The Collegian – Feb. 5, 2021

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@Collegian_GCC @gcc.collegian The Collegian: The GCC Newspaper Friday, February 5, 2021

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Student recounts Capitol rally

COMMUNITY

Sports are back!

And ‘it’s a big deal’

SPORTS

Collegian The Award-Winning Grove City College Student Newspaper

Vol. 106, No. 12

2021 turns tides David Zimmermann News Editor

CALEB WEST

The “Orchesis Together” show will be performed today and tomorrow at 7 p.m. in Crawford Auditorium. Due to COVID-19, the dancers will be masked and attendance limited.

GCC returns, COVID stays College springs new safety rules

Ashley Ostrowski Copy Editor

After a long winter break, Grove City students packed up their bags, sent in their negative COVID-19 test results and drove back to the snowy campus where they were met with news about changes in the COVID-19 regulations.

Overall, there has been some confusion about the new language and rumored crackdown.

“I haven’t really seen the new crackdown being enforced, although, people do seem to be wearing masks more often. The new language confuses me person-

ally. I don’t really know why they changed it,” sophomore Laura Hamilton said.

President Paul J. McNulty ’80 explained the changes and cleared up the confusion.

One new change is the meaning of the terms “quarantine” and “isolation.” This was made to match the Center for Disease Control’s language regarding the terms.

Last semester, quarantine included students who either tested positive or had symptoms of COVID-19 and were moved to a college house, an extra dorm on campus, a hotel room or chose to go home.

Those students were put into what is now being called isolation.

“We used the word selfisolation so much last semester that self-isolation became associated with that secondary exposure category. But in the CDC language, isolation is referred or used to refer to the COVID positive person who is in quarantine because of that,” McNulty said.

Students who have experienced secondary exposure to COVID-19 are now being called Q-2.

“The direct contacts of those who are in quarantine are secondaries and they will just stay in their room, go to class, get a meal and bring it back to their room, and just lay low and wait until the primary contact has tested neg-

ative, which is typically only two to three days,” McNulty said.

Sophomore Simon Steward found the change in language understandable yet annoying. “I just finished explaining the old language to my parents, and now I have to do it all over again,” he said.

The fall policies have also been reviewed and adjusted to fit new findings. The isolation period has shortened to 10 days as opposed to 14 days to match CDC guidelines, and there is a shift in focus regarding travel.

Last semester, students RULES 3

Streaming for Spirit and soul Laura Hamilton Contributing Writer

After a long break and an unusual fall semester, Grove City students have returned to campus and face the start of a new semester. While some students will continue to attend online church, some students plan to return to their local churches since some have reopened in-person services.

Last semester, students were discouraged from attending in-person services due to COVID-19 risks. Some churches only streamed services, while others held hybrid gatherings or modified their in-person meetings to follow COVID-19 guidelines.

Grove City College’s policies remain the same this semester, recommending that students “do everything that you can to limit contact with people from beyond the campus community,” according to an email sent to the student body from Chaplain Donald Opitz. Church attendance is left to student discretion which has led to a va-

MATTHEW SCHOONOVER

Junior Nicholas Sparks watches Grove City Alliance Church from the comfort of his dorm room. riety of responses and church plans.

Freshman Abigail Henricksen remains cautious for the time being as she searches for a home church in Grove City.

“I’m planning on watching my church from home over livestream for the first couple weeks,” she said. “After then, I’ll consider trying to find a home church here.

I just want to be careful because I don’t want to spread COVID-19 to any church that I would visit.”

Other students have not changed their plans from last semester, continuing to attend local, beloved church services in person.

“COVID-19 has limited my ability to get to know the congregation of Covenant OPC, something I especially feel

aware of during announcements pertaining to congregational life,” freshman Jacob Feiser said. “However, that has not stopped me entirely from the arduous process of integrating into a new church family.”

Sophomore Elanor Lambert said, “I go to Christ Presbyterian usually, and CHURCH 3

Once the clock struck midnight on New Year’s Day, many thought, or at least hoped, 2021 would be a fresh start — an opportunity to look past the chaos of 2020 and look toward the future.

However, the new year so far seems more like a continuation of 2020 than a new beginning.

In fact, January has proven to be a full month with events ranging from the Capitol riot at the beginning of the year to the recent surge in GameStop’s stock last week — and everything in between.

After two months of former President Donald Trump’s legal battle with the election results, Congress convened on Jan. 6 to finalize the electoral votes. What followed was the storming of the Capitol.

Dr. Carl Trueman, a biblical & religious studies professor, gave his thoughts on the matter.

“We are fortunate to live in a country with significant freedoms and civil rights for which we should be thankful and which we should use,” he said. “But those rights do not include rioting and attacking the very seat of the nation’s legally constituted government.”

Although what happened on that day was tragic, Trueman said he was also concerned with the political ramifications that ensued after the riot. These included the challenges against First Amendment protections, such as freedom of speech and religion, and the response from multi-billiondollar technology companies to censor conservatives on social media platforms.

“We could be witnessing the end of democratic modernity and the emergence of something new and far more authoritarian in its place. It will be fascinating, and likely worrying, to watch how this develops,” Trueman said.

Although he believed there was justification for Trump’s ban on social media, computer science professor Dr. Brian Dellinger ’07 said that it was alarming to see the massive influence tech companies have over speech.

“The synchronized action taken by Apple, Google and Amazon to eliminate Parler was shocking in its efficiency.

Even if that action was fairly motivated, the same thing could be done to any number of targets without any clear recourse,” he said.

Sophomore William Rosenberger, who is the vice president of the college’s Young Americans for Free2021 3

Editorial

Page 2

The award-winning Grove City College student newspaper, Feb. 5, 2021

From the Tower

Cliques to characters

Everyone remembers cliques in high school – maybe even some of the homeschoolers. There were the popular kids who dressed in the latest trends, the nerds who were always building worlds with Java Script and the sport-os who played a different sport every season.

Each clique had a persona of its own and over time each feathered bird found its flock. By senior year most people have their groups and familiar circles.

But with the end of high school and the promise of college comes the farewell to the social barriers so seared into our memories. Now, it’s college, and a whole new world of characters are before you.

College not only develops character, but also serves as a transitional home for the most interesting of ones. Different backgrounds and upbringings bring us together in a melting pot of personality that makes the campus a brighter place.

Some students are unforgettable – they have unique catchphrases, wild outfits, strange habits. Maybe they never wear shoes or wear the craziest of shoes. Or maybe they have wild ideas or only have one interest and they are deeply, deeply involved.

These one-of-a-kind students will stay in our memories long after college, remaining prominent characters in the re-telling of our experiences to posterity. But they are not the only ones who help us write our story. These characters are all around us.

They were the people we saw daily in the dining hall. People you might not have known personally, but you could both be seen taking your dishes up to the conveyor at the same time every morning.

They were the people you would nod to as you checked your mail. Together, you threw out the advertisements for the Coolspring Cornmaze and abandoned the Bookstore’s buy-back reminders on the ledge.

They were the residential couple of South Lobby, who you cringed to see but wondered when you didn’t.

These are the people whose schedules melded into yours, whose faces became constants in your day—as normal as Kitty Purry stalking a chipmunk and as familiar as the sounds of the Grove City maintenance crew.

Out of common courtesy, you share nods, but you both would need to Glance each other before uttering a name.

But would you ever really call out to them? No. On a campus as small as this, you preserve what anonymity you can.

However extravagant or mundane, these characters shape your college experience. Some are minor, some are major, some are just this semester’s guest stars.

Which leaves us wondering, in this Grove City narrative, what character are you?

Anna DiStefano Managing Editor

Paige Fay

Editor-in-Chief

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 Sydney Travis Eve Lee

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 Chris Murphy

Copy Chief Britney Lukasiewicz

Staff Adviser Nick Hildebrand

Photo Chief Matthew Schoonover

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 Matt Schoonover for his quality work and journalistic gumption. Glad to have you on the team!

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

Schoonover

REASON REST STOP

One-day some-days Anna DiStefano Managing Editor

What are you going to do after school?

This question haunts us all during our four years.

And we’ve spent them trying to come up with an answer to satisfy those inquiring minds.

“Oh, I want to do this,” we say. “I think I’d like to go over there.”

We repeat these phrases, thinking of the one-day some-day and convincing ourselves that these things will happen. They’ll come to be, but we don’t have to worry about the specifics now.

It’ll all work out.

