The Collegian – April 30, 2021

A crazy year

Honorees galore

A home run

COMMUNITY

PAGE TEN

SPORTS

SL&L share their COVID experience

The

@Collegian_GCC @gcc.collegian The Collegian: The GCC Newspaper Friday, April 30, 2021

Man and woman of the year named

Baseball sets historic record

Collegian The Award-Winning Grove City College Student Newspaper

Vol. 106, No. 21

Missed the Oscars?

Student films debut at Lux Mea Noel Elvin Staff Writer

Tonight, Lux Mea Film Festival will debut at the Guthrie Theatre showcasing 13 student films representing several film categories.

The festival is named after Grove City College’s motto, “Lux Mea,” meaning “my light.”

According to its official website, the intent behind the film festival is for “films to act as a spotlight for truth and explore what it means to be a human being made in the image of God.” Lux Mea Film Festival was organized by Communication Arts professor Gregory Bandy’s Special Events and Promotions class. Bandy desires that this festival will become an annual event. This is the first semester that the class has been offered.

Bandy hopes that the Lux Mea Film Festival will “develop a culture of visual storytelling at Grove City,” as it has the potential to further the Communication & Visual Arts Department in cinematic arts.

“It’s given me real life experience, similar to what I could be doing after school.

Overall, it has advanced my knowledge of design. I hope that the festival will inspire other students to take the class,” festival designer junior Abigail Albright said of the class.

LUX MEA 11

David Zimmermann News Editor

MARISA SCHROCK

Guthrie representative Sonj Moore adjusts the marquee on Broad Street for the first annual Lux Mea Film Festival. The student-run festival premieres at the Guthrie Theatre tonight at 7 p.m.

Building onto Buhl

Chris Murphy Staff Writer

Henry Buhl Library is set to undergo major renovations and remodeling starting Wednesday, May 12. The library, established in 1954, has had a relatively traditional structure and setup since its opening, which GCC is hoping to update and refresh the campus staple.

The college’s website features photos and a video showcasing the design concept for the project, with the completed library having many new features for students such as new meeting rooms, a large event space for presentations and guest authors or lecturers, numerous study rooms and a remodeled basement in place of the Rare Book Room.

President Paul J. McNulty ’80 described some of these improvements saying, “Some especially exciting features are the coffee shop, comfortable and functional furniture, digital friendly space with plenty of power available and the wonderfully inviting look.”

Grads unite for joint ceremony

Sporchesis takes stage

The coffee shop is the fulfillment of the class of 2020’s senior gift to the campus, which McNulty said “is going to be a favorite spot on campus, particularly because of the new patio located just outside the café area. It will remind students of a Starbucks with cozy furniture and warm drinks.”

A new entrance to the building will be added to the nearby traffic circle that leads into the shop.

Along with the new study spaces and café, the Academic Resource Center and Registrar will also be relocated to Buhl from Crawford to allow for better student accessibility.

Vice President of Operations James M. Lopresti detailed some of the restructuring of the space saying, “One of the most interesting aspects is a new stair tower, which will create more connectivity between the two floors. Students will experience a main level that is designed to promote collaboration, and new study rooms BUHL 3

CALEB WEST

The Orchesis Dance Company is presenting their spring recital, Once Upon a Time. Take a journey back through your childhood with music from your favorite Disney movies, including “Mulan,” “Aladdin,” “Frozen,” and “Moana.” The recital debuted yesterday, but it’s not too late to see the show! Performances are in Crawford Auditorium tonight at 8 pm and tomorrow at 12:30 pm. Tickets are free, but must be reserved in advance by visiting the booth in the Breen Student Union.

With two commencement ceremonies set to take place on May 15, the classes of 2021 and 2020 will close out their college years with friends, family and faculty.

After a year of rescheduling an in-person commencement for 2020 graduates, it was decided that two graduations be held the same day.

While 2021 seniors are looking forward to the next chapter in their lives, 2020 grads have mixed reactions to the college’s decision.

Jared Cicchelli ’20 sees his “graduation as a reunion more than anything else” and said that “the ship sailed a long time ago for a meaningful ceremony.”

“I appreciate Grove City’s attempt to give us a commencement, but at this point sacrificing the other graduates’ time to fit us in seems like a waste and more trouble than it’s worth since it probably matters far more to this year’s class than it does to us,” he said.

Some grads have moved on from their time at the college.

Nick Mullins ’20, a December grad, said, “I’m already deep into my journey in the real world, and to go back to a commencement so out of the way just doesn’t make sense for me.”

Others meanwhile cannot wait to return and see their college friends again, Garrett McCleary ’20 being one of them.

“As a December graduate, ending my time in college online was quite an unusual experience, and I feel commencement will be a good way to add a sort of conventional ending to an otherwise unconventional situation,” McCleary said.

Tony LaRosa ’20 agreed saying he is excited to reconnect with faculty and friends.

Victoria Livolsi ’20 is looking forward to celebrating her graduation. “I missed having closure on that chapter of my life. It felt like my time at GCC never actually ended,” she said.

For 2021’s soon-to-be grads, the anticipation for graduation is more uniform.

Senior Alec Muchnok is eager to “enter adult life for real and pursue my dream career,” but said he will miss his friends.

Senior Gracie Slye expressed a similar sentiment.

“Although I’m excited to start the next chapter of my life, I know I’ll miss living in such a wonderful community with all of the friends I’ve made at GCC,” she said.

Though Pennsylvania’s COVID-19 regulations preGRADS 11

Editorial

Page 2

The award-winning Grove City College student newspaper, April 30, 2021

From the Editor’s Desk

Into the unknown

David Zimmermann News Editor

With this academic year coming to a close, all of us have mixed reactions as finals approach. While we want the stress of school to be gone, some of us may not want to return home for the summer. This may not be the case for everyone, but it certainly is for me.

