The Collegian – Nov. 6, 2020

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@Collegian_GCC @gcc.collegian The Collegian: The GCC Newspaper Friday, November 6, 2020

Bring back the Articles A student’s case for confederacy PERSPECTIVES

Happy Hallmark!

Getting ahead on the Christmas spirit

ENTERTAINMENT

Collegian The Award-Winning Grove City College Student Newspaper

Vol. 106, No. 9

Waiting on a winner Students anxious as ballot counting continues Collegian Staff

As the 2020 election results continue to stream in, it was unclear at press time whether Republican incumbent Donald Trump will remain in the Oval Office or whether Democratic challenger Joe Biden will become the 46th president.

As the race becomes tighter and tighter, it looks like

the presidency hinges on the votes in swing states such as Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.

Due to an increase in absentee ballots, many key battleground states cannot call the election yet. To win, a candidate needs to gain 270 electoral votes.

A Collegian poll of Grove City students last week showed that 66.94 percent

voted for Trump over 18.55 percent for Biden.

“Despite national polls, it’s not impossible Trump wins.

Certainly he’ll lose the popular vote, but there are multiple winning scenarios for Trump,” senior Cole Stinebiser said.

Students gathered in the Breen Student Union on Tuesday night to watch one of four different livestreams

covering the latest election results. The Election Night Watch Party was hosted by the college’s Institute for Faith and Freedom and the American Enterprise Institute Executive Council.

Freshmen Aaron Phillips and Alexis Kilmartin, who both attended the event, remained positive and hopeful regarding Trump’s potential victory.

Meanwhile, senior John Kalajian and sophomore Josef Mueller were nervous and unsure about how the election would turn out.

“It seems like all means of predictability have been thrown out the window. This is the same thing that happened in 2016,” Kalajian said. Although Biden was leading in polls, Kalajian beELECTION 5

New class to broaden horizons

Falling into winter?

Ashley Ostrowski Copy Editor

WES KINNEY

Grove City experienced its first snow of the season Sunday, only to be followed by warm days later in the week and over the weekend.

Admissions admits changes

David Zimmermann News Editor

Although COVID-19 has forced most colleges and universities to cancel on-campus tours this fall, Grove City College’s Admissions Office has adapted its visit options to meet the needs of prospective students.

Currently, visitors are offered opportunities to tour campus, meet with an admissions counselor and faculty member, observe a class and eat lunch in one of the dining halls. Other visit options such as chapel visits, overnight visits and group visits are no longer available as they are deemed higher risk.

Assistant Director of Admissions Events & Visits Lynise Massella said, “The safety and welfare of current students is always top of mind for the admissions team as we work to showcase our campus in the safest ways possible during the pandemic.”

To date, no positive cases have been traced back to a prospective student visitor, according to Massella.

Tours require the prospective student and two guests to wear masks and to prac-

PAIGE FAY

Senior Student Ambassador and Receptionist Jesse Belitz talks to prospective students in the Admissions Office. The department has made many adjustments to accomodate COVID-19 restrictions. tice proper social distancing guidelines.

Senior Jesse Belitz, one of the student tour guides at the college, said that campus tours are offered more frequently now because of the one-family capacity per tour.

“Going on tour with one family has been well-received as a chance to gain an even

better glimpse of the school while personally addressing each prospective student’s questions, needs and desires in their future college,” he said.

Another tour guide junior Camryn Lewis said that families are grateful for the opportunity to still visit the campus in-person as op-

posed to online.

“Many people have commented to me about how Grove City is the only college on their list currently doing on-campus tours,” she said.

Tour guide and junior Rachel Weaver added, “Families who visit are typically ADMISSIONS 5

In wake of important discussions about race in the United States, Dr. Gina Blackburn ’94 and Dr. Cedric Lewis are co-teaching a new course called Cultural Diversity and Advocacy next spring.

The idea came to Blackburn last summer as she reflected on racial diversity and teaching the subject at the college.

“We lack professors of color, and we should have classes on campus that are about what’s going on with race relations taught by a person of color,” Blackburn said.

She thought of Lewis to coteach the course. Blackburn said the class will be run as an open dialogue where students can ask questions and learn from Lewis’ and others’ experiences.

Lewis, who has a background in law, said, “I want to talk about this from a human perspective. We can read books and we can read accounts and we can see news stories; but if we’ve got a person that we can connect it to, it seems to have a greater impact. When things don’t impact our everyday lives, it’s easier to dismiss it.”

“So, I want to talk about the things that I’ve experienced, and family members of mine have experienced and people I know and put a face on this so that we understand that this is not a theory learning situation,” he continued.

“This is reality that people go through every day.”

The course will discuss race regarding the workplace, church, education and the justice system. Though the course is housed in the Education Department, Blackburn and Lewis emphasize the class is to students of all majors and paths of life.

“It’s going to talk about experiencing diversity in the workplace, whatever your workplace is. We want all majors, so we can have a nice broad discussion from different perspectives,” Blackburn NEW CLASS 8

Editorial

Page 2

The award-winning Grove City College student newspaper, Nov. 6, 2020

From the Tower

When you don’t get your way After a tough week, The Collegian editorial staff would like to offer a few alternatives to avoid acting like a sore loser and to find ways to de-stress. Although these are coming in the midst of a presidential election, we believe they are applicable all year round. So, when you don’t get your way…

Dear fellow procrastinators

OS X DAILY

Do

Don’t

Start a workout routine

Start a civil war

Hit a punching bag

Punch a Democrat friend

Play spikeball on Lincoln Lawn

Destroy your Republican roommate’s spikeball set

Light some *fake* candles and wear a face mask

Set fire to your collegeissued drapes

Call on Jesus through prayer

Call on Satan through a séance

Reinstate Gang

Reinstate Gang

the

Scooter

the

Scooter

Breathe deeply and remember Kitty Purry

Not breathe because you remembered the skunk

Read Dr. Kengor’s “God and Ronald Reagan”

Read “The Manifesto”

Eat Bon Appetit scones

Eat MAP’s experimental pizza flavors

Be a functional member of society

Communist

Hit “reply all” on an email

Read The Collegian

Read The Quad

Listen to “Beautiful Soul” on repeat

Listen to your despair playlist

Fight a bear

Walk on Pinchalong Road

Give President McNulty a handshake

Crash your car on the President’s lawn

Write for The Collegian

Use Oxford commas

Corrections from Oct. 30: -- The Collegian reported in the front page graphic that 90.32 percent of students were veteran voters, when only 9.32 percent voted in the 2016 election and 90.32 percent are first-time voters.

-- Beth Black was incorrectly introduced as the Director of the Grove City Borough, when she is officially the Executive Director at Grove City Area Chamber of Commerce.

Collegian Staff Editor-in-Chief Paige Fay

Business Manager Kathryn Miller

Managing Editor Anna DiStefano

Copy Editors Jessica Hardman Ashley Ostrowski Claire Josey Lauren Ness Kylie Jasper Joanna Thorpe Elizabeth Schinkel Katherine Bennett Austin Branthoover Rick Methven Eve Lee Emma Crosley

Section Editors News David Zimmermann Community Fiona Lacey Perspectives Clark Mummau Sports Emily Rupczewski

Design Chief Caleb West

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

Copy Chief Britney Lukasiewicz

Staff Adviser Nick Hildebrand

Photo Chief Wes Kinney

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 Photo Chief Wes Kinney for his photographic prowess, creative eye and joyful presence.

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

Kinney

Britney Lukasiewicz Copy Chief

With only a few weeks left before going home for Thanksgiving, the due dates for projects, papers and exams are starting to pile up and overlap, which translates into a lot of stress for a procrastinator like me.

In the past few years, my life motto seems to have become, “If tomorrow is not the due date, today is not the do date,” and even though following this motto will only bring unnecessary stress to my life, I have not been able to break out of the cycle of doing everything last minute.

Take this editorial for instance. I wrote the first sentence and then proceeded to do everything but write for the following five hours.

When I finally got back to my laptop, the motivation to write still wasn’t in me, so I distracted myself for another hour or two. After way too much time had passed, the idea popped into my head to write about the exact problem I was facing: procrastination.

It’s strange to try and think back to when my procrastination tendencies started. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t put off the tasks on my to do list.

There have been times when I tell myself I will get ahead to alleviate any stress that these assignments will surely bring, but it never seems to happen.