And now, my one-day some-day is here. The moments I’ve been talking about for the past four years are looking me in the eyes, asking me if they’ll ever come to be. And I have no answer for them.

Do I proceed cautiously and answer them safely? Or do I charge forward and answer them boldly?

I’m drawn to the latter, but the former offers comfort.

Neither is right or wrong.

I’m free to choose what to do, where to go and how to start.

Then I’m reminded of something my Christ Civ professor said on the first day of the semester: we are condemned to be free.

The freedom I have now is something I may never feel again. Right now, I’m not tied to anything. I could pick up and move tomorrow, but the possibilities, while endless, are overwhelming. With freedom comes choice and with that, the threat of right and wrong.

And as my freedom overwhelms me, those questions are still waiting to be answered, trying to catch my eye.

For better or worse, I’m avoiding their stares like I avoided the well-intentioned post-grad inquiries. But I can’t look away forever.

That resume needs its final tweaks. “Over there” needs some specification. And these things need me to start them.

This avoidance isn’t intimidation or lack of motivation.

In going forward, we leave something behind. Moving forward is not a bad thing.

It’s expected, but I’ve become wary of expectations.

I like to be prepared, to plan ahead. I’m trying to be realistic, too. Maybe I’m scarred from 2020, from the sudden disappearances of what I thought were guarantees, but I’m hesitant to start planning again.

Tentatively, I’m stepping toward another beginning, tying up my current ending here and giving my one-day some-days expiration dates.

I’m looking them in the eyes and bringing them into being.

Like so many, I have realized that whatever plans I have, whatever things I think are given, are subject to a will that is not my own.

This week in Collegian history

Queens and ghosts Feb. 1891 This issue of The Collegian is sponsored by...

Feb. 1901 “The Late Queen of England”

On Jan. 22, 1901, Queen Victoria, one of England’s most celebrated monarchs, passed away on the Isle of Wight.

A ruler with a prominent place at the table of the great women of history, with a 64-year reign (longer than any British ruler up until Queen Elizabeth II), her era is called by Collegian writer Edith Blynt, class of 1902, “the Golden Age of English history.”

This week at GCC 120 years ago, Blynt took the time to write about the influential queen’s reign and the legacy she would no doubt leave upon the world.

“She lived a sincere and humble Christian life,” Blynt writes, “and an example to all the world…many generations will enjoy the blessings brought about by her good reign.”

Feb. 1911 “The Ghost of Demon”

“No. A Murder kills but one; his crime has killed the souls of three…” Fans of the murder mystery look no further than the 1911 Collegians, when contributing author known only as G. A. C. wrote a series of mysteries entitled “The Ghost of Demon Run.” G. A. C. writes with artful description the story of two men travelling through the mountains of the west and are finally on their way home. They come upon a tavern, and are ushered into the warm embrace of hospitality, only to be shocked by startling, the “strange, wondrous strange” mystery of a series of skeletons possibly left behind by a fleeing criminal who was never seen again.

The two young men chief in the story resolve to seek the criminal out, and the first entry of the story ends with them riding off to find him.

Jules Wooldridge

Staff Writer

News The Collegian,

Feb. 5, 2021

Page 3

Graduates’ time commences Collegian Staff As class of 2021 prepares to commence their experience at Grove City College, 2020 faces the opportunity to close the chapter on theirs.

President Paul J. McNulty ’80 informed students and parents in a Jan. 29 email that both 2020 and 2021 commencement will be taking place in-person and according to schedule.

Class of 2021 will graduate at the traditional 10 a.m. time, and class of 2020 is scheduled to graduate at 1 p.m.

“We have remained determined to have a ceremony for the ’20 grads,” McNulty said.

When the original plan of having 2020 commencement at Homecoming fell through due to COVID-19, the graduation planning committee set their sights on spring 2021.

According to McNulty, holding both commencement ceremonies on the same weekend was the most cost-effective and manageable option.

“We hope to have the usual pomp and circumstance with the procession and reading of names,” McNulty said about the 2020 commencement program. It is undetermined whether there will be the same speaker for both ceremonies.

“Most of the logistical work is ahead of us,” McNulty said. “Our team is very experienced and has a can-do spirit.”

For 2020 graduates, there is mixed reactions to the col-

2021

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dom chapter, said, “Big Tech censorship against conservatives is heinous and is the result of the error in thinking that speech you disagree with is not free speech but hate speech, and that speech is an act of violence if you disagree with it.”

Others, however, did not view the censorship as a major violation of free speech.

Professor of political science Dr. Michael Coulter ’91 said, “No one has a First Amendment right to being included on a platform.

It might not be prudent for Facebook or Twitter to ban someone or some stories, but as private organizations, they have the legal right to do so.”

A week after the Capitol riot, the House of Representatives filed an article of impeachment against Trump of “incitement of insurrection.”

This marked the second time Trump had been charged with impeachment.

While over 30 Republican senators have voiced their opposition to an impeach-

CHURCH

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I’m excited for the new facilities and the blessing of worshipping in person. Going to church online makes me feel disconnected, more lonely and less focused.”

Opitz also stated that HAL will continue to live stream services from certain churches, calling it the “HAL Hive of Churches,” for students who do not want to attend in-person services outside of campus but want the joy of

GCC

Both graduations for classes of 2020 and 2021 are currently expected to be held in May. The 2019 commencement ceremony was the last one to be held before the COVID-19 pandemic started. lege’s announcement.

Megan Piotrowski ’20 approaches the news cautiously.

“Initially I didn’t believe that it was actually happening, and I still wouldn’t be surprised if yet again it would have to get postponed,” she said.

Despite her uncertainty, she plans on attending the ceremony.

“I believe graduation will bring some closure to the class of 2020 that we have not yet had. We never got the opportunity to say goodbye to professors, friends and staff. Graduation will finally provide the opportunity to say our formal goodbye to the four years of college that, in a way, felt like it never ended,” she said.

Mike Hess ’20 was surprised to see the college was planning on having a full ceremony and loosely plans on attending.

“It all depends on where I’m at that point in life, and seeing that it’ll have already been a year since our originally planned graduation ceremony, having a makeup ceremony isn’t exactly at the top of my priority list right now,” he said.

For Hess, the importance of commencement has faded from his mind over the past year.

“Though I love my class and would love to have a reunion with all of them, the graduation ceremony itself is not something I have a waking desire for,” he said.

“However, if all goes well and

the ceremony can proceed, and I have all my ducks in a row, it could be a great event to attend.”

Samantha Funderlich ’20 does not plan on attending commencement. Her demanding job, long distance from campus and concern about the effect of COVID-19 fueled her decision.

“A year after graduation, nobody really cares anymore.

It doesn’t make sense to me to have this event a year later when most people have moved on. I would rather take a weekend to travel and spend time with people I connected with than sit through this spectacle,” she said.

For class of 2021, the possibility of in-person commencement brings some hope of closure.

ment trial for the preceding president, political science professor Dr. Caleb Verbois said that under the Constitution a former government official can be impeached for “mismanagement, conduct unbecoming or constitutional abuse.”

Speaking on the current administration in the first two weeks of Joe Biden’s presidency, Verbois is not hopeful based on Biden’s executive orders and cabinet picks. However, Verbois could see the President receiving more support in the future if he remains “calm and collected.”

Student Government Association’s Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs and Young Americans for Freedom’s Secretary Mark Grasinger, a junior, said that “unity and national healing are laudable goals, but these cannot be achieved through suppression” by tech companies.

Economics professor Dr. Shawn Ritenour expressed doubt over the Biden administration’s economic policies, which includes a federal

minimum wage of $15 an hour and a raise in taxes.

“His efforts to ‘build back better’ will be, I expect, short circuited by poor policy,” Ritenour said. “More intervention through price controls, higher taxes, more subsidies and more taxation are exactly what we do not need if we want a more prosperous society.”

Dr. Jeffrey Herbener, another economics professor at the college, aired similar concerns. Believing these economic policies will lead to corporate socialism, Herbener predicted that “middleclass standards of living will stagnate and decline while the political-corporate elite will get richer.”

Herbener also said the GameStop incident last week illustrated how stock manipulators could risk losses from pushing the stock price higher or lower than the company’s actual profitability.

Though these events spark uncertainty over the next few years as a nation, professors gave Grove City students advice on how they should digest these events.

Coulter and Verbois said it is important to read news from a wide variety of publications, whether conservative or liberal, to understand the other side’s perspective.