Don’t get me wrong! I do want to rest before I dive headfirst into my junior year, but there is still that part of me that does not want to leave the friends I made during my first two years of college. I know that I will see most of them again in the fall, but all the seniors I know will not be here anymore.

The same was true the end of my freshman year. One of my good friends graduated last year, and the one thing I regretted was that I left campus without saying goodbye due to the rush of the mass exodus in March.

Luckily, I managed to catch up with him over coffee this semester, which was great, but I still knew that it would end. And that’s the sad part of life – nothing good lasts forever.

Though most of us may complain about Grove, we often forget that one day we are going to leave this place and head out into the real world whether we are ready or not. The routine of attending classes, talking to professors and eating with friends will no longer be available to us as grads.

No more late-night Sheetz runs, no more awkward

first dates in Hicks, no more open hours (just kidding, I won’t miss that), no more college.

Without a doubt, I will miss my senior friends, but it’s not all doom and gloom.

The good news is that I will have more time to meet new people and strengthen my current friendships.

Although people naturally love their daily routines, it is the familiar that keeps us from moving forward in life, which is why I am excited for my time as a junior.

I’m looking forward to taking new classes, spending another year on the Possum hall and working on the wonderful newspaper staff once again. Only this time I will have more responsibility as the editorin-chief, working alongside new managing editor Caleb West. As I approach this new position, it proves that you cannot grow in life without facing challenges that stretch you. Facing new situations is a part of life, and hopefully those experiences will make you better for it.

Though I have big shoes to fill in my new position (thanks Paige), I could not be happier than to work with a staff that I have come to know this year. I am confident that my next two years with the paper will allow me the opportunity to become a better writer. But more importantly, the new position will allow me to become a better person, someone willing to be pushed beyond their comfort zone as a leader. And it is for this that I cannot wait for next year and the opportunities it brings.

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 Kaitlyn Bennett Molly Miller Eve Lee Sydney Travis Shelbi Henkle Elizabeth Schinkel

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 Chris Murphy

Copy Chief Britney Lukasiewicz

Staff Adviser Nick Hildebrand

Photo Chief Matt 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 Community Editor Fiona Lacey. Thank you for your dedicated service and creative presence these past two years. We wish you the best in your future endeavors!

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

THE COLLEGIAN

Reporting on a wild year Collegian Staff

It was journalist Horace Greely who once famously said, “Journalism will kill you, but it will keep you alive while you’re at it.” This just about sums up our year.

Filled with an unexpected pandemic, a divisive presidential election and matters of racial reconciliation on campus, the year has given us much on which to report.

We’ve spent late nights in the Tower, watching the COVID-19 dashboard rise and fall and not shying away from tough conversations and questions concerning race and religion.

Between experimenting with infographics and campus polls during the election and making the COVID-19 dashboard a front-pagelower-right visual staple, it’s been a rollercoaster.

Through “Covid Update, SLL” emails we’ve managed to stick to our production schedule, even publishing an additional online-only version fall semester.

Anyone on staff can recall that one week in October when half the staff was in Q2 or isolation during production night. Despite being short-staffed, we persevered, and confidently – through phone calls and Telegram chats – published a newspaper that Friday anyway. It

member exactly where they were when the Twin Towers fell, so we will remember exactly where we were when the pandemic finally burst the Grove City bubble, sending us home to quarantine for the summer.

Through it all, we stuck to our standards and became better journalists because of it. We faced many challenges and had to discern the best ways to proceed or how to respond to conflict and disagreements. These challenges have prepared us for the greater ones we will face in the future.

Of course we didn’t do this all alone. News needs newsmakers and sources, and we’ve been fortunate to have a solid supply of both.

Politicians, especially in an election year, never stopped providing content for Perspectives to cover, and campus life stayed almost as vibrant as ever in different ways for Community. Covid existed, and there hasn’t been a week it hasn’t been featured in News. While few sports occurred in the fall, we got creative with student reflections, but in the spring, there was no end to Sports coverage. Despite the challenges, the student body was still kickin’.

This year was fraught with difficulty, but that just makes for a better newspaper.

This week in history...

Songs and last hurrahs

April 30, 1971 Fraternities, Sororities list Greek Sing Agenda Who among us remembers the last AllCollege Sing? This week 50 years ago, our school’s Greek groups announced the lineup for the following weekend.

Adels - “Day is Done” Phi Taus - “When Johnny Comes Marching Home” Nu Lambs - “When I Die” by Blood Sweat & Tears Betas - “Over the Morning Sea” Chi Dels - “Down by the Rover Side” Diks - “I Ain’t Fixin’ to Die Rag” Pis - “Who Thres the Overalls in Mistress Murphy’s Chowder?”

Kaps - “Battle Hymn of the Republic” Pans - “See You in September” Sigs - “Aquarius” ABTs - “Night and Day” Gamma Chis - “Come Saturday Morning” G Sigs - “Do You Know the Way to San Jose?”

Phi Sigs - “Let It Be” D’Phis - “Windows of the World” Tri Sig - “Turn Around, Look At Me”

Corrections

LACEY

was only eight pages (compared the usual 12), but the news never calls off, so our staff made sure students were informed.

Canceled events and COVID-19 protocols meant editors needed to get creative with content. Gone was routine coverage of Homecoming, coffeehouses, Greek life events, Ganza and Gala. Instead, we used our sleuthing skills to write stories on race, effects of the pandemic, ice cream, pendulums, rogue fraternities, voting, bears, bats and cats. Oh my!

We never lacked for content. Where some editors in the past have asked ‘how do we fill this white space?’ we’re more familiar with the question, ‘how do we make it all fit?’

Crowded around the computers, our staff was genuinely committed to recording this moment in time. Though intimidating, it was exciting, we all agreed, to be communicating the college’s story during this moment in history.