But why do I do this? Is it

laziness? Lack of motivation?

Fear of failure? Or maybe it’s the fact that I know I can still get my assignments done on time after waiting to do them at the last possible moment?

The reason may not be clear, but it is easy to see that something needs to change.

Over the past few months, I’ve been trying to find ways to stop procrastinating–or at least reduce the amount of times I procrastinate– and some have surprisingly worked.

Maybe if you’re a procrastinator like me, these tricks can help you, too.

The first way that helped me become more productive was doing my smaller assignments before the bigger, more important ones.

While I was still putting off the harder tasks, I was still checking things off my to do list instead of wasting hours scrolling through social media. If you are so used to procrastinating, this is a good way to ease into breaking the habit.

The next piece of advice that benefitted me was learning to utilize the do not disturb function on my phone.

I am the type of person who will check their phone every time a notification comes in, which can get pretty distracting while trying to write a 10-page essay.

Even if I set my phone across the room, I would get notifications on my watch and end up going to check my phone anyways. The simplest fix to this problem was to turn on “do not disturb.” This has cut out a lot of distractions and gotten rid of some of the potential for

procrastination.

The final and most effective way to stop procrastinating that I’ve found is finding a friend who also procrastinates and motivate each other by giving rewards for finishing a task.

Have your friend give you a deadline for completing your assignment that is before the actual due date and have them come up with a reward, such as going to Starbucks or watching an episode of a favorite show together, and then you do the same for them.

By having another person hold you accountable and getting something out of finishing your assignment, you are more likely to be motivated to do your work–and it’s more fun.

Breaking the habit of procrastinating is a challenging task, and I can’t say that I’ve fully figured out how to do that, but by incorporating these three ideas into my life, I have noticed myself being more productive.

There is less of a strain on my life knowing that I don’t have to pull an all-nighter to finish a paper because I haven’t waited until the night before it’s due to write it.

To all the procrastinators out there, my advice is to find what works for you. Find what will motivate you to finish your task with plenty of time to spare afterwards.

Find what will help you keep distractions away. Find what will ease the amount of stress in your life. All those looming assignments don’t have to be so scary, if only you start working ahead of time.

This week in Collegian history November 1, 1920 “How Large is an Atom?”

In this week’s 1920 Collegian issue, there ran an advertisement from the General Electric Company which encouraged and praised the research exploring the electron, discovered 23 years earlier thanks to X-rays and radium.

According to GE, the key to progress in chemical and electrical studies lay in the study of the electron and the constitution of matter.

“Years may thus be spent in what seems to be merely a purely ‘theoretical’ investigation, yet nothing is so practical as a good theory.” How far we have come scientifically, and yet we have so much to learn as they did 100 years ago.

November 2, 1940 “Trees on Our Grove City Campus” For many Grove City students, one of our favorite things about this campus is the fireworks display that we get to enjoy every fall. This time 80 years ago, then-freshman George Varnum decided to take a closer look at the trees of our campus.

They found that there are at least twenty-three separate species of trees, the most common being oaks, cherries, cottonwoods, dogwoods, willows, elms, chestnuts, hem-

locks, maples and catalpas.

Varnum’s favorites were the Gingko tree, a tree that, according to scientists, originated in ice age Asia; the Kentucky Coffee tree, which was cultivated by the pioneers; and the Swamp Maple which, surprisingly, is most often found in the warm, wet swamp.

“Now that you have had an opportunity to become acquainted with our trees informally,” writes Varnum, “why not make it a formal acquaintance?”

November 11, 1960

Jules Wooldridge

Staff Writer

News The Collegian,

Nov. 6, 2020

Page 3

MIKE BRIGHT

Dr. Mike Bright referees a student’s robot at the 2019 BEST Robotics Competition in the Grove City College Arena. This year the competition will be held online.

BEST Robotics competes online

David Zimmermann News Editor

Considering the social distancing guidelines in response to COVID-19, the college’s annual BEST Robotics competition will continue virtually this year.

Started in 2010, the college’s BEST Robotics program aims to inspire the next generation of young engineers as middle school and high school students work together to design their own robots from start to finish in six weeks.

Once building is complete, students use their creations to compete in the contest at a local hub, Grove City College being one of them.

While the pandemic has greatly disrupted this year’s competition, it has also inspired the game’s theme, entitled “Outbreak.” The original game slated for 2020 was “Incision Decision,” another medical themed game.

Instead of a packed competition in the Physical Learning Center’s arena, teams will stream their robot’s perfor-

mance at their local school, using what BEST calls the Classroom approach. In addition to the performance, teams are also judged based on their marketing presentations, engineering notebooks and team exhibits.

Dr. Mike Bright, chair and professor of electrical and computer engineering, said that it is imperative for the team members to develop the soft skills necessary for their future careers. Bright also serves as the president of the board of directors for BEST. “Employers want engineers with good technical skills, but what they really want and what they are eager to hire is engineers who have good technical skills, can write, can speak and can think about business,” he said.

Although Bright is disappointed regarding the lack of an audience at this fall’s contest, he is thankful that local schools can still compete on a physical game field.

“Canceling the competition means students get nothing this year. By doing

it completely virtual, I think they miss a lot. Yes, students are going to miss being in the arena, but what we gave them was that they still get to build a robot,” Bright said.

“It’s a compromise, but everybody is delighted we are able to keep something.”

Especially Grove City College students invested as judges in the program.

Junior Sadie Hilf said, “I am very excited for this upcoming season and to see all the awesome work that the participants have put in.”

“Through all my years between judging and competing, I am continually impressed by the ingenuity and creativity of the students to rise to the challenge of BEST Robotics,” junior Ryan Fair said.

Bright sees the contest as an admissions event, a way for college students to connect and interact with the younger generation.

“I want the high school and middle school students to see Grove City College students, and I want to see bright, eager Grove City College students that are willing to in-

vest and make an impression on them,” he said.

Grove City students agree that their encouragement and guidance help inspire the robotics teams.

“Whether they admit it or not, they are watching us,” Fair said. “We have the opportunity to inspire them to pursue a future that they would normally never be exposed to.”

For some at Grove City, those early connections with college students made all the difference.

“Competing in BEST as a high schooler was a great experience to be able to connect with STEM college students. I was able to ask about their experiences, so I could better prepare myself,” Hilf said. She ascribed BEST as the reason to why she became an engineering major in the first place.

Hilf added, “Inspiring these students often comes in the form of simply listening and talking with them. It teaches them communication skills and encourages them to pursue STEM because they look up to someone who took time

out of their own day to talk to them.”

Despite the virtual format, judges can still give feedback to teams through breakout rooms and evaluation sheets.

Judging takes place the week of Nov. 16, concluding with Game Day on Nov. 21.

Though a college student, sophomore Alanna Benn finds that the younger students inspire her more than she inspires them.

“There’s something crazy about being given the same set of instructions. And a few weeks later, everyone has a completely different robot.

The levels of professionalism I have seen from middle schoolers to seniors is insane,” she said.

Excited for Game Day, sophomore Levi Marasco cannot wait to see what the teams have created.

He said, “BEST students have never been ones to shy away from a new challenge, and I am sure they will let that trait show during the competition this year.”

Investors despise election uncertainty Karsten Lagerquist Contributing Writer

Financial markets despise uncertainty.

Uncertainty increases the risk levels of an investment, and higher risk levels necessitate greater returns. Greater required returns lead to lower share prices.

This logical progression helps make sense of why markets often decline right before elections only to totally change their trajectory for better or worse the morning after the election, once the eventual political direction is made clear.

Understanding this, we ought to think about how we should both proactively and reactively position ourselves as investors before and after the votes are tallied. Even though the election will have already happened by the time this article is published, I would like to answer these questions in hindsight as well as give some advice as things move forward.

A good question to start with is a broad one. How much should we expect elec-

tions to alter our long-term investing prospects? It may come as a surprise, but the reality is that there is not as much long-term impact from Election Day as you might expect. Markets will often react with a big spike one way or another immediately following an election based on optimism or pessimism regarding the winning candidate’s proposed policies.

However, far more often than not, the market will realign itself with actual corporate earnings in short order. Because of this, it is advisable to just sit tight and maintain any holdings you might have in the run-up to elections. Buying or selling are extra risky during these times because the extra volatility that markets experience makes it even more impossible to time the markets well (something you should pretty much never attempt anyway).