“Remember that we’re called to be Christians first, and identifying as Americans or conservatives falls way, way down the priority list,” Verbois added. “If you’ve gotten that confused, stop what you’re doing and fix that before you do anything else.”

Trueman reminded students that to be truly engaged in political issues of the day is to first remember that Christian responsibility should precede American civic duty.

“Be informed, be involved, treat opponents with respect, but still be firm and forthright in how you engage with them. Pessimism makes us lazy and passive; optimism is naïve and always disappoints. Realistic hope motivates true engagement,” he said.

communal worship.

For churches who are reopening in-person services, the process is complicated but highly anticipated.

“It is important to offer an opportunity for public worship, and it is also important to engage publicly with caution and frugality,” Rector Ethan Magness of Grace Anglican Church said. “We are inching our way back to our normalcy and are trying to be responsible in light of the mercurial threat of CO-

VID-19.”

College students are integral to many local churches, and services just are not the same without them. Consequently, some churches are taking precautions to maintain safety while also making the students feel appreciated in the church community.

“We have had separate services for students and residents. Regarding public worship, people have to RSVP and wear masks and sanitize hands. We also offer live

stream services on YouTube and in Crawford Hall Auditorium so that more people can participate,” Magness added.

“I think our parish has experienced what many churches have experienced; that is, a temporary dismembering of the body of Christ.

The religious and social distance between people has been brutal for many folks, and I hope that we shall experience a mending in the near future.”

Senior Harry Schreiber is glad the college plans to hold graduation for both classes.

“It’s nice to be able to affirm your parents that they’ll be able to see you walk and get your degree in person.

Graduation is an experience to a lot of people, and I’m glad we’re having it,” he said.

While it’s unusual to have two classes graduate at the same time, “I think it’s only fair for them to have their graduation as well,” Schreiber said. “We’re a small school so graduating everyone at once isn’t as huge a deal as schools who have to graduate over 10,000 students.”

The college will continue to reveal more details concerning both commencements as plans solidify.

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were initially advised to avoid what was considered nonessential travel whenever possible, but this semester the focus is on high-risk activities instead.

“It became clear that the kind of travel involving Dunkin’ Donuts, McDonalds, and other grab and go, and going to stores wasn’t really high risk,” McNulty said. “So we wanted to sort of relax on that but we want to make it clear that some things that are high risk: going to bars, parties off campus, just events where COVID spread is more likely to occur.”

McNulty denied rumors of a new strike system for students who violate the COVID-19 masking and social distancing guidelines. While students should be aware that refusing to abide by the college’s policies could result in a student conduct case, these situations will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

As for the students, there has not been much of a change to daily life on campus since the fall.

“I don’t remember any new rules except that they don’t have open hours yet,” senior Paige Wilson said.

McNulty noted that the rules regarding COVID-19 have not really changed.

“In regard to our prevention efforts such as masking, physical distancing, travel off campus, and visitors, our policies are pretty much identical to the first semester. But accountability will increase to avoid large numbers of students enduring isolation and quarantine.”

President McNulty said.

Community The Collegian,

Feb. 5, 2021

Page 4

Insurrection firsthand Sophomore attends Jan. 6 rally

Scott Amon Staff Writer

On New Year’s Day, people suspected a calmer year, but those hopes were dashed within a week of 2021, and GCC student Cliff Hughes had a front row seat.

On Jan. 6, news sites interrupted their daily schedules Hughes to report that a group of protesters, who were holding a rally in D.C in condemnation of Joe Biden’s Electoral College win, had started to riot.

Soon, images of rioters in the U.S. Capitol overwhelmed social media and news platforms.

These images sparked many questions. How many people attended the protest?

Was the protest a riot from the start, or did something trigger the riot? How many Vikings were present?

Hughes, a sophomore Accounting Major, was at the protest and provides insight into that day.

Hughes decided to attend the protest because, to him, both history and tradition obliged him to participate.

“As the eighth generation descendent of Captain John Hughes, a war hero… I had no choice but to follow the guiding of the Holy Spirit: to go down to our Nation’s Capitol and allow my voice peacefully, respectfully be heard,” Hughes said.

Hughes, a Pennsylvania resident, left in the early morning by train to arrive in time for the protest. He anticipated that the protest would draw many people due to some of the speakers who would address the protesters later in the day.

“Because of the circumstances surrounding the event… I expected an immense amount of people to be present, possibly hundreds of thousands, maybe even a million,” said Hughes.

The number of people on the train swelled with each stop.

Many of the people were “equipped with megaphones, various historic, patriotic and political flags, as well as more profanely written signs,” Hughes said.

He added, “The train continuously filled up with more of these folks at rail stops on

CLIFF HUGHES

People march down Pennsylvania Avenue in after a rally in front of the White House on Jan. 6 in Washington D.C. Rioters later stormed the U.S. Capitol. the way.”

A foreboding sense of the unknown permeated the day when Hughes’s train pulled into Union Station at 6:30 a.m. “There was an unmistakable sense of doubt in the air, as to what could potentially happen that day,” Hughes said.

Once he had debarked from the train, Hughes made his way towards the Ellipse where the protesters were addressed by well-known Conservative speakers such as Rudy Giuliani and Donald Trump Jr. At 11 a.m., former President Donald Trump addressed the crowds.

“After the hour-and-a-halflong speech, we marched down Constitution Avenue, passing where folks were protesting, some with rather profane signs, outside the Department of Justice and National Archives, on the

way to the Capitol,” Hughes said. As he and the other protesters marched, Hughes recalled that tension pervaded the protesters.

“I could sense tension building in others while we were on the move, and there were police cruisers and dump truck blockades everywhere.”

While the protesters made their way towards the Capitol, a phone notification caused the tension to escalate into anger.

“A notification went off on my cell phone when I was near the Canadian Embassy… then-Vice-President Mike Pence and Congress [had] confirmed the electoral college results, and that’s when people immediately started to become more aggressive,” Hughes said.

Despite added aggression, Hughes did not think the

protest would turn riotous.

Due to time constraints and the desire to eat lunch, Hughes started to make his way back to Union Station before the protest escalated any further.

Hughes was still within sight of the Capitol when he heard the protest turn into a riot.

“We heard extremely loud shouting, louder than usual, and extremely loud “booming” noises, almost like that from the firing of a canon, and we saw the mob storm the Capitol.”

Hughes was grateful that he was not any nearer to the Capitol.

“Thankfully, we had a train to catch, otherwise, we could have been much closer to the scene. Union Station was, perhaps, the safest place in Washington,” Hughes said.

While he waited for his

train, Hughes saw other protesters streaming into Union Station to escape the riot.

Though many participated in the Capitol riot, it is important to remember that a large number of the protesters wanted nothing to do with the violence. Hughes safely departed Union Station on the 4 p.m. train.

Hughes is certain that “divine intervention” interceded that day and concluded with an exhortation of faithfulness.

“The most important thing I could possibly stress to everyone is to heed by the United States Marine Corps Motto ‘Semper Fidelis,’ a Latin phrase meaning ‘always faithful.’ Be always faithful in the United States of America, and most importantly, be always faithful in God, in whom we trust.”

Coping with COVID: A satirical look at the pandemic on campus

Anti-glove Bon Appetit workers fired

Recently, Grove City College Bon Appetit fired a small group of workers who refused to wear gloves on the job. These workers had banded together against the glove mandate enforced by Bon Appetit out of concern for their personal health, freedom and belief that gloves are ineffective and unnecessary.

“I wore gloves every day for years until I came across a tweet which informed me of the risks of wearing gloves, posted by an old classmate who dropped out

of high school,” one antiglover said. “Gloves actually poison the hands and can even cause long-term skin damage! Not to mention, they’re uncomfortable! I don’t regret my decision not to wear them.”

Another fired worker responded, “The glove mandate infringes on my personal freedom. I don’t have to wear gloves if I don’t want to. They may take our jobs, but they will never take our freedom!”

Bon Appetit caught wind of the anti-glove movement

when students complained about workers who served food without gloves. “I got a sandwich the other day and the server’s hands were all over the bread and meat! It was disgusting,” one student said. “Several of my friends even got food poisoning, and one had to go to the hospital!”

In response, another anti-glover said, “The gloves don’t even do anything.

There are germs all over the gloves just like my hands, so they’re pointless. Plus, these students are young – their

immune systems can handle a little bug, so we definitely don’t need the gloves.”