No moment hit us more than organizing the COVID-19 email timeline. After digging through our Outlook records and writing frantically on our white board, we looked at each other in shock. We lived through a major historical event. The same way our parents re-

- The Center for Vision & Values, now the Institute for Faith & Freedom, was started during the tenure of former college President Richard G.

Sig Thets - “Everything is Beautiful” Thetas - “Elijah Rock” Theta Kaps - “I Love My Shirt” April 26, 1991 Campus Question This week in ‘91’s question was posed specifically to seniors by Joy Ellison and Tim McGinnis, who asked the graduating class, “What one thing would you like to do at Grove City College before graduation?”

David Finch: “Wear a hat and drink a coke in Dr. Sennholz’s Econ 102 class.”

Ron Geisler: “See Dave Mitchell get a girlfriend.”

Troy E. Timbrook: “Creek President MacKenzie.”

Valerie Davis & Denise Tate: “Set off every alarm in every dorm on campus… simultaneously!”

Rob Dorow & Eric Thomson: “Streak past a student tour group.”

Jewell ’67, not his predecessor Dr. John Moore, as The Collegian reported last week.

The Center started as a result of a publication of the same name produced by Dr. John Sparks ’66, retired professor

Jules Wooldridge

Staff Writer

and dean, for several years.

- In last week’s paper, The Collegian incorrectly referred to the Hilda Adams Kring Children’s Theatre program as Grove City College Children’s Theater.

News The Collegian,

April 30, 2021

Page 3

Add a year, add a degree David Zimmermann News Editor

Starting this fall, the Education Department is expanding with a post-baccalaureate program. This opportunity will allow current seniors to stay an extra year to earn their teaching certification after graduating.

The program was created for non-ed majors who had decided to enter the teaching profession late into their four years at the college. Rather than declare an education major, students can take advantage of the post-bac route without enrolling into another school.

Education department chair Dr. Constance Nichols ’93 said she sees the new program as “a huge enhancement” for the department’s mission – to serve and teach children.

“I don’t foresee us as having 100 new post-bac candidates anytime soon,” Nichols said. “But if it even encour-

ages one student to enter the profession, that is one more person then who has an impact on literally thousands of schoolkids.”

Nichols partnered with Associate Chair of Education Dr. Jarrett Chapman ’04 to create the program. Chapman also serves as the certification officer for ed majors and those interested in the field.

To receive the Pennsylvania Department of Education teaching certification, students must achieve their core competency requirements through remaining coursework and a semester of student teaching.

One student participating in the program next year is senior Haley Dietz, a psychology major and biology minor. Dietz will finish her last 13 credits ahead of graduation in the fall, allowing her to student teach during the spring semester before receiving her biology certification.

“I would always say that if

I could go back and choose a major again it would be teaching. This program gave me that opportunity,” Dietz said.

Junior exercise science major Alexis Buck will enter the post-bac program after graduating in spring 2022.

“I had wanted to be a teacher before coming to Grove City,” she said. “I have had so many teachers that have influenced my life and had a positive impact on me, and I want to do the same for my students in a classroom someday.”

Buck said she could not have imagined going this path without Chapman.

She said, “He has gone above and beyond to assist me with this process. He had to put in lots of time to evaluate courses I have taken and compare them to courses I need to take to get my certification. I have never asked a question that he could not answer.”

Dietz, as well, agreed that Chapman was helpful in her academic situation.

The start of the post-bac program comes at a time when the need for student teachers is ever-growing.

With an increase in teacher retirement, enrollment decline in teacher preparation programs and young teachers leaving the profession due to the stress caused by COVID-19, Nichols believes there is “a huge and looming teacher shortage crisis in the country.”

She sees special education, math and science as the areas in most need for student teachers.

Nichols hopes to expand the Education Department even further by adding a master’s degree.

“The way we’ve designed the post-bac program is that it could be a nice on-ramp to a master’s degree, and that’s the next big thing for our department to tackle,” she said.

For those interested in the post-bac program, Chapman encourages students to contact him for further discussion.

BUHL

continued from 1 will be created to allow groups of students to work together on projects.”

As far as the student employment in the library, preparations are already being made for the future.

Junior Nick Buonaugurio said, “As library workers, we’ve already been preparing for the changes. Since construction on a larger scale will be happening over the summer, we have had to start moving books to new locations. I hope students are flexible with any temporary changes and get excited about the final product.”

Sophomore Katharine Shi said, “Right now, working at the library is great. It’s quiet and there’s usually something to do. I’m really excited that they’re adding a café and study rooms.”

In addition to the amenities for studies and comfort,

Renovations on Henry Buhl Library are slated to begin this summer. many safety concerns and quality of life improvements are being addressed in the renovations for the building.

“Along with the renovations will be the replacement of all furniture, a new fire alarm system and upgrades to the

HVAC system,” Lopresti said.

McNulty is hopeful for the changes saying, “The current library has served the campus well for more than 60 years, but now we need a facility for the 21st century that

GCC

facilitates newer pedagogies involving digital resources and student collaboration.”

The entire project will last from May 2021 to August 2022, with parts of the library being completed throughout that time.

Students bank on victory in contest Ashley Ostrowski Copy Editor

A team of five Grove City College students are currently competing in the national Community Bank Case Study Competition this year.

The team is researching how Mars Bank, a local bank in Butler County, responded to the COVID-19 pandemic and the nation’s renewed commitment to diversity and inclusion. Students on the team include senior Susannah Barnes and juniors Margo Weller, Karsten Lagerquist, Alexander Hartzel and Jeffery Eide.

The business students have been able to meet over Zoom with Mars Bank executives including Grove City alumnus Shawn Proper ’92, senior vice president of Mortgage and Consumer Lending at the bank.

“Working with Mars Bank is an absolute delight. The employees are so gracious and generous with their time in supporting us in this project. The Mars Bank culture is so healthy even amidst these challenges,” Weller said.