It might seem reasonable to be patient before an election, but certainly not after right? Well, not necessarily.

Candidates are not going to

be good or bad for the entire market. There will always be companies that will do well and do poorly in both bear and bull markets. It is true that a large-scale increase in corporate taxation would negatively impact earnings for nearly every company in the country. However, that does not mean that Microsoft, PNC, Corning or any other firm will stop growing.

The long-term prospects can still be very bright.

Practically, this might mean waiting to invest more funds until the short-term dust settles or even waiting out an initial drop in the share price. The positive, though, is that this allows us to avoid attempting to time the market and wasting time managing our portfolios unnecessarily. Especially for us collegiate investors who have a long-time horizon to invest over, negative policies should be seen as opportunities more than deterrents.

You might be wondering if there are ways that elections should affect what we invest in as opposed to just the timing. Because differ-

ent candidates have different agendas, elections will always make some sectors more attractive than others.

A clear example of this is the financial sector. Democratic candidates will generally favor tighter regulation of banks, whereas Republican candidates will generally favor looser policy. Knowing this, if a Democrat wins the presidency, you can probably bank (I couldn’t resist) on the fact that the financial sector probably will not do as well as maybe the renewable energy sector. There is certainly more nuance to things than I just described, but the general idea remains the same.

Elections are scary for investors. Things are more uncertain than normal. Regardless of this uncertainty, though, avoiding jumpy reactive trading is key to making the most of elections as investors. Whoever wins an election, there will be opportunities in the market.

Where those opportunities are may change or be delayed in coming, but they will always be there.

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

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Email The Collegian at gcc.collegian@ gmail.com.

Community The Collegian, Nov. 6, 2020

Page 4

Francis causes confusion Students reflect on Papal comment Fiona Lacey

Community Editor Pope Francis made frontpage headlines last month as the “first Pope to endorse same-sex civil unions,” sparking what has become a significant point of contention to Catholics around the world.

A comment the Pope had made pertaining to rights of the LGBT community in the new documentary, “Francesco,” caused immediate scandal to Catholic teaching and tradition.

What did he mean? Isn’t this against the teaching of the Church, the very institution of which Pope Francis is the head?

In lieu of this confusion, the Vatican recently published a note clarification through their apostolic nuncio, Archbishop Franco Coppolo, hoping to “present an adequate understanding of the Holy Father’s words,” the letter read. As the note reads, Coppolo differentiates between civil unions and marriage.

“There are very close unions between people of the same sex, which do not in themselves imply sexual relation, but a very intense and stable alliance.” Coppolo writes that it was in regards to this issue of non-sexual same-sex civil unions that the Pope was referring to.

Francis has referred to this issue of “civil unions” many times through his leadership in the church, both in regards to same-sex marriage and non-sexual union, causing much confusion on his stance.

The recent clarification, though bringing context to Francis’ words, still leaves most confused.

But according to Coppolo, Francis will always promote the teachings of the church: that marriage is inherently of one man and one woman.

While tensions run high, the Catholic community in the Grove City area remains not much different. Like their Catholic counterparts, college students and professors who hold their faith

GETTY IMAGES

In the newly released documentary, “Franceso,” Pope Francis made comments concerning ‘same-sex civil unions” that sparked controversey amongst catholic believers everywhere, including the GCC Catholic community. dearly are confused, others disheartened.

“It’s immensely complicated,” Dr. Paul Kengor, Professor of Political Science said.

“No one is really sure what happened.”

Kengor is a parishioner of the Church of the Beloved Disciple, a Catholic church off South Center street in Grove City.

But others hold different views. To some, Pope Francis’ remarks were an indication of his alleged liberal and progressive tendencies of which many traditional Catholics are and have been concerned since the beginning of Pope Francis’ pontificate.

“As Catholics, we should not support civil laws that are in opposition to the Law of God. This was a point previous Popes were clear on,” junior Jim Kopemeyer said.

“That Pope Francis would deviate from this teaching is par for the course in his confusing and unorthodox pontificate.”

Kopemeyer hopes Francis’ remarks were misinterpreted.

“Francis is the earthly shepherd of the Universal church and it is his job to lead the faithful with clarity; instead he has caused great confusion amongst the faithful, some of whom now question whether the church has changed her teaching to recognize same-sex marriage,” Kopemeyer said.

Some reinforce the statement of Coppolo.

“Pope Francis just wasn’t, and usually isn’t, careful or clear with his preaching,” sophomore Mark Armour said. “The actual ‘endorsement’ was a call for ‘coexistence laws’ according to bet-

ter translations. That could be taken to mean anything from legal gay marriage to anti-discrimination laws, but more importantly, it was said offhandedly in a documentary.”

This recent dialogue amongst the Catholic community over Pope Francis’ ambiguous words is not an isolated occurrence.

As Armour and Kopemeyer said, Pope Francis’ words tend to be confusing or skewed in light of misrepresentation.

“It’s important not to jump to conclusions,” junior Scott Amon said, a lifelong Catholic and parishioner of the Church of the Beloved Disciple. Amon expressed the need for context and acknowledgement of language barriers.

“Pope Francis was not speaking in English,” Amon

said. “So it’s possible that the English translation conveys a meaning that he did not intend. [Also,] Pope Francis was speaking to an audience that was not America. What he is saying might have other implications for a different culture.”

In response to this issue’s effect on the Catholic community on campus and around the world, Grove City College’s Newman Club remains firm in its desire to unite Catholics, even in divisive times.

The Catholic community of GCC stands firm in its beliefs and God-given responsibility to love amidst disagreement.

In an email on the matter, The Newman Club expressed their desire to create peace and unity in a time of polarization amongst the faithful.

“We do not want to create divisions.”

Gaining some global perspective Chris Murphy

Contributing Writer While August marked the return of students to Grove City College, the same cannot be said for all its classes.

GCC has opted to limit its independent study options, including the long-offered Perspectives course.

Perspectives, a ministry primarily focused on global missions and evangelism, has established a foothold in the small college town of Grove City, Pa. According to the organization’s website, the local program joins hundreds of installations across nine countries.

Before the 2020-2021 academic year, GCC told Perspectives that they would not be sponsoring Perspectives on-campus for the near future.

Suzanne Rumbaugh, wife

of former GCC Professor Donald Rumbaugh, serves as class facilitator and coordinating team member for the local chapter.

“We feel the Perspectives course is such a rich opportunity for anybody in the church,” Rumbaugh said. “It helps any Jesus follower understand more of what God is doing to spread the kingdom of Christ.”

While many classes offered by the organization span the duration of a semester, Grove City’s program is shifting into an intensive course.

Instead of a once-weekly night class, this format involves teaching the curriculum over two weeks in late January, which coincides with GCC’s winter intercession.

The course is not available to only college students though, as members of the

community have also signed up for the program. Operating out of Grove City Alliance Church and East Main Presbyterian Church this semester, local families are even offering to host students during the intercession.

Junior Matthew Marasco, who took the program last spring, cannot recommend it enough.

“All the men in my family have taken the course,” he said. “I think everyone should take it, including faculty members across the different majors.”

Since taking the class, Marasco has become a coordinating team member, joining Rumbaugh.

He also is a campus liaison for the ministry, serving as an intermediate for both GCC and the organization.

Junior Benjamin Cooley, a recently turned BARS ma-

jor, also decided to take the program during the spring semester.

“I was looking for another class to take, and I had a friend that was like ‘this class is awesome,’” Cooley said.

Cooley was pleasantly surprised by the course, saying, “Perspectives is not about missionary recruitment, it’s an educational opportunity to learn what the ‘capital-Cchurch’ is doing and how my life can play a part in it.”

After being classmates and sitting next to each other in lectures, Cooley and Marasco decided to become roommates. “Our college ‘ways’ hadn’t crossed yet,” Cooley said. “I definitely got to know him better through it.”

Looking forward, Rumbaugh said that the program is unsure, yet optimistic, for the future of GCC’s involvement.

She said, “We’ve seen an awful amount of fruit come out of this course,” estimating that 150 GCC students have been involved thus far.

Credit from the class can be earned through Excelsior College and Trinity University, with the potential to transfer the credits for students at GCC. Despite changes to Perspectives’ modus operandi, Marasco hopes to see the program reinstated by the school, or even offered as standard curriculum.