In a recently released statement, the manager of Grove City College Bon Appetit commented, “Foodborne illness is a serious thing, and we cannot take it lightly. It is highly contagious, and in severe cases can even hospitalize or kill people. People with compromised immune systems or other pre-existing conditions are especially susceptible, but anyone can come down with a nasty case. Our

community’s health cannot be compromised by this selfish behavior, so we had to cut it out.”

The anti-glove sentiment still exists among some Bon Appetit workers, but now that management is taking the glove-mandate seriously, workers are less likely to forego wearing gloves. “It’s easy and it’s common decency,” continued Bon Appetit’s manager, “suck it up and wear your gloves!”

The Collegian,

Feb. 5, 2021

Page 5

My test was positive Fiona Lacey

Community Editor Since the beginning of the 2020 fall semester, approximately 100 Grove City College students have tested positive for COVID-19, who, most, if not all, were immediately forced into quarantine and self-isolation. With the influx of four new cases just in this past week, the continuing occurrence of coronavirus on campus has fortunately decreased campus stigma surrounding the once-novel virus.

As coronavirus cases rise, this once object of fear is slowly becoming a component of everyday life.

“I think it’s time to see COVID-19 for what it is– a dangerous virus, not the end of the world,” junior Micah Toney said, who tested positive for the virus shortly after being exposed to his sister who came to visit for Christmas. Toney and his family’s symptoms, though not enjoyable, were much like that of a cold.

“We all had a slight runny nose– a few of us had coughs.” Toney’s sister is still currently regaining her sense of smell, and his father still has a lingering cough.

For Toney, testing positive was inevitably a good thing, as he explains, “Now I have immunity for at least three

months.”

“I think the biggest threat from COVID has passed,” Toney said. “Now we know more about it.”

Symptoms for sophomore Peter Van Erden, who tested positive during the fall semester, were similar. Van Erden had flu and cold-like symptoms for a couple of days, and then nothing.

“Of course every case is different, and not everyone recovers the same,” Van Erden said. “But I was able to say I was immune, which was a plus.”

“The biggest bummer,” Van Erden said, “was having to quarantine.”

Junior Shane McCosby tested positive while being at home. “I wasn’t too worried,” McCosby said. “My symptoms were mild, and I was already home.” This brought its own risks, though, as McCosby’s grandparents were close by.

Though he felt judged at times, for the most part people’s reactions to his getting of the virus was “lighthearted.”

When junior Judy Anne Spira tested positive last fall, most of her nerves were about the fact that her friends would have to quarantine. “I wasn’t nervous about having the virus though,” Spira said.

Spira had a small cough for four days and lost her taste and smell shortly after, which

Seven questions with…

Dr. Mark Graham Professor of History

What do you listen to on the ride home?

MATTHEW SCHOONOVER

For many, self-isolation affected students more than COVID itself. lasted for about 10 days.

Fortunately, the looming terror of COVID-19, has become nothing more than an inconvenience.

For students who will test positive for the coronavirus in the future (a very likely occurrence,) staying calm and minimizing stress remains the key to success. For Toney, Van Erden, McCosby and Spira, getting a positive test result was a cause for concern, but not for worry.

Rightly so, says Director of

Counseling Services Dr. Suzanne Houk.

“The distress of missing out may be worse than the physical symptoms for some.” Houk suggests a shift of perspective will help those who test positive to “move through the time easier.”

To the many who still fear the unknowns of the pandemic, GCC counseling services are available online and by phone.

“A good reminder,” Houk said, “is that this is temporary.”

I walk -- so I listen to cars, Wolf Creek, crunching snow and sometimes birds.

What are you currently reading?

I like to have a bit of variety by the bedside, thus currently: David Anthony’s The Horse, the Wheel, and Language: How Bronze-Age Riders from the Steppes Shaped the Modern World and a collection of essays, sermons, and letters of Bernard of Clairvaux.

What’s something you’ve been pondering lately?

How our social and cultural connections shape our knowledge (Sociology of Knowledge type stuff.)

Favorite restaurant?

Mary’s Restaurant - great Syrian food in New Castle.

Name the movie that makes you emotional.

Babette’s Feast.

What are you looking forward to today?

Driving one of my daughters back and forth to youth orchestra practice at Youngstown State University.

Favorite class you’re teaching right now?

BROOKE BANNISTER

Writing songs based on verses in the Gospels for 2020 alum Adam Bannister led to his creation of the band Songs for Revival.

Alum leads Songs for Revival Noel Elvin Staff Writer

Although Adam Bannister ’20 had been surrounded by music since he was young, writing songs was a skill he hadn’t become familiar with until the fall of 2019.

During a time of worship with friends on campus, Bannister recalled learning to sing scripture. In that moment he, junior Giovanna Johnson and a few others opened their Bibles to Matthew 6: 25-34, and they sang. Throughout the next few months, he and Johnson added a few more verses and finished the song “I Will Not Worry.” So began the journey that would lead to Songs for Revival’s first album, “It Is Finished.”

Bannister returned home for break and said he began every morning in January by reading the book of Luke. As he would read the Gospel, Bannister said God would place a song on his heart inspired by the words of scripture. Within 30 to 40 minutes he would have a song: “It’s like my brain was unlocked.

It’s like the Lord unlocked it.” Within the first five days of break he had written seven and a half new songs.

The album tells Gospel stories from different perspectives. While the majority of

these songs move chronologically through the Gospel of Luke, a handful are also written based on stories from the other Gospels. As Adam continued to write more songs, he began to ponder who should sing each song, which is how members Katie Shaw Ficker and Mollie Landman became part of Songs for Revival.

Bannister met Ficker when he was interning in Guatemala at Adonai International Ministries. During his internship Adam learned about Ficker’s testimony: God’s healing her after she had lost her newborn twins, leaving her extremely ill and close to death in 2015. A woman came to Ficker and told her, “The Lord has seen your suffering, and it is finished.”

Within 24 hours Ficker said she felt God’s healing.

When Bannister wrote the song, “It is Finished,” he said God placed the desire on his heart to share this song with Ficker, having only a partial knowledge of Ficker’s testimony. When he finished playing this song for Ficker, he looked up to find her speechless; the song resembled her life story. It was then he knew this song was meant to be sung by Ficker.

Sophomore Mollie Landman became a part of the group in a similar way. After high school graduation,

Landman married her high school sweetheart, and they began college at Grove City College in the fall of 2019.

Brady Hunker had been battling bone cancer since he was 15, and within the first few weeks of college, he was told he had only a month to live.

After her husband’s passing, Landman returned to college in the spring of 2020 seeking deep friendship, she said. The second week of the semester she was eating alone, and Bannister invited her to join him and some others from Touring Choir who were eating together. These lunches continued and a few weeks later, Landman told them the story of how she became a widow as a freshman in college.

“I think you’re supposed to sing one of my songs,” Bannister said.

“Arise,” a song Bannister wrote when he was meeting the widows in Guatemala, is based on Luke 7:11-17: the story of the widow of Nain.

The lyrics of “Arise” say, “How will I go on? … Then He came. His heart met my needs… Don’t cry. I know how you feel. Arise. Come, my child, be healed.”

“When Brady died, I didn’t know what to do,” Landman said “I didn’t know where to go, and I felt stuck. But I saw Jesus meet me… Restoration

followed that… There’s hope even in the middle of suffering because Christ walks with us.”

“This group is not only a ministry that I’m part of… but they’re also such an answered prayer,” she said.

“They have walked beside me, but it has also been so beautiful to be able to sing with them and to share God’s goodness with the world.”

Junior Brooke Bannister, Adam’s sister, explained that this was clearly becoming bigger than one person.

“There’s more to it than just six people who sing together and make music,” Brooke Bannister said. “I want them to approach the music and come away from it with more questions... and a greater curiosity of who God is… and because of that it will change the way that they live.

I want the stories to impact people, and I want them to realize they’re more than just stories; they’re truth.”

Adam Bannister said his desire for the album is for listeners to encounter Jesus and have his name and song “written on their heart to sing.”

“We want people to hear the gospel in song,” Landman said. “We want more people to hear this love story: that Jesus loves us, and died for us, and was raised again.”

Byzantium and Islam - I love teaching all my classes, but this one’s right in my wheelhouse.

Meet Dr. Love!

In the words of Joan Crawford, “Love is a fire but whether it’s going to warm your heart or burn down your house, you can never know.”

Well that’s where I come in. I’m here to help spark your magical romance or assist you in quenching the chaotic wildfire.