Barnes

Weller

Thomas G. Ball ’88 served as the team’s faculty adviser and has been helpful as they continue to complete the project. He took a new job but stayed under adjunct status at Grove City for the spring semester. Chair of the accounting department Nicole Stone ’99 will serve as the team’s transitional adviser until someone new takes the role.

“Mr. Ball has been fantastic in helping us coordinate with Mars Bank. The executives have been exceedingly helpful with their time including a two-hour Zoom meeting to discuss bank operations,” Eide said.

The competition, run by the Conference of State Bank Supervisors, allows every member of a team to take on a different part to put the case study together. The project includes a final research paper and a video that a team

Lagerquist

Hartzel

must film before submitting.

The deadline for both items is May 24.

“Alex and Karsten are working on the finance aspect, while Susannah and Margo are working on the diversity and policy side. My role is to make a video that summarizes the paper,” Eide explained.

“We will be interviewing Mars Bank executives about their transitions with mortgages and banking due to COVID-19 and how they help their community by focusing on those less well off,” he said.

Due to COVID-19’s effect on the banking industry at large, there is much information for students to research.

Barnes said, “The research experience has been really interesting. I’m working specifically on the diversity and inclusion side so looking at the demography of the bank

and the surrounding areas has been fascinating.”

“I hope the partnership beEide tween GCC and Mars Bank for this competition continues for many years into the future. The project is incredibly beneficial to the students as we are getting more real-life banking, research and finance experience than we ever would in classes alone,” Weller said.

This opportunity is beneficial for the five students as they learn about Mars Bank and the overall importance of banking.

“Something I’ve learned is how important community banks are to local economies and local communities. Mars Bank helps beyond just financial services. They provide consulting, volunteering and community support.

Without community banks, communities would suffer.

It shows how important it is that policies allow community banks to flourish instead of hindering them,” Barnes said.

2020 hurt mental health David Zimmermann News Editor

Since the pandemic’s start over a year ago, many college students have undergone psychological and emotional changes to their mental health. The same is true of most Grove City College students, according to a survey conducted by the Counseling Center.

Out of 202 respondents, 57 percent of students said their mental health was worse now than in February 2020.

Those who improved were at 27 percent, and 16 percent said they saw no changes in their mental health. The survey lasted from March 17 to April 7.

The top three causes for stress among students over the past year were cancellation of events, managing academic demands from home and social isolation. Of those who answered the survey, there were 59 male and 143 female students.

Due to the unprecedented amount of stress in 2020, most respondents wanted to better their mental health, with 74 percent willing to attend in-person workshops provided by the Counseling Center, which brought encouragement to some of the counselors at the center.

According to Director of Counseling Services Dr. Suzanne Houk, the center plans on discussing topics revealed from the survey that were most relevant to students at the workshops starting this fall.

“We hope students will come and benefit from trainings aimed at overcoming anxiety and perfectionism and improving relationships and mood.” Topics also include learning how to develop spiritual practices for one’s personal well-being, Houk said.

“We are passionate about the power of living life in the Spirit and how that is key to overcoming,” Houk said. In the meantime, the Counseling Center plans to release its last episode of “His View” before the end of the semester. “His View” is a talk show aimed at providing students with a Christian understanding of wellness.

Houk wants to incorporate the survey’s findings in future episodes.

Hepner said the survey results concluded that relationship is vital to healthy living, with most students saying they want to improve on their relationships.

“We yearn to be fully known and welcomed into relationship with others. Because of our sinful nature, we have to mature and grow into Christlikeness so that we can maintain healthy, life-giving relationships,” she said. “At the Counseling Center, it is a joy and a privilege to help young adults navigate this struggle.”

According to the survey, most said they grew closer to the Lord over the past year.

Houk hopes students will “continue to grow to overflow” both in their health and faith.

The Collegian,

April 30, 2021

Page 4

Senior staff says goodbye Memory Places of significance eulogy Paige Fay

Editor-in-Chief And just like that, the end is nigh.

Wait, that’s not right. Didn’t I just go to the Graffiti Dance last weekend?

I just checked. Nope.

That was almost four years ago, and I’m still here sitting at my computer writing my last editorial for The Collegian. Oof. Maybe it’s just exhaustion from the rush of project deadlines, but I’m not as sad or sentimental as junior year Paige thought she would be. Instead, it feels cathartic; like the next step, only with a lot more coffee and constant email spam from Prestige Photography by Lifetouch.

A long time ago, back in the lanyard-wearing days, I would have tried to explore a deep, seemingly unexplored theme in this editorial in an attempt to appear thoughtful and learned and academic.

But then I came to a realization: whatever enlightenment or personality breakthrough I might experience, I don’t get a medal for it. I don’t get a pat on the back. I’m just one of a million other college graduates in the nation experiencing the same fears, the same hopes and the same handshake.

I just happen to be an editor with a platform and an expectation to share her thoughts.

So, I’ll try not to sermonize. I won’t get sappy. I’ll write this editorial just for me. It’s a eulogy to the things I’ll miss and serve as a time capsule of this person that was made. Someday, probably five years from now (and who knows what I’ll be doing then), I’ll read this and just want to remember those snapshots of the life now that, in five years, will be life then. No big plans or lofty ideals, just grainy word pictures through a distant memory.

I’ll remember laughing with my roommates Mary and Sarah about chicken tenders and always feeling a little insecure that I don’t have a biblical name.

I’ll remember constantly being torn between using my meal swipes or using my kitchen. I have so many meal swipes left. But also, I want a smoothie. Do we have any frozen fruit? The constant conundrum!

I’ll remember drinking espresso at 12 a.m. with a terrible headache and four pages of my paper left to write in a silent apartment.

I’ll remember the football team practicing between 4 and 6 p.m. and wishing I had their Spotify playlist (if you have it, hit me up).

I’ll remember

walking behind the same three Colonial residents every MWF at 9:47 a.m. on our way to class. I’ll never forget you, even though I don’t know you.