“I would personally like to see Perspectives be offered as a full-fledged class, or at least as an independent study again…Looking back at it, if I didn’t have the money to take the class at the time I would’ve taken out a loan just to take the class,” he said.

The Collegian, Nov. 6, 2020

Page 5

From the desk of Chaplain Opitz…

Signs and snakes Donald Opitz

Chaplain & Senior Director of Christian Formation

PAIGE FAY

COVID-19 restrictions has made chapel significantly different, including cutting chapel credits in half.

Reacting to chapel restrictions Nicholas Grasso Contributing Writer

All Grovers know the familiar sound of a Tuesday morning alarm that wakes them for chapel, only this year it’s different.

Instead of packed seats throughout Harbison Chapel, livestreams of the message are broadcast to students in Crawford Hall, and in-person chapel services are capped at 250 attendees.

Ketler Auditorium no longer serves as a location for chapel.

In addition, live worship has been done away with in an effort to curb COVID-19 surges.When asked about the changes, junior Lucas Hassinger said, “The loss of community through not having worship is very sad and definitely the most powerful difference. There’s power in singing songs together and eliminating that is unfortunate.”

The required number of chapel credits has been cut in half from 16 to eight this semester. The load associated with obtaining 16 chapel credits has been significantly lessened because of this change.

Sophomore Nathan Fuguet said, “It’s really helpful because it allows for a more flexible schedule and the ability to study the night before without having to worry about getting up early as many times.”

Cutting the required credits in half has led many stu-

ELECTION

continued from 1

lieved Trump could make a come-back. “If it’s one thing the man is, it’s full of surprises.”

Senior Elizabeth Finnegan recently traveled back to her hometown in North Carolina to vote early only to be met by a long line. Seeing mostly Biden supporters when voting, she believed the Democratic candidate would win.

From Oregon, senior Sarah Robinson voted as a resident in Pennsylvania.

She said, “I just pray that the country accepts whatever happens and does not take their frustrations about the results out on poor businesses that have already suffered enough.”

Due to the rise of isolation and quarantine cases this week, many students also held their own private watch parties.

Isaac French, a junior, hoped the results would come out on Wednesday but did not think that would happen.

“Both candidates are going to call for a recount or something if they lose because both refuse to accept defeat, and they’ll blame some-

dents to take advantage of double chapel credits in order to fulfill their credit responsibilities.

Sophomore Kathryn Miller said, “I’ve gone to the Jemar Tisby double credit so far and getting all the credits from doubles seems like the best option.”

Sophomore Kurtis Sekera agreed, saying, “It’s nice to be able to only have to go to four double chapel credits and know that my chapel requirements will be completed through that.”

Changes to chapel services have become the norm for Christian colleges across the country. A blog post about these adjustments written

by Grove City College alumnus Benjamin Leavitt ’16 included Asbury University, Valparaiso University, Calvin University and Baylor University as schools who have also made changes to their chapel programs.

While significant changes to chapel have affected the program as a whole, the reception to those changes has been mostly positive.Chapel Ministries Director Zachary Pitcher ’17 said, “At first, we had a lot of people coming to chapel, and it was a conflict of values because we want people to be safe but we also want people to come to chapel. Now that many people have finished getting their chapel credits, we’re seeing an increase in students coming to chapel just to be there, beyond getting credit for it.”

Pitcher added, “Because of our reduced numbers in chapel, we have gone down to just using Harbison and Crawford. Our numbers are low enough that we can easily distance in just those two locations. Because of that, we are allowing students to choose which venue they attend. If one venue fills up then we will direct people to the other venue, but those who arrive early enough can choose either venue.”

Attending chapel consistently can be difficult for residents of the Colonial Hall Apartments because of the long walk.

Senior Matthew Fuguet said, “I have had very little motivation to go to chapel this semester considering it is so far from the apartments, so early for me, we only need 8 credits and only need to attend a live stream recording.”

There are some students on campus who have been mostly unaffected by these changes.

Junior Elias Reay said, “Chapel, in my opinion, has not changed much due to COVID for me, it’s just easier to get fewer credits.”

The effects of COVID have been around all semester, and chapel is not free from adjustments that need to be made to ensure safety. Grove City College and the chapel program have done all they can to ensure a positive experience for us as we continue to navigate through these times of change.

one messing with the mailin votes or Russia hacking the polling systems, so the chances of us actually knowing who wins by the end of the day seem pretty slim to me,” he said.

Senior Eryn Davis noted that worrying about the results was not something she was going to do this election season.

“My concern is that whatever the outcome, there will be masses of disgruntled Americans unwilling to accept the results of the democratic system,” she said.

Davis believed that we would not know the winner this week due to the large role that absentee ballots play.

Phillip Lothe, a senior, wrote in his vote for Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse as president. He said, “I am hoping that the electoral college is tied, a faithless elector votes for Sasse and then the House chooses him to be president.”

Professor of Political Science Dr. Caleb Verbois weighed in, saying, “We could be here a while counting votes.” He believed Biden would win the popular vote though.

Verbois, however, recognized two important things that happened this election,

noting that 2020 was the highest voter turnout rate since 1900.

“A lot of people decided to vote very late, and perhaps as many as two-thirds of those late deciders broke for Trump over Biden, which is rare for an unpopular incumbent,” Verbois said. “It suggests to me that late in the campaign reluctant Trump voters decided to pull the lever for Trump, largely out of fear that Biden would be worse.”

Chair and Professor of Political Science Dr. Michael Coulter ’91 said that the low turnout rate for young adults might have hurt Biden’s run.

As a usual swing state, Pennsylvania did not look like it would determine the overall outcome of the election unless Trump flipped Arizona, according to Verbois.

Analyzing this further, he said, “If Trump does flip Arizona, Michigan will put Biden close but not across the finish line, and Pennsylvania would decide it.”

Coulter said that “this has been a historic election,” and he wouldn’t be surprised if the higher number of mail-in votes “becomes the norm for the future.”

“Sign, sign, everywhere a sign Blockin’ out the scenery, breakin’ my mind Do this, don’t do that, can’t you read the sign?”

That is the refrain from a hit by the Five Man Electrical Band way back in 1971.

This isn’t some kind of outdated discography, and I’m not writing this to explore the freedom motif of rock music.

We are just coming through a rough political campaign, and yards and devil strips are still full of signs. Our world and our minds are full of signs, ads, emotive emojis and soundbites—little scraps that fill us up and leave us feeling fragmented. Social and intellectual fragmentation take a toll deep inside us and this is a leading cause of the anxiety that so many of us feel.

Sadly, there is no quick fix, no simple solution to our age of fragmentation and anxiety. Recognizing the problem is a start, and perhaps the path toward health and hope will be revealed as we long for wholeness.

I hope that you are able to discern the path to wholeness in many of the courses that you are taking.

Professors work hard to paint the big picture, to provide context that connects pieces and to provide an integrated vision of life and for life.

Most of your professors are not theologians, but they do affirm that their field fits into the much bigger story of God’s rich and glorious creation that has been twisted by sin (every field, every person). God will redeem his creation and his people through the person and work of Jesus Christ.

ADMISSIONS continued from 1

very kind and just want to learn more about the college in a safe and responsible way.”

Massella noted that visiting families have shown their appreciation to the Admissions staff by leaving handwritten thank-you notes, baked goods and a tip for their tour guide. “We’re seeing an increase in applications year over year, which may be the result of the positive on-campus visit experience.”

In addition, the traditional open houses have become virtual events as prospective students continue to learn more about the college. According to Massella, these virtual offerings have been “very successful,” averaging a 66 percent attendance rate.

For the virtual events, Admissions hosts small group chats with current Grove City students and offers random prize drawings, class and lab demonstrations, recorded music performances and video tours.

“COVID-19 has required us to think outside the box, be more creative and vary our methods to meet stu-

Only Jesus is the One, and he alone is the ultimate source of integration.

The Alpha and Omega is the end of fragmentation because the whole alphabet is his. Ultimately every sign points to him, every field unfolds the wonders of his creation and every person needs to be healed and made whole in him.

Not a drop of anxiety will remain in his coming kingdom.

Once upon a time the Israelites were wandering and on the way they became impatient with God. They cursed the good signs of God’s care (water from the rock, the snowy manna that fell from the heavens), and God judged their sin by sending venomous snakes into the camp.

