aging. Howard has not been to the Finals since 2009 when he carried his Orlando Magic only to be defeated by the late Kobe Bryant. But now with his sixteenth season in the books, Dwight finally earned his first ring. Rajon Rondo is a veteran point guard that has flown under the radar in the last five or six seasons. After helping raise a championship in Boston in 2008, Rondo became a leader for the Celtics, known for his jaw-dropping passes, playmaking and impressive assist output. After Rajon was traded out of Boston, many forgot him. Fast forward to the Lakers this season. Anyone can now see Rondo’s leadership and playmaking as a vital piece to LA’s success. Rondo made history joining his long time rival Lebron to become the first ever NBA player to win a championship with both the Celtics and Lakers. At the beginning of the season, the “Purple and Gold” were expected to win it all. The Miami Heat certainly gave the Lakers a run for their money, but in the end LA had too much talent. In what has easily been one of the most chaotic NBA seasons of all time, the biggest name and biggest team in basketball united to bring a trophy to Los Angeles and excitement to fans.