I’ll remember never remembering that I was in the middle of doing my laundry.

But, most of all, I’ll remember the Tower. I’ll remember the anxiety I felt at 10:30 p.m. when sports still isn’t placed.

I’ll remember the staff trickling in as the night goes on until it’s a fullblown party at 11 p.m. – so loud Campus Safety can hear us from the elevator.

I’ll remember the staff meetings that were supposed to be 30 minutes lasting over an hour as we chat about campus and share our “did you hears?”

I’ll remember the smell of Coffaro’s pizza and the sound of the elevator bell as Anna and I check in about how the night is going.

I’ll remember Clark humming Touring Choir songs, David frantically emailing his staff writer about “This Week in Collegian History” at 8:36 p.m., Caleb being the only one to keep his mask on the whole night, Fiona spilling campus tea at staff meeting, Emily quoting Tik Toks, Anna laughing about crossword clues, firing and un-firing Matt several times a night, Chris getting excited about pizza, Britney quietly and faithfully attending every staff meeting and Nick always telling stories “just between us girls.”

All that to say, it’s been a good run.

I have full faith in David, Caleb and the rest of the staff to keep the paper constantly improving. (Who knows, maybe we’ll finally get a website under their reign.) I have full faith in Nick who always gives the best advice and encouragement he can every week, through thick, thin and second dose of the vaccine. Thank you for keeping us on the journalistic straight-andnarrow.

Maybe that’s why I’m not sentimental. This end is just one of many that are being felt all over America.

In the right time, David will be sitting in my seat feeling all the same things, like all the other graduates of his year and all the graduates to follow him.

And in this season, it’s simply my turn to pass the baton.

Take it away.

Anna DiStefano Managing Editor

In the fall of 2018, my grandfather visited me on campus. We walked around, and he did what any alum would do; he told stories about his time here.

The stories became more detailed as we made our way around.

Standing in the HAL atrium, which looked exactly like the old Calderwood building to him, my grandfather pointed down the hall.

“That’s where I was when I heard JFK was shot,” he said.

Living in a place for four years, it becomes your home, and you begin to forget the little things in the midst of living your life. But through the eyes of an alum the campus takes on a different light. It’s a place of memories, a place of significance.

And known to us or not, we have our own places of significance.

Whether we’ve been here one, two, three or four years, we’ve made our lives on this small college campus just north of Pittsburgh. We all have points we’re connected to.

They’re the places that stand out in our minds, tied to formative experiences we will never forget.

I can tell you where I was sitting in MAP when the Polar Vortex cancelled classes in January 2019.

I can tell you where I was walking on the sidewalk when we learned we’d be going home in March 2020 because of the pandemic.

I can tell you where I spent the majority of my Wednesday nights for the past three years.

The Tower is a special place.

Perched at the top of Crawford, you’d only know it was there if you had a strange desire to climb stairs until your lungs feel like they’re going to give out.

With a standing veto of the Oxford comma, the Tower was where I hesitantly walked in as a copy editor, not knowing what I was getting into, just there because I liked to edit and had to write an article to pass a class.

It was where I looked at David, then just a staff writer, and chose not to acknowledge that I had been his tour guide.

It was where Paige and I brainstormed our visions for the year and created our legacies. (The most controversial being our flirtation with other pizza delivery services.)

It was where I learned that my great-grandmother, Margaret (Simpson ’37) Frazer, had also been an editor for The Collegian.

Filled with laughter from proposing the most alliterative, witty (and accurate) headlines we could, the Tower has given us a place to create a community while documenting one of the most historic years in recent college history.

And when I eventually come back, these are the stories I will tell. For now, I’ll settle for some reflection on the best staff of the year.

Paige, I couldn’t have asked for a better partner. You’re truly a fearless leader. Thanks for pushing all of those articles on me sophomore year and making me your staff writer.

David and Caleb, it’s yours now.

Good luck. I know the paper will mature with you as you step into your new roles.

Clark, I bequeath to you the crossword. Take care of it. Go crazy and print the answer key. Emily, my fellow Erie-ite, continue to keep us relevant. Fiona, never stop starting sentences with “did you hear?” because we probably haven’t, and it’s probably a great story. Britney, stay grammatically sane.

Nick, I’m surprised you let me print as many headlines as I did.

Most of them were jokes. Seriously, though, thanks for always supporting us and showing us the meaning of journalistic integrity.

Here I come to my end. I’ve passed the middles, and my places of significance are solidifying in my memories. And one day, after a few more beginnings, I might be one of those alums who gestures to the top of Crawford and says, “That’s where I spent my nights with the newspaper.”

Achieving the editing dream

Britney Lukasiewicz Copy Chief

Growing up, one of my favorite movies was “The Proposal” with Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds. I fell in love at a young age with the idea of being an editor after watching Bullock’s character run a publishing company, and that dream never went away.

Coming to Grove City four years ago, I knew I wanted to pursue that editing dream, and, wouldn’t you know, an email freshman year from The Collegian looking for copyeditors would help me achieve it.

After copyediting for The Collegian my first two years of college and becoming Copy Chief for my last two, my love for editing has only grown.

The people that I’ve met and the experiences I’ve had while being a part of this paper have truly shaped who I am as an editor, and I couldn’t be more grateful.

A big thank you to Paige Fay, Anna DiStefano and all of the section editors for making this an incredible last year at The Collegian, despite everything else going on around us. And the biggest thank you to my copy editors; I could not do what I do without them.

As I pass the torch to Joanna Thorpe ’22, I am confident that her

keen eye for detail will help the paper prosper, and I can graduate knowing The Collegian is in good hands.

It is hard to believe that my time here is already coming to an end.

My first trek up the many steps to the Tower in Crawford seems just like yesterday. So many Wednesday nights have been spent up there editing over these past four years. I wonder how many Oxford commas I’ve deleted, how many numbers I’ve spelled out, how many months I’ve abbreviated, how many titles I’ve capitalized. If I had kept count, it probably would seem like too many, but now I wish that there would be time for more.