Whether it’s getting through a break up, looking for that special someone, navigating a break up with damage control, my flawless and expert advice is better than the internet machine (but not God so always pray before coming to me so I don’t risk being smited).

So follow me on instagram and write to me to get your love together, pick up the pieces of your shattered heart, or just to have some relationship advice to ponder just for kicks.

I’ll be waiting. You have one week.

Auspiciously,

Dr. Love Love M.D.

Through the lens,

Feb. 5, 2021

Page 6

Desperate times call for desperate measures Pandemic pushes students into the great outdoors Despite the winter weather and the college’s sanctions on open hours, students pursue creative opportunities to connect with each other.

The outdoors are always a necessity to some but to these students it is the only means of freely interacting with others.

Students have made frequent walks through the nature trail and along Wolf Creek instead of gathering in close quarters.

A small group of daring competitive friends play frisbee golf as another way to socialize amist the never-ending pandemic.

Photos and text Matthew Schoonover Photo Chief

Through the lens,

Feb. 5, 2021

Page 7

Students Daniel Kabakjian, Cade Elder and Caleb Seale made their own challenge by playing Frisbee golf in the woods. When asked about how they feel playing frisbee golf in a bunch of pine, Cade Elder said, “Playing in all these trees takes lots of effort and practice.”

When asked about the condition of the weather this past week Daniel Kabakjian said, “C’mon Matt, you need a sense of camaraderie, even if it means being in the cold.”

Perspectives The Collegian,

Page 8

Feb. 5, 2021

MAGA misunderstanding What Trump supporters miss

Jonathan McGee Contributing Writer

“I am not mad; I am just disappointed.” These words have been spoken by many people, and I found myself uttering them after the proTrump riot that occurred on Jan. 6 at the Capitol Building. It was heartbreaking to watch conservatives cede the moral high ground and open themselves up to criticism by the radical left who also commits such terroristic acts.

Now, before I am disparaged as a never-Trumper or a RINO, I would like to point out that I was one of you. I made hundreds of phones calls for the former President Trump during lockdown and spent hours hiking up and down streets to knock on doors for the Trump campaign over the summer. I was proud to vote for President Trump and the many other wonderful down-ballot conservatives that I have had the privilege of meeting.

But too many conservatives have become obsessed with the man Donald Trump and not the agenda that will actually make America great again. Many fail to vote in key state and congressional races that have a far bigger impact on policy than the presidency.

Numerous conservatives believe that the populism of Trump will suddenly cure America’s decades-old ailments, when in reality, winning school board and state supreme court races will have a far greater impact.

But why school boards and state supreme courts? It is

WES KINNEY

because America’s problems are cultural and systematic.

The national political scene is a symptom of what has been brewing locally for decades.

Vladimir Lenin once said, “Give me your four-yearolds, and in a generation I will build a socialist state.”

As promised, the education system which conservatives allow to be dominated by Marxism has churned out generations of angry young people who wholeheartedly support socialism and Big Tech censorship.

Yet many conservatives have spent the last four years complaining about the “fake news” media without addressing the Marxist institu-

tions from where those journalists came.

Conservatives should focus on controlling local school boards and pressuring their state legislatures to pass school choice and defund colleges that disallow free speech. By taking back the education system, conservatives can ensure that future generations are not infected with Marxist poison.

Conservatives have also failed to show up for local and state elections, such as state supreme court races.

The most recent example is the Georgia Senate runoffs.

Turnout in deep red counties was lower than urban and suburban ones. Part of the reason for this was the con-

stant protesting by Trump about election fraud, which led enough conservatives to stay home and hand control of the Senate to Chuck Schumer and the radical left.

Republicans have also failed to consistently show up for state row, governors’ and congressional races around America.

To make America great again, conservative leaders will have to convince their constituents of the importance of voting every election, or at least every midterm election. A faction of 75 million conservatives that voted consistently would provide a force in politics that the Democrats could not match.

The past four years have seen many conservatives embrace the MAGA movement without doing the hard work to make America great again.

Rather than spouting inflammatory rhetoric about voter fraud and civil war, the right should instead focus on reforming the education system and winning at the state and local.

Doing so will require a return to the principles of Reagan – dynamic candidates who can build a broad coalition to advance conservative ideas.

Even though there will be challenges, the MAGA movement should seize this opportunity to advance an agenda, not a man.

Is Biden the president of unity?

Elizabeth Finnegan Contributing Writer

On Jan. 20, Joe Biden began his inaugural address with the following two statements which would set the theme for the day: “This is America’s day. This is democracy’s day.”

As his speech continued, he discussed how democracy is “fragile,” “precious,” dependent on unity and how on his inauguration day, democracy prevailed.

He closed his speech with this sentiment: “I will defend our democracy. I will defend America.”

Clearly, as President Biden entered the White House, he wished to communicate that his presidency will be the embodiment of American democratic unity. Yet, in his first week of office, President Biden signed around 40 executive orders and actions, which is more than any other president in American history.

It is worth evaluating these different orders and asking whether this use of executive power and the content of the orders themselves validates or negates Biden’s posturing as a president of unity and democracy.

In his first three days in of-

fice, President Biden signed 10 executive orders undoing policies enacted by the Trump team. These include rejoining the Paris Climate Accord, canceling the Keystone XL Pipeline, rescinding the 1776 Commission, requiring non-citizens to be counted in the Census and reversing Trump’s expansion of immigration policy and enforcement. President Biden also rescinded the Mexico City Policy, enacted a “100 Days of Masking Challenge” and more. While many of Biden’s executive orders dealt with COVID-19 response policy and immigration reform, a few of his orders are a clear indicator of the cultural revolution we can expect from his presidency which undoubtedly contradicts Biden’s claims of democracy and unity.

Even with the question of voter fraud and irregularity aside, and assuming that President Biden was democratically elected, the concentration of legislative power in the executive branch through the exercising of executive action is undeniably undemocratic. The Founders were clear that the power of legislation ought to lie in the hands of Congress—not the Supreme Court and not the President.

By assuming power in his first week and passing or-

THE NATION

ders which impact health, income, culture, religion and more, President Biden has waged a war on the American conceptions of democracy and unity, rather than serving to champion them.

He is redefining democracy and the distribution of power in the government, claiming that because he was freely elected, he has the power to pass and enforce any legislative policy he pleases.

This is a misconstruction of the term “democracy” in American life. In the United States, democracy refers to the due election of individuals to fulfill the duties outlined for their respective seat in government in the Constitution. By enacting over 40 executive orders and affectively undoing many of the major accomplishments of the Trump administration, President Biden has commu-

nicated with his actions what he refused to say with his words: that his presidential agenda is not one of democracy and unity, but rather of concentrated power and cramming through his leftist political agenda.

While President Biden declares himself the president of unity and democracy, this proclamation could not be further from the truth. Indeed, his platform has already proven that he is the ideological antithesis to unity and democracy on both cultural and political levels.

President Biden’s policies surrounding abortion, transgenderism and homosexuality clearly indicate that the war he is waging on democracy and unity is not just a political one, but an inherently cultural one.

Unity is not defined by cramming through radical leftist policies in a country that is almost equally divided along party lines. It does not look like the reversal of many of the policies by one’s political predecessor, who was also duly elected. It does not look like claiming the power of the legislature, simply because they are slow to act.

President Biden, over the past few days, has continually disproven his claim as the champion of American unity and democracy.

The Collegian,

Feb. 5, 2021

Page 9

Trading stardust for sawdust Isaac Willour

Contributing Writer It takes approximately a minute to induce that our leaders are not amazing people. It only takes an additional minute to deduce that this is not a new problem.

The history of our species is awash with the worst kinds of rulers setting the worst kind of examples. No one’s looking at Henry VIII for romantic inspiration; no one’s going to Vlad the Impaler looking for a PR strategy. However, despite the plethora of dolts and despots in the history of human civilization, there are a select few that stand out in the race for “worst ruler ever.”

If you know anything about Rome you’ve heard of the emperor Caligula, not merely because he was absolutely insane, but also because he’s a wonderful figure for comparison when you’re trying to convince yourself that you’re not that bad. Caligula ruled Rome from A.D. 37 to 41, accumulating a rap sheet of crime, incest and despicable behavior a mile long.

Although Caligula was eventually assassinated, something chillingly familiar happened after Rome’s most evil emperor lay dead.