Nobody likes to be bitten by venomous snakes, so the people cried out, and Moses petitioned the Lord for forgiveness. The Lord had Moses raise a strange sign, a bronze serpent on the end of a pole.

If those bitten looked up to the sign, they would live. They had to look away from their terror and pain and look up to the Lord’s provision to be healed.

As we tarry on under the dark cloud of Covid, and as we adjust our political expectations during times of transition, and as we seek relief from encroaching anxiety, we’ve got to remember to look up and remember the provision of our Lord.

The apostle John read the snake sign of Numbers 21 as a type of an even fuller story of salvation.

In John 3:14-15 he writes, “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”

During these days of duress, I encourage you to look beyond whatever is biting you and to look toward the One who came to end the biting. dents where they are,” Massella said. “We do our best to make our virtual events engaging and fun to avoid Zoom fatigue.”

The Education Major Day and Senior Preview Day open houses will be held virtually on Nov. 7 and Nov. 14, respectively.

As for marketing, Admissions has increased its promotional efforts by utilizing digital advertising to connect with prospective students.

Massella said that the admissions counselors “are intentionally reaching out to interested students through phone calls, emails and text messages to guide them through the application process from beginning to end.”

Because Grove City is one of the few colleges still offering a variety of visit options, Massella said that this makes the college stand out.

“We know if we can get a prospective student to visit campus, it increases their likelihood of applying to and enrolling at Grove City College. Our community is unique, and it’s difficult to recreate it in a virtual space.

You just have to experience it for yourself.”

Through the lens,

Nov. 6, 2020

Page 6

caffeinated.cultured A visual tour of local coffee house

Photos and text by Wes Kinney “Coffee is an everyday luxury, something that is meant to be shared,” Joe Fuente, owner of Collage Coffee and Art House, explained when asked what coffee means to him. Fuente refers to his business as a “coffee house,” which he said is much different than a coffee shop.

“A house is a place where you fellowship with friends and family. A shop is where you buy a product - we are not Starbucks.” The product? Fuente said he sells “specialty coffee and tea, handcrafted in small batches that take time, care and dedication,” but values taking the time to get to know his customers and converting them into friends.

Fuente began his coffee career preparing coffee for his mother and grandmother. They approved, and he began to create his coffee house. “As I have ventured deeper into coffee, I soon discovered it to be a rabbit hole of creativity because there are so many ways to experiment, to bring a new experience to people’s lives.”

Joe does not just offer coffee, tea and positive interactions. On Sunday mornings, Joe opens his coffee house to spread the good news of Jesus Christ, hosting a small church group at Collage Coffee and Art House.

My aunt used to tell me “coffee touches lives.” Fuente agrees: “So true because it is one of the highest traded commodities in the world. The well-being of people across the world has huge impacts on the coffee we use every day.

Coffee connects people all around the world.”

Through the lens,

Nov. 6, 2020

Page 7

The Collegian, Nov. 6, 2020

Page 8

The woman who sits at the desk Laura Hamilton Contributing Writer

If you walk into MAP South lobby, you will see a little alcove to the right of the quad entrance. Inside is a desk and a petite, older woman with a friendly greeting and a silver cross around her neck. This is Mrs. Beverly Lightner, the desk receptionist for MAP South. Lightner spends a lot of her time on campus making sure MAP South remains safe and clean for the students to enjoy.

Born in New Kensington, Pa., on July 13, 1952, Lightner first came to Grove City College when she was looking for work in 1991.

“My son was playing basketball [at Grove City High School],” Lightner said. “This lady I knew, her daughter was a cheerleader, so we were both at the same games, and I told her I was looking for work. She said, ‘Oh, you should come up to the college and apply.’ She was working here at the time.”

For 12 years, Lightner worked as a housekeeper at the college until she became a desk receptionist for MAP North lobby in 2003. Ever since, she has worked in North lobby, only changing to South lobby this year.

South lobby is more isolated than North, since Lightner’s office alcove

FIONA LACEY

Beverly Lightner, originally a GCC housekeeper, has been the MAP desk receptionist since 2003. is rather tucked away in the older building. Thanks to the location as well as COVID-19 precautions, Lightner sees fewer students in South than she did in North, but each interaction is a meaningful part of her day. The students are her favorite thing about her job.

“I love the students,” Lightner said.

“They’re always positive and uplifting. It’s nice to be around young people because they have a more positive attitude.”

As a desk receptionist, Lightner has two main responsibilities: security and housekeeping.

She watches over the South door alarms, as well as any belongings students leave behind in the lobby.

She keeps in touch with both Campus Safety and housekeeping staff regarding building maintenance, such as plumbing problems and broken glass. When visitors enter South lobby, Lightner supplies them with information about the campus, aided by her background as a dorm tour guide.

“They used to have a tour room over in North and it was the actual students’ rooms…so when a guy brought a tour in, I would have to take the tour back and tell them about the dorm life,” Lightner explained. “But that’s all different now because they have a specific tour room.”

In her free time, Lightner enjoys gardening, being active outdoors and reading. One thing few people may know about Lightner is that she particularly enjoys historical fiction, especially Francine Rivers’ novels. She is grateful to be a part of Grove City’s family, especially with the Christian atmosphere and beautiful campus.

Lightner loves interacting with people and forming deep relationships that are such an integral part of the college. If you find yourself passing through MAP South lobby, stop in and say hello!

Collegian Crossword

Across 3. is it people or the building 5. leader of the Catholic Church 6. topic of photospread 7. number of full weeks left in the semester

18. location of election night watch party

38. hot leaf water; favorite of the UK

19. lawyer degree

39. Northern-most state

20. Aslan’s species

41. Christmas indicator; precipitation

22. beloved Broad St. establishment

42. Eastern Pa. city

this week

28. slang, isolation

9. commencement speaker ‘19

29. month of graduation, spring

10. GOP color

30. Pa. swing county north of Grove City

11. sizzling meat; pig

23. Pa. Gov.

43. Democrat mascot

12. icy covering in the morning

8. robotics competition

24. Republican mascot

11. South lobby attendant

26. cheese state; Biden flipped

45. number of Pa. electoral votes

13. first name, first president

12. red, white and blue; flutters in the wind

29. Google video software

Down

14. traditional Friday night carb

32. major swing state; keystone

1. frozen water

16. local high school’s mascot

34. first name; “Jolene” artist

17. color of executive branch’s home

36. Roman leader; stabbed

NEW CLASS

continued from 1

said.

Lewis said that, in conversations with students, they would often say the number one thing that Grove City did not prepare them for was entering a diverse world. Students at the college must be aware that the class is there for them to learn from and to

gain perspective.

“I’ve had students approach me all the time, saying, what about this, what can we do? Here’s what we can do. Here’s a chance to educate yourself about realworld situations. I want them to know that what we’re proposing here, what we’re talking about here is biblically based. We are all God’s chil-

2. cup of ___ 4. art of persuasion 6. Mummau’s proposition

31. cloth for your face 33. President’s wing; cardinal direction 34. nation’s capital

15. democrat color

35. soccer coach

19. month of return for the second semester

37. Clare hands these out weekly

21. “Piano Man” serenade

40 Vanderweele’s sport

25. news source that calls the election

44. could go either red or blue

8. millions of these counted

27. GCC’s favorite Christian author to quote

dren, so the more we know about each other, the better prepared we are to spread the gospel,” Lewis said.

Lack of experience or knowledge about diversity among Grove City students was something Blackburn had noticed as well. As a student at the college over 25 years ago, she noticed that many of her peers grew up in

mono-cultural communities and have not had much experience with those from different backgrounds. This course offers students an opportunity to branch out and learn about others’ experiences.

Lewis said, “I think having a better understanding of your fellow man makes you a better person, a more complete person, a certainly

more Christlike person. For me, that’s what this is about.

If I’m going to be a Christfollower, this is certainly something I need to be engaged in.”

Studies in Education: Cultural Diversity and Advocacy (EDUC 290 A) is a 2-credit spring semester course offered on Tuesday and Thursday from 10:05-10:55 a.m.

Entertainment

Page 9

Nov. 6, 2020

In the Land of Color Sitting down with an indie Christian band

iTICKETS

Noel Elvin Staff Writer

Land of Color is an Indie Christian band that performed on campus in fall 2019 opening for Rend Collective. This is an interview with both members, Thomas Ewing and Gary Rea. What inspired your band name and what meaning is there behind it?