Saying goodbye is never easy, espe-

cially to something that has had such an impact on your life, but, alas, it has to be done. As I edit articles for The Collegian in the Tower one last time, I say goodbye to friends that I’ve been working with since freshman year, and friends that I’ve only just met this year. While I wish I could have spent more time with all of them, I am grateful for the time that I did have.

Working for The Collegian not only gave me the opportunity to learn and make new friends, but also to do what I love, and I am forever thankful for that.

Community The Collegian,

April 30, 2021

The longest year

Page 5

COVID Team looks back on semester Fiona Lacey

Community Editor To every individual at Grove City College, there is the assumption that this year was one of the most challenging in the school’s history. As the 2020-2021 school year comes to a close, Larry Hardesty, vice president of Student Life and Learning gives hats-off to his team members who were resilient in an arduous year.

“I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a hard year. But I don’t think I could have had better people in place,” Hardesty said. “They really stepped up to the plate.”

After much debate in the summer of 2020, the Grove City College board of trustees decided to push boundaries and made Grove City College one of the few in-person colleges to exist during the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the 2,500 students returning to dorm and class activities in the fall, both the offices of Student Life and Learning and Residence Life shouldered most, if not all, responsibilities of enforcing COVID-19 procedures of mask-wearing and, the most demanding, quarantining. A “COVID team” of SL&L employees and Residence Life RDs was formed led by Assistant Dean of Student Life and Learning Joseph Cirelli.

The biggest challenge hit when the first COVID-19 outbreak hit the student body in the middle of fall semester 2020, and around 500 students were sent into isolation or quarantine.

According to Hardesty, many of the positive or negative COVID-19 tests would come in the early hours of the morning, forcing the COVID team into a long period of all-nighters, recording every single name of isolated and quarantined students on multiple white boards, colorcoded and all.

When students received the 5 a.m. notification email of a positive test and instructions of housing, those were the result of late-night hours spent in a “war-room” as they called it, in a building off-campus by Cirelli, Hardesty, DiBenedetto, RD Katie

STUDENT LIFE & LEARNING

Assistant Dean of Student Life and Learning Joe Cirelli falls asleep early in the morning in the COVID Team’s “war room.”

Oomkes and Susan Grimm.

Over the span of the entire year, over 1,000 quarantines and isolations and 1,400 PCR and 200 antigen tests taken by students have taken place over the 2020-21 year.

Hardesty recalls taking a picture of Cirelli and Grimm, who had both fallen asleep at 2:30 a.m.

“It was this crazy moment where I remember thinking, ‘there is not a person on this team that’s not given everything they’ve got,’” he reflected.

When students were quarantined in basements and hotel rooms, it was the RAs, RDs, athletic staff and even first lady Brenda McNulty that individually delivered meals to the students.

Throughout a high-stress environment of all-nighters and weekends, the team struggled with staying afloat, with some even considering not continuing. “We were thinking, ‘I’m not sure if we want to do this again next semester,” Hardesty said. “In the midst, God was faithful.

But, boy, were we worried.”

But, according to him, he has never felt more resilient or in sync with another group of people. “We did more than we thought we were capable of,” he said.

The worst part, to Hardes-

ty, was not just driving home at 3 a.m. every night to his family but knowing that his team members were doing the same.

Once the fall semester ended, it was DiBenedetto who spent his Christmas break formulating an online system that would do the work– emailing and data recording–for them.

“That was a great moment,” Hardesty said. “I remember thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, this is going to change everything.’”

The COVID Team’s workload was significantly reduced, as DiBenedetto’s system made an eight-hour project something that took only one hour.

The team specifically remembers people who reached out to them to thank them, and to Hardesty, this is what helped them carry on amidst the demanding nature of the job. Dean of the Chapel Don Opitz at one point brought lunch and prayed with them.

Campus Safety officers swung by the war room with Dunkin Donuts coffee. They also received multiple letters written by sororities and athletic teams.

And some have just kept them in their thoughts.

“There’s been a lot of professors who have stopped me

and told me they’re praying for us,” he said.

But no pity is to be given to their situation, Hardesty said. “I want people to feel how much we love them.”

Throughout the entire year’s process of scheduling students into quarantine and isolation, Hardesty sees his team members’ devotion to their work not as a sign of duty, but a demonstration of love.

As the year comes to a close, the entire team looks forward to returning to some sense of normalcy very soon.

“We’re chomping at the bit,” Hardesty said. “I think we’re going love more of what we do coming out of this.”

With the knowledge that the U.S. will have most likely reached the CDC’s “herd immunity” requirement of over 70 percent of the population being vaccinated, Hardesty and the rest of his team are in talks of what next year will look like. There’s nothing decided yet, he said.

But, they want it to be normal. “We want to do everything we can to get back to normal as much as possible,” Hardesty said.

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf holds these cards as well, and the outcome is unknown about what the state will require. Rapid test-

ing, Hardesty said, has been central to limiting exposure, and will most likely be a big part of next year’s efforts as well.

“Students have been running a marathon, and they’re tired too,” Hardesty said.

It’s been a very long year for many, and the COVID Team has been no exception.

“Seldom have I had the opportunity to see the service ethic of a whole team of people that matches what I’ve seen in Student Life and Learning throughout the past year. The leadership, love and wisdom that they have poured out on behalf of this community is more than remarkable—it is a beaming witness of the Lord that they are serving,” Opitz said.

“The dedication and personal sacrifice of our entire team of employees, especially those in Student Life, has been nothing short of remarkable,” President Paul J. McNulty ’80 said. “We will never be able to thank them adequately for their work.

We reached new heights in our collaboration between offices, and there is no doubt that God blessed us richly with the ability to persevere through the ups and downs.