The Senate immediately attempted to destroy Caligula’s statues and purge him from Roman history, as if he’d never been. We know that today

WALKS IN ROME

no legitimate social movement would ever seek to pull down statues and rewrite history and pretend that things that happened in the past never did.

That’d be authoritarian—and trashy.

(If you can’t feel the sarcasm radiating from that sentence it’s there, just go with me.) The lesson of Caligula isn’t about how insane he was, it’s about the fact that we haven’t changed much in the two thousand years since.

Every time an inauguration kicks

off a new cycle of Washingtonian leadership, there is this push by the winning side to pretend that the past never happened and that the future is made of the glorious stardust that their candidate can conjure up. Donald Trump acted as the poster boy for the old-school nationalist American spirit that had been supposedly lost in the Obama era. Joe Biden is acting as the harbinger of a return to so-called “normalcy” and “niceness” that Trump has supposedly aban-

doned. These candidates and their strategists would like you to believe that the past doesn’t matter nearly as much as what their revered figure can do for you today.

Frankly, I wish much of the past could be forgotten. I wish many of Donald Trump’s actions never happened. I’m already wishing that things Joe Biden did never happened. I wish we could not care about the past and erase it like the Romans tried to do with Caligula. But we can’t do that.

There is no stardust, only the unforgiving sawdust of this reality. We can’t forget the past, as tempting as it may be at times. When we forget the past, we discard that knowledge, situate the present in a world of ignorance, and leave the future open to collapse.

Civilizations only endure because people figure out what works and what doesn’t. Rome only lasted because they figured out the systems that promoted their values and the systems that destroyed them. America will only last as long as we figure out what promotes ordered liberty and what destroys it. If our legislators won’t learn from the past, we’ll have to do it instead. No one’s coming to help us; “we the people” have to do it on our own. The task before us is tragic, complicated and hard.

It’s on us to rise to the occasion and use the wisdom of the past to build a great and beautiful future atop its foundation.

Form relationships beyond your circle

Clark Mummau Perspectives Editor

Once again asking you to wear a mask

MEDPAGE TODAY

Susannah Barnes Contributing Writer

The COVID-19 pandemic has severely tested the social contract, and on a campus like Grove City the social contract is more important than ever. While we all want to go back to “precedented times,” the reality is that returning to normal is going to be a slow and frustrating process, which will only be lengthened by going to the bar or not wearing a mask.

When the new restrictions came out, I heard a lot of mixed opinions. Some people said that we were basically in prison, while others felt the restrictions were logical and could help control the spread of cases.

In my view, the restrictions for students are relatively lax. The only change from last semester is the implementation of increased enforcement mechanisms to keep us safe.

Grove City is a private business that is making decisions based on what will keep its “customers,” the students, safe. If you disagree with what the private business is doing, you are free to leave.

Each of us needs all of us to stay on campus until May. We saw the effects of people’s choices last semester when COVID-19 cases spiked right before we went home. When

making a decision that may seem harmless to you, you may end up involuntarily causing someone else to become sick, and then the virus spreads through campus again. It is not an option to think selfishly during a pandemic, especially on a small campus like Grove City.

As a senior, I know how frustrating it is to not have our campus traditions, not be able to take Pittsburgh trips or not be able to go out with friends. But I would rather sacrifice those small things in order to have a commencement ceremony or a full final semester with my best friends.

Grove City prides itself on community, and I chose to enroll here because I saw how much everyone cared for one another. It is very disappointing to see the selfish attitudes surrounding COVID-19 counteracting what Grove City stands for.

While you can refuse to wear a mask or ignore the very real and very scary effects of a pandemic on your own time, it is against the social contract we all consented to when we enrolled to do so around others.

Last semester I wrote that we all have natural rights but those come with a natural responsibility, and that is even more true now. We should all do what we can to protect our friends and fellow Grovers so that we can have another full semester.

A gust of frigid air smacks your face as you heave open the door and rush from HAL towards Hicks. You squeeze past some people by the fountain and cut a corner to pass a couple taking a stroll on the sidewalk. You hope the line of people outside isn’t stagnant, but your fogged-up glasses make it hard to be sure.

Just outside the door, the line stops moving. A hint of heat escapes the dining hall before another cool wind throws your hair into a mess. As you enter the hall, you pull out your wallet and start searching for an open table, grabbing some utensils just as you hear the beep of the scanner. You toss your wallet and slide your backpack to a table, and then pull out your phone as you get into line.

Two women in burgundy shirts stand by the scanner, and many more women and men in black, gray and white walk around the cafeteria, serve you food and wipe the tables, but how many times have you stopped to thank them? Have you ever paid attention to their nametag or asked a follow-up question to

“how’s your day going?”

During my time at college so far, I have had the great pleasure of getting to know, in particular, Cheryl and Karen, all because I pause after hearing the beep, then turn to go behind the counter

and the smile I know hides behind that mask give me what I need to start my day more than the food, I think.

And it’s wonderful to begin my evening by slowing down and chatting with someone who cares about me before

“Consider the people you see regularly in a different light.” and talk with them.

I have heard about their children and grandchildren, jobs with John Deere in Iowa and the perils of walking through icy parking lots when the roads were okay to drive on. I’ve heard their concerns about the future of the nation and the well-being of the campus. I’ve shared some of my fears and hopes with them as well. We’ve laughed together and talked about siblings on campus or just how time flies.

I am pleased to call them friends. I am thankful for going into just about every day with the imperative to fill up on a nice, hot breakfast, because that early morning joy

slaving away over homework.

Of course, you don’t need to befriend every person you come in contact with or who serves you in some way, and I also don’t at all intend to shame people for not building such relationships.

I simply want to encourage you to consider the people you see regularly in a different light. Some time when you’re not in a rush or when there’s not a long line, take a minute – or 15 – to talk with them and learn something about them. Then, do it again, and again and again.

You never know where those interactions might lead, how you can serve others or how others can serve you.

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 interaction of faith within their topic.

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

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

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

Sports The Collegian, Feb. 5, 2021

Page 10

GCC

Sophomore Rachel Ledford competing in the 200-meter backstroke at last Friday’s meet against Bethany. Ledford placed first in the event, as well as the 100-meter backstroke and the 200-meter medley.

Diving into a new season

Ayden Gutierrez Staff Writer

With the start of the spring semester underway, the athletic department has splashed back onto the scene.

When the women’s swimming and diving team traveled to Bethany on Jan. 29, they were the first Wolverine athletic team to participate in athletic competition since March of 2020.

“This has been a huge step for the swim team,” said sophomore Sydney Laughlin. “We have all been counting down the days until we had our first meet.

The teams’ quote this year, is “one day closer.”

“It has really helped us grow closer together as we encourage one another in and out of the pool,” she said.

The women’s team took home a 36-22 victory Friday evening to start the season 1-0. Freshman Liz Hasse

started her collegiate career off with a bang, winning both the 50 free and the 200 free.

“The meet was a lot of fun and being with my team made me feel confident in that new setting, so the racing felt natural,” said Hasse.

“It makes me super excited to see what the rest of the season will bring.”

The Wolverines placed first in every event held during the meet. Sophomore Ellie Dobel placed first in the 100-meter butterfly.

Sophomore Rachel Ledford placed first in the 200-meter backstroke, as well as the 100-meter backstroke and the 200-meter medley.

Junior Jenny Baglia won the 100-meter breaststroke event and the 200-meter breaststroke, with times of 1:15.73 and 2:43.80, respectively. Freshman Emma Otten touched first in the 200 butterfly, recording a time of

2:36.26.

Senior swimmer Amanda Mazoch touched first in the 500-meter free event, with a time of 6:07.05, and first in the 1000-meter free event, with a time of 12:18.75.

Mazoch, freshman Alaina Zick, freshman Katie Goodwill and freshman Kylie Swann closed the meet with an exhibition time of 1:58.95 in the 200-meter free relay.

Although the swimming and diving team was able to begin competition, it has not been an easy road back to the playing field.

“The men’s and women’s teams moved back to campus on Jan. 5,” said Laughlin.

“We all got tested that day and stayed quarantined in our rooms until we got our results back. We were able to start practices on the seventh which has been nice. We are officially one month away from PAC championships today. Everyone’s hard work

is paying off in practices and meets.”

Head Coach David Fritz was pleased with his team’s efforts on Friday.

“It was great to have a competition, to have someone to race who wasn’t a teammate,” said Fritz. “While it was still out of the ordinary due to all of the various restrictions and modifications, it definitely was cathartic and uplifting.”