Thomas – It kind of explained our musical sound a little bit as far as Gary being from Africa and me from the states–Colorado is where I grew up–but also our two different upbringings and influences in music colliding were making songs that just had a different sound I guess.

Land of Color explains the colorful array of genres and sounds.

With Rest, what was your vision behind it as a project?

Gary – It’s kind of like a blank canvas, the name. God gives you a different perspective when you experience him in his love and you have to see things a little different, like seeing things colorful through a different lens.

We feel like God is telling a greater story in humanity and to humanity but using us as the storytellers and the colors of the painting that he’s painting.

We always try to encourage people to use [their] gifts and be [themself] because God made [them] that way so that he can tell his story through [them] in a unique way. We feel like that kind of ties into our name too.

Gary – We were evaluating where we were at as people but also as a band. We felt God impressing it on us that we needed rest and we didn’t need to push.

As Thomas said, that doesn’t mean we’re not proactive, but you know in your soul when you’re striving and trying too hard.

We felt like we needed to sing the message we wanted ourselves: to rest in God and trust in him but also to tell our audience that and hopefully encourage them to do the same.

Thomas – God wants us to rest in him, and he’s calling us to this place of trusting

Mediocre love story is good enough Chris Murphy

Contributing Writer As the year gets closer to winter break and Christmastime, many start to embrace seasonal traditions and festivities of the holidays.

While I typically don’t start thinking of Christmas until after Thanksgiving, Grove’s online classes through December is forcing me to get in the Yuletide spirit prematurely.

One of my favorite ways to celebrate Christmas is by scouring Hallmark for the worst movies I can find.

There’s a fine line between making a bad movie intentionally and unintentionally that these movies seem to not be aware of, yet manage to uphold.

While I have not had the opportunity to enjoy many bad Christmas movies yet this year, a favorite from my experience is “A Christmas Love Story.”

“A Christmas Love Story” starts with Katherine Clarke, played by Kristen Chenoweth, looking to create the best Christmas choir ensemble to help with a school fundraiser.

Despite her having once written and starred in a smash Broadway musical, Chenoweth’s been having troubles writing holiday songs for 14-year-olds.

Luckily for her, a new kid in town named Danny has the vocal talents of a young Michael Bolton, inspiring

TULSA WORLD

Kristen Chenoweth stars as choir director Katherine in Hallmark’s Christmas rom-com, “A Christmas Love Story.”

Katherine to make music once again.

Tension starts building when Danny’s architect, widower dad, Greg, realizes his son isn’t actually helping friends with a finance startup.

Will Danny’s sudden involvement in the program be enough to save the music program at the school?

How long will it take for Greg and Katherine to defy the odds and societal standards for remarrying?

How many times will Kristen Chenoweth pretend she’s in an opera?

It’s hard to discredit Chenoweth on the basis of her musical ability as she’s a very skilled singer, but hearing notes interjected throughout the film guised as practicing, despite not personally performing, certainly did not help my opinion of her.

With that said, her acting is on par with the rest of the cast, with overly cheery and one-dimensional emotion finding its way into the majority of the film. The choir performances, though, are top tier, considering the dire circumstances and apparent lack of school funding.

I write these negative aspects of the movie not to discourage readers from watching this film but to plead that you do.

Not quite an abomination, this movie is appropriately bad for the season, and that’s just what we need.

This movie is equal parts comical and miserable to watch and is perfect for mindlessly sitting with some friends and maybe cultivating your very own Christmas love story.

I give “A Christmas Love Story” an irresponsibly generous 5/10.

him fully so we can let go and really rest... We’re letting go of our anxiety and our ideas of what the future looks like.

But the enemy will come in our heads and lie to us saying that we’re being lazy or that we’re letting go because we don’t care about this.

It’s this constant battle of back and forth because I really do care about what’s going on, I just want to trust the Lord and give it fully over to him.

That really just means to let it go and not worry, which is crazy because as humans we are built to worry, work and hustle. Or at least the American.

Comparing your EP to Rest, what are some differences and growths

SOCCER

continued from 12

and off the field,” said Lamie.

Speaking of culture, that is something that seems to be of most importance to each athletic program at Grove City.

According to Jordyn White, the women’s assistant coach, they have emphasized living through their vision and living in their culture this semester.

“Our vision statement is ‘To [play the game] in such a way that love of Jesus is immediately evident and ultimately appealing,’” said White.

“The reason we have ‘play the game’ in brackets is because we want that to encompass more than soccer. This fall has given us the opportunity to live out our vision in ways off of the field. We don’t have our normal fall season, so how are we going to live out our vision on campus, in the classroom, in the dorm, etc. Although it’s not what we would have chosen, it is a great opportunity for us to learn and grow together as a team during this challenging time.”

Both teams return plenty of experience from championship-winning teams, which is key for a clubs bringing in 10+ freshmen. The women’s team is acclimating 13 new members this fall, while the men’s team saw 14 new players join the team.

“The freshman have been awesome so far, and I am so excited to see them continue to develop throughout the year and their careers here at the Grove,” said Seth Wade, a senior on the men’s team.

“They have obviously missed out on a number of activities that we normally

you see between them?

Gary – Our first EP, we love that, and it was great, but we did do that with the label so there was a bit more of a commercial sound than what we would really consider our wheelhouse.

We’re more of an Indie band, whereas that one pushed a little more towards mainstream sound. That is kind of the struggle when you’re with a label. You’re always battling artistic integrity and commercial viability.

When we listen to that album, we hear a bit of that but it’s not like we’re not proud of it. We do love it but that’s why we’re excited to be independent because we can really just make the music that we love. can do, but they have remained positive throughout it all. Missing out on team meals, road trips and the preseason I think has prevented them from being able to form a deep, personal connection with the rest of the team, but by this point in the semester they have gotten a good picture of our culture and what we’re about. I have been impressed by them on the field.

I’ve never seen a class more ready to compete at the collegiate level than the guys this year. I expect nothing but success from these guys going forward,” said Wade.

Both coaches have high hopes for this upcoming season and believe their teams can bring home another PAC title.

“This year, things are so different, but they are different for every team,” said Lamie. “For us to win the title, we will need to handle all the quickly changing variables we will encounter. If we can go into each game without being shaken up by the crazy circumstances of this season, I have no doubt we can compete for the title.

I know we have the talent; it will really come down to all of us managing the unknown and focusing on an unwavering conviction to live out our core values every chance we have.”

“We have a great group of guys right now,” said Dreves.

“The guys are working really hard. The eight to 10 weeks we are away are going to be crucial for our success in the spring. I am excited to see what this group can do.

Our culture and effort will be there. That will give us a great opportunity for success.”

Perspectives The Collegian,

Page 10

Nov. 6, 2020

Faith in the faithless Presenting the case for the Electoral College Melva Loock

Contributing Writer Under the American political system, a representative democracy, when a voter casts a vote for a candidate, they are actually casting a vote for an elector. At election time, then, this elector, as part the electoral college, votes on the next president of the United States, usually according to the vote of the majority of their state.

In total, there are 538 electors, and a presidential candidate need 270 votes to be elected. If, however, no candidate reaches this threshold, the decision is thrown to the House of Representatives.

Traditionally, there is an expectation, both by tradition by law, to vote for the candidate selected by the party. However, there have been some—165 in total— who are ‘faithless’ and who cast their vote for a different candidate.

This has never made a difference in an election, but four faithless electors in the 2016 Presidential Election sparked two supreme court rulings, “Chiafalo v. Washington” and “Colorado Department of State v. Baca,” affirming the right of the state to punish faithless electors in this case, by fine, removal or both.

It is worth noting that all these electors were changing their intended vote for Clinton to another Democratic candidate in hopes of encouraging Republican delegates to do the same and push the election to the house. One can presume that the electors were still acting within the best interests of their party, but they still applied their personal influence by choosing a different

WALL STREET JOURNAL

candidate.

This raises a key question: are these electors within their rights to show discretion, to use their best judgement and try to push for a different candidate within the party?

The breadth of tradition, as supported by the recent Supreme Court rulings, would dictate that this is not a proper execution of the electoral system. The primary argument for the ability of the elector to choose which candidate they saw fit stems from the original vision for the system, where the electors are discerning men chosen for their ability to choose.