At the end of the day, we’re in this business because our calling is to serve students.”

Navigating long distance What can I do to keep up a healthy relationship when we’re long distance? the relationship. When two ship about? It’s true that so as to help you see how Dreadfully, people no longer have the absence makes the heart you can love your significant Anxious Grover Dear Anxious Grover, Not my opinion, just a fact: long distance relationships never last and are a waste of time.

If you’re the ding-dong that believes that to be true it’s time curb your yammering skull cave, cool the jets and sit back to listen to Dr. Love’s professional advice… at least it’s free.

Long distance relationships, when practiced with reciprocity, not only are essential for simply maintaining a relationship but offer a great opportunity to grow

option just to “hang out” it becomes a test of intentionality: how will you schedule your calls? How will you make the most of those check-ins? Are you taking a break from each other or staying engaged in each other’s lives and doing what you can to sharpen yourself with your time away from one another?

These, my young Grover, are the critical questions that must be asked. Long distance relationships are a test of substance. As a couple, what is your relation-

grow fonder, because you’ll be forced to appreciate the time you have just to simply talk or video call rather than enjoy each other’s physical presence. Don’t kid yourself, it takes work and time, but it makes your time together sweeter. Challenge yourselves to grow and be as present even when you don’t spend time together. If you’re a Jesus-freak like me, spend time in prayer and ask how to open your eyes to the ways you’ve grown complacent and lazy in your relationship. Ask for guidance

other better. Humble yourself and recognize that your time together is finite and be grateful for the technology/ messenger pigeons/smoke signals that have allowed you two to stay in touch.

Badda bing. Badda boom.

That’s a wrap, Grover. Dr. Love is over and out.

Dr. Love Love M.D.

Dear Dr. Love

Community The Collegian,

April 30, 2021

Page 6

What does community mean to you?

Leaders reflect on college’s core value “Community is a warm group of people gathered around a common purpose or cause. Jesus called those of us who follow Him “friends” and also brought us together in a family with Him as our Father and we as brothers and sisters. Once we are regenerated we are immediately drawn to His followers by the power of His Spirit.

Instant community!”

-

Community means fellowship through Christ Jesus. Community means serving neither title nor position above service to the campus. Community within a learning environment means facilitating every opportunity for students to grow!

Brenda McNulty ’80

I like Wendell Berry’s definition of community: “A community,” he writes, “is the mental and spiritual condition of knowing that the place is shared, and that the people who share the place define and limit the possibilities of each other’s lives.” Real community (unlike, say, the pseudo-communities of social media and niche marketing) is not an affinity group I choose; it’s the personal realization of responsibility and inter-dependence.

-

Dr. Joshua Mayo ’10

-

Community means a lot to me, especially the one we have here at Grove City. Times have obviously stunk over the past year because of Covid. But honestly, with the way Grove City has handled everything combined with the strong faith and positivity from our community, it makes me sometimes forget about everything and be thankful for all that I have. It’s the greatest feeling to walk around and always have people saying hello and asking how I’m doing. You don’t get that at most schools. Grove City’s strong community is definitely what makes it as great of a school as it is.

-

Richie Bochicchio ‘22

Community is that social arrangement in which I am able both to be free and to belong, where my skills, abilities, desires. and ambitions complement, and are complemented by, those of others in the pursuit of common goals.

-

To me, community is family—people who know you, who pursue you, and who hold you accountable to your spiritual and intellectual growth. They’re the people with whom you feel just as comfortable laughing as crying, and even though they believe the best of you and encourage you to grow, they’re also the ones who don’t judge you when you stress order a large milkshake and fries because some days are like that. In fact, they’ll probably join you.

Dr. Carl Trueman

Community to me means a group of like-minded individuals who gather often to enjoy being together and taking part in activities or discussions that are of interest to them. Communities can be family, sorority or fraternity, or other organizations and groups who gather to accomplish a common goal or have a particular characteristic in common.

-

Tricia Corey

Dietrich Bonhoeffer describes it this way, “we are called as the body of Jesus to mutually bear each others burdens faithfully, prayerfully, and practically as Jesus did for us.” When I reflect on the people in my life who have been a strong community it is those who have been faithful in friendship in all seasons of life whether they can personally empathize or not. It’s the people who have shown up even when I pushed away my own needs and asked the hard questions I didn’t want to ask myself. It’s also the same people who loved me tenderly and exemplified the tenderness of the Lord.

Meaningful community points towards an authentic identity in Christ; edifying God, and allows for participating in a small mosaic of what Heaven will look like.

-

Map South RD Tori Wright

Community is the forge of friendship. It is a practice field for life in God’s world. It is a hub of care and celebration.

-

Dr. Donald Opitz

Scott Gordon

-

Amanda Rumbaugh ’12

Our community here at GCC is so special to me. Our students are not just a conglomerate of individuals who happen to live together - no, the campus community is a place of welcome and warmth, where our lives are deeply touched by and intertwined with each other. I will always remember my years here for many reasons, but the thing that I will remember most dearly will be the people that I have met and the relationships that I have forged.

-

David Hutchison ‘21

To me, community means always knowing you have someone to rely on and sometimes being that person others have to rely on too. Over my four years at Grove, I’ve learned this in relationships, in Student Government, and just in random smiles and hello’s from people you met one time somewhere on campus. Taking initiative for another, and having someone else take initiative to move towards you is the single greatest thing I’ve taken away from Grove’s community that I’ll carry through the years to come. I’m thankful for the faculty, administration, colleagues, and friends who’ve made this possible, and I hope they carry it with them too when they go on their merry ways.

-

Meredith Gartman ‘21

The Collegian,

April 30, 2021

Page 7

Telegram—as outdated as its namesake?

Seven questions with…

Dr. Owen Zhang

Clark Mummau Perspectives Editor

When freshmen arrive on campus, they are met by the typical request to share their phone number with many people. Residence Life, OB connection groups, clubs and new friends all want to be able to contact them and put them in group chats.