The final win and loss record is not as important to the swim and dive team.

“The outcome of a swim meet is rarely unknown ahead of time…while we strive to win our dual meets, the final outcome doesn’t have any true impact on how we define the success of our season,” Fritz said.

“For that reason, I approach each dual meet with a long view approach – how is this opportunity going to help us prepare for the

championships? We pursue team success, but if we focus on individual improvement, we’ll experience a meaningful season and success as a team will follow.”

Fritz is keeping a positive mindset for this season, despite the high level of uncertainty that looms ahead.

“Keep doing everything we can to provide the most meaningful experience possible, strive to provide leadership on campus by doing everything we can to increase the likelihood that we can successfully complete our season and the other sports teams can enjoy a similar experience, and do our best to maintain a positive outlook.

We can’t dwell on the potential negative, it won’t help us to be better athletes or students…we’ll cross those bridges if we come to them.

Let’s focus on the path we’re on,” she said.

Basketball back at it Gresham Smith Contributing Writer

Emily Rupczewski Sports Editor

It’s been 335 days since the last men’s basketball game, and it looks like it’ll be a little longer.

While the Wolverine’s opening game was scheduled for Wednesday at Waynesburg, a positive test on the team has put the game on hold. Additionally, what would have been the home opener against Washington and Jefferson has been postponed as well.

This bump in the road has now moved the team’s first game and home opener to Feb. 10 against Bethany at 5:30 p.m.

The men’s team finished last year as PAC Champions with 13-3 conference record and are looking to continue their success.

“Our emphasis this year— and every year—” said head coach Steve Lamie, “is to focus on the mission: to compete for a championship by playing to a standard in a culture of accountability and love. We never talk about winning. We always talk about the standard.”

While “the standard” may be the central focus in the mind of the players and coaches, winning appears to

be a serious side effect. Now in his 23rd season as the head of the program, Coach Lamie has accumulated over 300 wins, five PAC championships and led the team to the second round of the NCAA’s last year. Alongside Lamie, Associate Head Coach Sean Severson enters his 17th year with the program.

Though much of the teams’ success can be credited to excellent coaching, it is the players themselves who make the team culture what it is.

“I have great upperclassmen who have done a tremendous job of bringing the freshmen along. During the first semester we pair one of our freshmen up with an upperclassman mentor who helps him assimilate into the culture of Grove City College and our basketball program,” Lamie said.

Speaking of upperclassmen, this year’s team has a number of returning players, but the graduation of two stand-out seniors, Nate Peters and James Wells can still be felt. The Wolverines have lost two 1000-point scorers but are also looking to their underclassmen to step up as well.

“Every team is different,” said Lamie. “No one will replace Nate Peters and James Wells. But the system remains the same, the mis-

sion remains the same, our offensive and defensive philosophy remain the same.

Interestingly, when Peters and Wells were underclassmen, they played different roles compared to their senior year. Likewise, the underclassmen of last year will step up into new roles this season.”

Through the COVID-19 restrictions that the athletes and coaches faced this year, the team remains persistent and has worked hard to make it to this point. But some new struggles have presented themselves.

“It’s been difficult to determine what, exactly, our strengths and weaknesses are since we have not been able to scrimmage or play against any other teams,” Lamie said. “Usually, we can scrimmage against someone else, watch the film, make adjustments in practice and rectify any problems. We cannot do that this year.”

Though this has been true so far, the time is coming for the Wolverines to face conference opponents once again.

For the men’s team, expectations remain high as a new class of talented freshmen join the team and veterans step forward to lead the team in defending their title as PAC Champions.

GCC

Senior guard Justice Rice moves the ball up the court in a game last season.

The Collegian, Feb. 5, 2021

Page 11

At long last, sports are back!

Emily Rupczewski Sports Editor

A long, arduous fall semester without a single athletic competition has come and gone, but athletes are finally back and ready to compete.

This past fall, teams could be seen all over campus in their respective teams’ gear, practicing, walking through the PLC, having team meals and doing anything else to grow stronger in their extended off seasons.

The time has finally come for that hard work to pay off.

And so far, it already has.

The women’s swimming and diving team brought home the Wolverine’s first win of 2021 on Friday night, after a trip to Bethany earned them a 36-22 dual-meet win.

Then on Wednesday night, the women’s basketball team brought back the energy notably missing from Grove City’s campus with their 6751 victory over Waynesburg on their senior night.

With a limited student attendance of 75, both the team and the student section brought their A-games Wednesday night.

Between the first home win, the honoring of eight seniors and Jess Bowen scoring her 1000th career point, not a second went by without something to celebrate.

“I cannot describe how emotional it makes me to think about this long road, and how thankful I am for all of the support the athletic program has received to make this happen,” GCC Athletic Director Todd Gibson said.

“This truly is a team effort.

We have a long way to get to May, but the fact that we are starting is truly a blessing, and a gift. Watching our teams come back, work hard, and be willing to undergo constant testing and restriction is inspiring. To sum this all up, this is a big deal.”

To say athletes are elated to be back in the game right now is an understatement: “It feels like Christmas morning getting to be on the court again!” women’s basketball’s Jordan McConnell said.

“For me, it just feels so good to step on the floor with my team and compete against

Sports at a Glance News Women’s Basketball

GCC

Senior Guard Jess Bowen scored her 1000th career point during Wednesday’s game versus Waynesburg. another team. We have had a long stretch of practice where the only people we get to play against is ourselves, so I’m really excited to see our team be one cohesive unit and face an opponent.”

“It has been great getting to compete again!” Heather Russell, of women’s swimming, said.

“For swimming, we have been able to have mock swim meets within our team, but it has been incredible getting to race another team again! We weren’t sure we were going to have any season at all, so it has been a blessing getting to be in the pool this year.”

High energy in the athletic department has been building up for this moment, and the women’s team embodied exactly what a championship mindset looks like.

“Our goal is always the same: to be the #1 team in the PAC surrounded by the right culture,” McConnell said.

“This year something that we are emphasizing is being grateful for every day. More than ever we don’t know what tomorrow will bring, so we are doing our best to make the most out of each day that we have been given the opportunity to play basketball together. If we can do that, we are successful.”

Not only was Wednesday night’s win a significant milestone for Grove City as a school, but especially for the team, the reigning 2020 PAC champions.

If this win was any indication for what’s ahead, the Wolverines are off to a rocket

start.

Right now, basketball and swimming are definitely the sports to watch, but other teams are preparing on the sidelines, waiting to make their comeback debuts.

These teams have wasted no time getting back to the grind, as softballs, lacrosse balls, and tennis balls have all been seen flying through the IM rooms all week as athletes officially resumed practices for their spring seasons.

It is expected that official schedules for other sports pending seasons such as lacrosse, track and field, cross country, water polo, and the remainder of spring sports will be released in the coming days.

To see this entire spring season through to the end, it’s going to take the support and cooperation of all students on campus to stay healthy and make good decisions.

“We are very concerned for anyone who tests positive,” Gibson said. “However, for the athletes, just being on an exposure list could cost them 25-50% of their season. So the fewer positive cases we have on campus, the less the impact will be on campus.”

Finally, Gibson reminds the campus community that this semester will be a big team effort for the entire campus: “This semester must be Wolverines Together in practice. Others actions trying to stay healthy will positively impact our athletes and their chance to represent the Wolverines.”

light, obviously, and I’ll be able to understand things a little bit more.”

Through Goff’s four-year term with the team, the Rams had played in the wildcard round, Super Bowl, and divisional round of playoffs.

Looking towards the future, Goff is excited for his time in Detroit. “[Talking to the Lions] is what made me go, ‘oh my God, this is how it’s supposed to feel. This makes me feel great,’ how excited they were, how fired up they were.”

Stafford had reportedly celebrated the trade with McVay with a dinner in Mexico.

His time in Detroit began after the Lions’ 0-16 season in 2008, and has resulted in no playoff wins, with the career of Calvin Johnson infamously “wasted” during his tenure.

Stafford’s acquisition has directly boosted the betting odds of the Rams. William Hill Sportsbook has put the team’s chances of winning Super Bowl LVI at +1300 from +1800, ranking them

as the sixth favorite for the Lombardi. Meanwhile, the Lions are currently tied for least likely with the Texans and Jets, with their odds sitting at +10000.