However, to apply this now would be disingenuous, as the entire system is different

from the original vision.

Hamilton describes his plan in “Federalist Paper No. 68,” proposing that “[a] small number of persons, selected by their fellow-citizens from the general mass” be chosen to elect the president. While we do, in fact, functionally elect the electors when we cast our votes, virtually no voter has any idea at all who that elector is, the name on the ballot is the candidate, and that candidate should be the recipient of the votes of the majority.

It is the responsibility of the elector to fulfill their duty as a representative, and since they are not chosen on their own merit, the way that they must do that is by putting

forward the result chosen by the voters they are representing. There is no just claim to discretion, for they are not chosen for their merit but for the trust their party has in them to put their own interests aside.

This is supported by years of court rulings and the implicit understanding of the vast majority of electors throughout the country’s history. Questions and complaints may surely be raised about the system, but those should be addressed in the proper ways: through legislature and petition and not through the judgement of individuals.

This issue, made contentious in the recent past by

contentious candidates, is brought ever more to the forefront with questions of legitimacy in voting, accusations of fraud and an increasingly polarized and divided atmosphere within politics.

However, these turbulent times only make it more important for everyone involved in the election to complete their duties rightly, according to due process, and to put aside personal actions that will only decrease the legitimacy of whomever they benefit. For the sake of the stability of the country, it is essential that the election be completed by the books, and that the will of the people be carried out according to the law.

The fact is, I do not know exactly how to make Americans less ready to knife each other in the face over their ballot choices. Sin and stupidity are not new, neither is political polarization; human beings are complex, and the spaces in which we interact are even more so. We can have deep, productive conversations about how to cut down the amount of venom spitting around election season, but rest assured those solutions will not be simple ones.

But while we are having those conversations, and being banned on Twitter for our efforts, let’s look at the deeper chaos that emerges every two to four years in this country. Why is it that, in the past few years, partisan divides seem to have radically deepened?

The answer may not lie in the quality (or lack thereof) of the candidates headed to Washington, but in the people that sent them there. If we are going to level criticisms at Donald Trump, Joe Biden

or anyone else, we would do well to look at ourselves first and consider what happened in our minds to put forth individuals with such deep and obvious flaws.

There is an alarming lack of trust within the society we have built, not just between us and our elected representatives but between each other. A 2014 American Psychological Association study on work and well-being found that 24 percent of employees do not trust their employer at all. A mere 14 percent of employees trust company leadership to lead a safe and practical return to work postCOVID, as per an Edelman survey in August of 2020.

Contrast that lack of trust with expectations: according to another Edelman report, 61 percent of Americans expect companies to take public stands on issues of racial justice. That means there is likely a subset of Americans who do not trust their employer at all but expect that same employer to issue a public statement on nuanced

race relations in America.

Our expectations for other people are rapidly increasing, while our trust in those same people is entering a death spiral.

Trust issues are nothing new, but the way we view breaching that trust has changed immensely. There was a time when if someone said something offensive, we looked at them askance, maybe whispered to them in private, and then resumed our day like respectable adults. That time has slipped through our hands. Anything from a poorly-worded tweet to an insensitive Halloween costume is an excuse to damn, block, unfollow and cancel.

We do not trust people, yet we expect those same people to make statements on social issues. We expect these statements yet repost and slamdunk on every statement that we are not on board with. Is it any wonder that the only thing we can all show up for is the big political street fight every four years? Not really.

When this election cycle is over, what types of people will it have produced? Will voting have bettered our mental health, misguided priorities or the whole host of things in our lives that need fixing? Probably not. Our distrust, unrealistic expectations and lack of grace have lit us on fire, and you cannot alleviate a dumpster fire by throwing an “I Voted” sticker atop the flames.

All the political involvement in the world will not accomplish anything if we sacrifice our souls for it. Before the commitment to Donald Trump or Joe Biden comes the commitment to the people they so imperfectly represent. May we take care of ourselves and focus on becoming the kind of Americans that make America worth fighting for in 2020 and beyond.

In a way, it does not matter who wins this battle. What matters is that we are ready to live in the country that follows.

Guard your heart and soul against the election Isaac Willour

Contributing Writer If you are into politics in any capacity, you have probably experienced a rush of emotions at this point, including (but not limited to) fading hope, frustration and soul-deadening rage; after all, who does not want to stare at endless polls, watch cable news everywhere and hear political jargon shoehorned into every conversation?

It is delightful to constantly wonder if this might be the last election cycle that this country makes it through.

We are losing the ability to weather the transfer of power without at least one good verbal “vale tudo,” whether it is with misguided family members, Twitter strangers or even ourselves, debating loudly within our own fever-laden heads.

The Collegian,

Nov. 6, 2020

Page 11

How to perceive the election

SLATE

Shelbi Henkle

Contributing Writer There are winners and losers after any intense competition and at times, either side can react poorly.

The Eagles fans ransacked Philadelphia post the 2018 Super Bowl when they beat the Patriots; the 2011 Vancouver riots occurred due to losing to the Boston Bruins in the Stanley Cup. Although these are sports examples, they highlight how people can become irrational when they let their emotions, whether positive or negative, take control.

Some level of protesting is to be expected after the elections occur. Currently platforms like Instagram and Facebook are filling up with posts regarding a “post-election safety plan” and how to prepare for riots—essentially

how to prepare for societal breakdown.

As this is a presidential election in a democratic country, the transfer of power is to be peaceful and cordial, despite what House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says: “That the president of the United States would place in doubt the peaceful transfer of power, well it’s not a surprise.”

One needs to realize the United States’ government has the political infrastructure to prevent this from happening. Fear mongering is being utilized by the Democratic Party campaign to depict Donald Trump, if he is voted into office again, by saying he “may never leave” which is not allowed due to the 22nd Amendment.

There is a great deal of fear among people that the president is either uncontrollable or has unlimited power, but the legislation that has been in place for hundreds of years still holds true.

During the earliest days of the United States, Alexander Hamilton wrote “Federalist Paper 65” where he said, “The subjects of its [the Senate] jurisdiction are those offenses which proceed from the misconduct of public men, or, in other words, from the abuse or violation of some public trust.”

Therefore, impeachment is condoned if “The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors,” according to the Constitution.

John Locke’s perspective displayed in his “Second Treatise of Government” describes the limit of power best. Locke said, “As usurpation is the exercise of power, which another hath a right to; so tyranny is the exercise of power beyond right, which nobody can have a right to.”

Fundamentally, the line for accepting those in power is when they start to abuse it and disregard the laws put in place to prevent the exploitation of them.

Now, responding to the results of the election in a biblical manner is not always easy, but it is required of Christians. There is the ever-popular verse Romans 13:1 which says, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” And this verse still rings true today, as we as Christians should reflect Christ’s calling in our lives. Yet there must be a limit to accept those in power and another to resist them. Biblically there were times when God called his people to resist their leaders, such as during the Babylonian occupation under Nebuchadnezzar and the destruction of the Egyp-

tian army during the Israelites’ exodus.

However, these were select cases, and these rulers were still used by God, just not in a typical manner.

We should respect our leaders, but there is a line when God’s calling for our lives and the leader’s commands may contradict.

This line is different from our personal beliefs and emotions but should be founded solely on God’s word. As Psalm 46:10 said, “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.”

God is still in control of this election and our lives—it is crucial to take a step back and remember this. Our hope is in heaven and we should show Christ’s love to those around us. At the end of the day, we are all made in God’s image and should show mutual respect to our fellow Christians and citizens.

a strong defense.

Commerce, however, will always be around, and I think that is really the only area where the federal government should have any significant presence. I think the central government should regulate currency and ensure both interstate and international trade.

The central government should also have a small role in ensuring nationwide standardization of units, transportation and internet access so that all interstate functions can occur unimpeded.

A lack of standardization was one of the key failings of the Articles of Confederation, so a different confederated government should ensure such standards of cooperation.

A government following a structure like what I briefly proposed would require much fewer taxes and fewer representatives to maintain this system. The states, however, would now bear a greater responsibility for collecting taxes to support their functions, and they can individually structure their tax system to suit their needs and constituents’ desires.