The immediate impact of Stafford’s addition suggests that the Rams are looking to make a quick run at the championship. With a team that is currently well-developed, the team may be looking to capitalize on their window of opportunity before inevitably having to refresh their roster.

Stafford was among the more attractive players on the market, with an impressive career on a mostly lackluster team. The trade sets a precedent for quarterback trades this offseason, with players like Deshaun Watson and Carson Wentz potentially also up for grabs. Watson has shown immense promise in his short career, leading many to speculate that the young QB would have an even better trade value than Stafford.

Senior guard Jess Bowen scored her 1000th career point Wednesday vs. Waynesburg. Bowen is the fifteenth all-time 1000th-point scorer in program history.

Results Women’s Basketball (1-0): W, Waynesburg (67-51)

Women’s Swimming (1-0): W, Bethany (36-22)

Upcoming

Men’s Swimming & Diving: Feb 6, 1pm, vs Saint Vincent Feb 9, 6pm vs. Chatham

Women’s Swimming & Diving: Feb 5, 6pm @ Chatham

Men’s Basketball:

Feb 10, 5:30 vs. Bethany

Women’s Basketball:

Feb 6, 1pm @ Franciscan Feb 10, 6pm @ Bethany Feb 8, 7pm @ W&J

WOLVERINE WEEKLY HONORS

Rachel Ledford

Sophomore Swimmer PAC Swimmer of the Week

Liz Hasse

Freshman Swimmer PAC Rookie of the Week

Stafford traded

Chris Murphy Staff Writer

Matthew Stafford, quarterback for the Detroit Lions, has been traded to the Los Angeles Rams for Jared Goff, two future first-round picks and a third-round pick in this year’s draft.

This trade marks the first time since the creation of the common draft that two former first-round picks have been exchanged in a trade.

Stafford had recently expressed his desire to be traded, with the Lions mutually agreeing to part ways. Goff had signed a $110 million extension during the 2019 season that the Rams had been looking to shed.

Sean McVay, head coach for the Rams, had become increasingly critical of Goff by the end of their playoff run. Goff, in an interview with the Los Angeles Times, explained his lack of forewarning, saying, “There’s still some conversations to be had. Those will shed some

Jess Bowen Senior Guard 1000 Career Points

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Page 12

MATTHEW SCHOONOVER

A Wolverine winner

Senior guard Lindsey Stanforth jumps for a layup during Wednesday’s game versus Waynesburg. The Wolverines went on to win the game with a score fo 67-51.

Women’s basketball records first home win of 2021 Gresham Smith Contributing Writer

Emily Rupczewski Sports Editor

The women’s basketball team claimed 67-51 victory at home over Waynesburg Wednesday.

The win marked the first home victory for any Wolverine team since last February. Not only did the team deliver, but they got to do so at home with the support of their fans.

Eight women’s seniors were honored before the big game against Waynesburg.

Lauren Frederick, Jordan McConnel, Lindsey Stanforth, Jess Bowen, Jessica Kimbrell, Gretchen Elsey, Sedona Campbell, and Steph Croll were honored on their last first-games of their college careers.

Due to COVID-19 regula-

tions, parents were unable to attend. Instead, students walked the court solo, but were encouraged before the game by pre-recorded videos submitted by their families.

“We’ve been waiting a long time for this,” senior guard Jordan McConnell said. “Everybody was super pumped up today, and it felt really good to get back on the floor.”

The energy and encouragement from teammates and fans alike propelled the women to an emotional longawaited win.

With senior guard Jess Bowen and sophomore guard Emma Vezzosi each contributing six points, Grove City went on a fourteen-point run. Great defensive effort from all positions kept Waynesburg severely limited in the first half offensively and led to more than a few transition scores, especially from Bowen.

One basket was of great significance for the senior.

Late in the second quarter, Bowen notched her 1000th point for Grove, making her only the 15th 1000-point scorer in school history.

Bowen finished the first half with 12 points and three assists.

“It felt pretty cool to get 1000 with this group,” Bowen said. “But our focus was just getting back out on the court especially with the year we’re having. It was just a privilege to be out there again with this team.”

The second half was a bit of a slow start, with both teams struggling to gain rhythm on the offensive side. A relatively low-scoring third quarter saw a combined 24 points from both teams in the quarter.

Sophomore Nina Cano started the fourth quarter off right, scoring from the

paint, an area she, freshman Kat Goetz and junior Allison Podkul dominated all night.

The theme of scoring would prove to be the main story of the fourth, as Waynesburg put 21 on the board and Grove scored 25.

In the end, the Lady Wolverines came out on top with a final score of 67 to 51.

Bowen led the team in scoring with 14, McConnel tallied 6 assists and Goetz and Podkul both went for double doubles. Defensively, Cano recorded two steals and two blocks, and Goetz was credited with five steals and a block.

Wednesday night, the energy in the arena was high, the joy of seeing Grove City varsity athletics back in action very apparent.

The Wolverines’ win over Waynesburg was a significant victory for the team and a testament to the culture

that Coach Fuss has built here at Grove City. After finishing last year as PAC champions, the team looks as talented and promising as ever.

Tomorrow the women will visit Franciscan University in Steubenville for a 1 p.m. tipoff.

Monday the Wolverines will travel to Washington, Pa. where they will face rival Washington and Jefferson. When these two teams met last, Grove City pulled through with a narrow 54-52 victory over the Presidents, the game that crowned them PAC champions.

If the Wolverines compete Monday like they did against Waynesburg, they will be well on their way to another conference championship. Catch Monday’s game streaming on the PAC Sports Network at 7 p.m.

National Sports Column

QBs duel for legacy Connor Schlosser Staff Writer

Guess who’s back? The last two Super Bowl champion quarterbacks are facing off in a historic duel.

Except for Kansas City and Tampa Bay fans, your opinion on this matchup likely hinges on one man: Tom Brady. You either love him or hate him. At the ripe age of 43, Tom is now entering his tenth Super Bowl. Brady holds a 6-3 record on the big stage and is chasing his seventh ring, more than any single NFL franchise.

But if you are a fan of the Black and Yellow, you are in an awkward position.

Pittsburgh renegades Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell, once vital elements of the Steeler offense, are now noteworthy members of Tampa Bay and Kansas City,

respectively, in a Super Bowl without Ben Roethlisberger.

Super Bowl LV carries a lot of weight for both quarterbacks’ legacies. For Mahomes, winning back-toback titles would catapult him further into the conversation of greatness. Winning against arguably the best quarterback of all-time would be an impressive feat already, indicating a new era and a passing of the torch from Brady to Mahomes.

Brady wants to prove to the world that he is more than a system quarterback.

His whole career he has been surrounded by Bill Belichick and a winning tradition in New England.

Wanting to solidify his reputation as one of the greatest, Brady is out to show that he can still get it done without Belichick, without the Patriots and in a different conference entirely, against the best current quarterback.

With a studded Tampa Bay roster, he is set up nicely to prove the haters wrong.

The world got a Super Bowl preview in Week 12.

The matchup saw an early 17-0 Chiefs lead with Mahomes favoring the lightning-fast receiver Tyreek Hill on deep routes. Tampa Bay’s defense, including veterans like Ndamukong Suh and Jason Pierre-Paul, were able to apply pressure to Mahomes and give Brady and his countless weapons more opportunities on the other end. The Bucs strung together a 14-point run in the fourth quarter but came up short, falling 27-24.

Odds are in favor of the Chiefs -165 to the Buccaneers +145. It should not come as a surprise that Kansas City is the favorite, boasting a league-leading 14-2 record.

The Buccaneers were not able to breeze past competition like KC. Tampa Bay clawed to clinch an NFC Wild Card with their 11-5 record.

Tampa Bay’s Bruce Arians and Kansas City’s Andy Reid

THE GUARDIAN

are two of the NFL’s greatest offensive minds. Reid’s Chiefs manage to drive up the score in each matchup.

In over half of their regular season games, Kansas City put up 30+ points.

And although Reid has several offensive options for Mahomes to target, like Hill, Travis Kelce, Sammy Watkins and running backs Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Bell, Arians will find a way to involve the Bucs’ mul-

tiple weapons to match the firepower. Chris Godwin, Mike Evans, Ronald Jones II, Leonard Fournette, Rob Gronkowski and even Brown will suit up to produce a firework display of big plays.

Expect a high scoring show for 55. Mahomes is the clear favorite going in with a welloiled offensive machine.

But it is always a risk betting against Brady, and that is a risk I am not willing to take.