I believe that such a government could work and succeed because of the recent advancement of the internet. In the 18th and early 19th centuries, it took a considerable amount of time to travel and communicate information, so a strong federal government enabled streamlined cooperation between states.

Now, however, we can instantly communicate and coordinate from across the nation, so having a more decentralized power would not be an issue, and with good diplomacy, problems could be addressed and solved in a timely manner.

So, what would the constituent states do? Beyond setting more of their own taxes for interstate and international commerce, states would have a greater responsibility to maintain and support their citizens, but they would have the freedom to determine laws – notably the especially divisive social issues such as abortion and welfare – for themselves.

If such a government change ever happens, I think it would be acceptable for state borders to be redrawn to better suit how people would like to be grouped together. For example, Southern California and the metropolitan area along the East Coast could be their own states, and many rural areas throughout America could also join together into states.

You may read this and conclude that I am really advocating for a restriction of the federal government, and you would be correct. I think the federal government has grown much too large, but now we are at a time where decreasing the federal government would be quite feasible, and we should consider this option as we continue into the century.

A more perfect union?

TEACHERSPAYTEACHERS.COM

Clark Mummau Perspectives Editor

Let’s face it, America is a divided nation; there is an intense divide between the beliefs of rural and urban communities and between those who identify as politically right and left. While many people are moderates, we never have a truly moderate government.

Undoubtedly, a strong federal system was needed in 1787 to unite the sectionalized colonies as they grew

into the most powerful nation on the world. However, is that strong federal model necessary today, or even helpful? I do not think so, and I think that America would benefit from shifting to something more like a confederal system.

Governments need to protect citizens, and the two primary ways they accomplish this are by promoting national defense and commerce.

While we face terrorists and militaristic regimes most notably in the Middle East, China, North Korea and Russia, our world is largely more peaceful than it

has ever been before, and the trajectory towards peace will likely continue. Hopefully, we can reach global nuclear disarmament in the coming decades and those regimes can be replaced by more moderate and cooperative governments.

If such a change occurs, there would be a drastically decreased need for a large standing army, and the constituent states could contribute a significantly smaller portion for defense than they currently do. Because defense hopefully will not be a great issue in the future, the government will not have to focus as much on providing

Sports The Collegian, Nov. 6, 2020

Page 12

Two teams, same goal Soccer teams reflect on offseason

Ayden Gutierrez Staff Writer

As the semester winds down, athletes at Grove City College are beginning to wrap up the last few weeks of practice. These athletes, once they return from winter break, will begin preseason workouts in preparation for the new season.

For the soccer program, both men’s and women’s teams will look to continue their success this coming spring. The men’s team ended the 2019 season as runners-up in the PAC championship, and the women’s team boasts back-to-back 2018 and 2019 PAC champions as well as being NCAA qualifiers.

“I don’t think success can be linked to one specific day or one specific thing,” said Mike Dreves, men’s head coach. “If anything matters, everything matters. As a team we have been pretty good over time. Thirteen of the last fourteen years we have been in the top four.

The challenge is to get to the next level. To be consistently in the final is where we need to be.”

“We try to be as consis-

WESLEY KINNEY

Midfielder Ethan Bell drives the ball down the field in a game against Chatham, where Wolverines defeated Chatham 4-1. Both the mens and womens teams are preparing this fall to return to the playoffs and emerge as PAC champions. tent and intentional with our team culture as we can,” said Melissa Lamie, women’s head coach.

“Every year the team

has different strengths and weaknesses, different challenges and successes they will face, but if the foundation (the culture) is well es-

Just keep swimming Emily Vanderweele Contributing Writer

This year has been one of changing plans and unknowns for many of us, particularly our own semester here on campus.

Many of our beloved activities have been limited, classes have been adjusted and athletics have been reorganized-especially in training and competition. Womens’ and mens’ swimming and diving has also been affected by the changes. Our season has been a unique one to say the least.

Coming into this year, we knew we were not going to have any meets or competition as NCAA has postponed them until Jan. 1.

We began the year with small practices, which meant no lane-mates or training partners to encourage or receive encouragement from between sets.

This was a hard change to accept, as the meets are not only a way to gauge your progress, but also grow closer with your team. The long bus rides, team meals, cheering each other on ondeck and the many memories that come with them all make the season so amazing.

However, I have come to realize that our team is much more than all these things. Despite some of these road-(pool?)-blocks, our team has still become fast and steady in our perseverance and motivation.

We have come together to encourage each other on during practices and mock meets and have been intentional about building and

tablished, we give ourselves the best chance to win the title again. This year we have a very large group of new players, so I have relied a lot on

Moving on from Tom Staff Writer

Emily Vanderweele swimming at the team’s “mock meet” on Oct. 24. The team is preparing for their 2021 season. keeping relationships. Traditions that make us closer as a team do not stop because this year is different: team Bible study, buckets and community continue to thrive.

We know that even this odd season will pass. Instead of lamenting what we have lost, we are grateful to have to opportunity to continue training and working towards the future meets and seasons to come.

I am once again reminded that we are not swimming for our own glory, but for God’s. We find ourselves striving to emulate Him through our attitude and praise to Him in hardships and challenges, not through focusing on a lost chance to win a race.

Hebrews 12:11 states: “For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”

This is a reminder of not only our own physical training, but also in our own faith walk. Even though trusting

God during the easy and light times of your life is much easier than during the tumultuous and uncertain times, we must continue to seek Him, even in these days.

As we finish our fall semester, we will continue to train up until we leave for Thanksgiving and return in early January for intersession training. Throughout this season, the team continues to strive to grow stronger and better ourselves as athletes.

Looking ahead, I am excited to jump back into competition in the spring semester with my teammates and cross my fingers for an opportunity to swim our PAC championship, represent Grove City College and give glory to God. Grove City College, and give glory to God. Emily Vanderweele is a junior distance swimmer who earned PAC honors as a First Team and Second Team All-PAC athlete her freshman and sophomore years respectively.

SOCCER 9

National Sports Column

Connor Schlosser

EMILY VANDERWEELE

our returning players to give a good picture of what our team culture looks like on

It has been over 20 years since the New England Patriots struck gold on a quarterback from Michigan in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL draft. The now 43-year-old Tom Brady did the unthinkable this offseason; he left the only team he has ever known. In his decision to trade the cold of Foxborough for the heat of Tampa, Brady left behind a legacy and heartbroken fans.

The Patriots’ fanbase cannot be too upset for Brady departing. After all, he gave the organization everything he had. When Tom walked into Gillette Stadium for the first time, there were no banners. When he walked out, he left behind six banners for New England.

Tom was the heart of the Patriots, while Bill was the brains. Bill Belichick, the hooded, expressionless mastermind behind the Patriots dynasty continues to guide as head coach and general manager.

The Tom and Bill duo is arguably the best player to coach combination in all sports. But now they are on opposite sides of the field.

Tom appears to be living his best life with an all-star offense and 6-2 record, while Bill has been struggling in a system that is 2-5.

But the situations in New England and Tampa Bay are vastly different.

Tampa Bay has a remarkable weapons cache. Now with one-game teammate Antonio Brown entering the fray, Touchdown Tom has targets like Chris Godwin,

Mike Evans, former teammate Rob Gronkowski, O.J. Howard, Leonard Fournette and Ronald Jones at his disposal.

It has been a perfect storm for Belichick’s Patriots this season. The Pats have minimal cap space from the contracts dished out over the last five years.

Though the Patriots won three Super Bowls these last five years, there is little financial flexibility.

New England has suffered a league-high eight players opt outs due to COVID-19 including Patrick Chung and Dont’a Hightower.

COVID has plagued the Patriots during the season forcing central players like quarterback Cam Newton and cornerback Stephon Gilmore.

Perhaps the resurgence of Cam Newton was overhyped. The 2015 MVP still has time to improve, but Cam is in danger of losing his starting job to sophomore Jarrett Stidham if he fails to turn it around.

Cam is not Lamar Jackson. Newton’s selfish style has Patriots’ fans burying their faces in their palms in disappointment. Though he can get a rushing touchdown or two, last week’s fumble was proof this is not a guarantee.

Between a now injured Julian Edelman and dayto-day N’Keal Harry, there have not been many reliable options out there in the backfield either.

Cam is not Tom Brady.

Fans are painfully reminded of this every week. Brady continues to perform, and the Patriots are greatly missing his presence.