For many students, this has meant using Telegram. For freshmen, though, Telegram just doesn’t cut it, making them the first year to move away from the iconic Grove City app.

Telegram is only for group chats, they have reported.

“If I’m texting people individually, then I would use iMessage, Snapchat or other methods of communication, but for group chats, I would use Telegram,” freshman Nate Worley said.

“It’s easy and less awkward than texting,” freshman Olivia Foster said. For many people like Foster and Worley, Telegram might be good for groups, but it is not the best for just talking with a friend.

Some freshmen do not even use Telegram, like Olivia Sweeney.

“I personally only use Telegram for my hall group chat, but I don’t really check it because I don’t use it for any of my other activities.

I do know that many other groups that I’m not a part of use Telegram more, but I also know that it’s not exclusively limited to Telegram,” she said. “I use GroupMe for the majority of my group chats, as well as social media such as Snapchat and regular text messages.”

Many groups such as clubs, housing groups, fraternities and sororities have group chats on Telegram – campus organizations which have been around for years.

The chats are valuable for the groups, so Telegram’s prominence on campus is unlikely to go away anytime soon.

“Once our freshmen guys were added to our housing group’s Telegram chat, it was much more active than before,” Brett Schulte, Alpha Sigma social coordinator, said. “The freshmen have been very active in serious discussions and in more casual things like sending memes, polls and games to the chat.”

Assistant Professor of Finance What do you listen to on the ride home?

Audiobooks.

What are you currently reading?

“And the Good News Is”

by Dana Perino.

What’s something you’ve been pondering lately?

My future and other church brothers’ and sisters’ future.

Favorite restaurant?

Jordan’s.

Name the movie that makes you emotional.

“Fireproof” What are you looking forward to today?

According to my schedule, today.

MATT SCHOONOVER

Grove City College freshmen appear to be moving away from the staple messaging app.

Straying from the gen- ter in every way. It looks bet- closest friends individually eral consensus of his class, ter and is easier to use. It’s through my iMessage app. freshman Caleb Frey said, accessible in that you can log However, for people I am not “Telegram allows for a uni- into GroupMe with things as close with and I’m getting versal means of communi- like Facebook and Google. to know on campus I will usucation between iPhone, An- It’s easier to get people into ally text them on Telegram droid and even Mac and PC. groups on GroupMe. It’s also because it’s much easier to This common ground makes more of an industry standard add them there instead of communication with friends in that people outside of GCC asking for their phone numand groups extremely con- use GroupMe more than ber. It also works really well venient. I have not heard of Telegram,” Putnam said. with talking to guy friends another program that rivals Sweeney echoed these because you don’t have to Telegram in convenience or thoughts. “I personally just awkwardly exchange numease of use. I believe that a like the style of GroupMe and bers which can have different shift away from Telegram Snapchat more because they connotations/ties associated would disrupt the ease of feel and look cleaner and with it,” McFeely noted. communication that it pro- more streamlined,” she said.

Telegram has a strong vides and cause unnecessary One of the best benefits of presence in the campus comdifficulty in coordination of Telegram is the fact that so munity that is unlikely to group activities.” many people are on it, so it go away entirely. However, Freshman Abbey McFeely can be easier to contact peo- the class of 2024 seem to be prefers the messaging app, ple. turning a point in the colGroupMe, and junior Ryan “Some of my friends will lege’s history by using somePutnam agrees. text me individually on Tele- thing else for their intercam“GroupMe is infinitely bet- gram, but I prefer to text my pus communication.

Favorite class you’re teaching right now?

FNCE 341: Financial Modeling

Connect with us!

Stay updated with our social media @Collegian_GCC @gcc.collegian The Collegian: The Grove City College Newspaper

Student liberals: they’re here, too Scott Amon Staff Writer

Grove City College is widely known as a conservative college, which is reflected in its students, faculty and clubs.

Unsurprisingly, however, there are students at the college who are not conservatives and hold views that are contrary to the tenants of conservatism. These students enrolled at Grove City College for various reasons unrelated to politics, but they sometimes feel alienated politically.

Junior conservation major Ian Hunter leans more to the left in politics. He enrolled in the college because he heard that Grove City was less expensive than other colleges offering his major.

“GCC is relatively inexpensive, and I have family who

graduated from here that speak well of the school,” Hunter said. “I decided that things like political climate were not as important to my school choice.”

Junior psychology major Laura Woodson joined the college for slightly different reasons. “I did not have an amazing home life, and my friend was planning on going here so I primarily chose GCC to get out of that situation and be with my friend,” Woodson said. She also saw that the college had some perks. “I did like the psychology program, and I found the campus very beautiful,” she said.

Both Hunter and Woodson found that conservative Grovers are not hostile to them for being politically liberal.

Instead, students are cautiously curious about what they believe.

“Primarily, people assume I am a Republican,” Woodson said. When she clarifies her position, her fellow students “are often more interested in my views than discriminatory, because a lot of Grovers have only grown up hearing conservative arguments.”

Woodson noted that though this is the case with people she interacts with, her experience may not be indicative of the whole college.

Hunter also does not feel that he is discriminated against, but he finds it difficult to be surrounded solely by people who disagree with his positions.

“I simply feel like an outsider at times,” he said. “I don’t really know of any other liberal students, so basically any time I want to discuss politics with my friends it becomes a debate and that

gets exhausting.”

Despite being challenged over his politics, Hunter acknowledges that he is glad to have a chance to express his views. “I think it’s good not to reside in an echo chamber, and I try to take the opportunity to understand and articulate why I believe what I believe,” he said.

Woodson believes that to foster a more welcoming campus, students should work towards a greater understanding that not all students share the same beliefs.

“More awareness and acceptance of other viewpoints would be great. People assume I am the way they are.

There is a real issue with intolerance of other viewpoints,” she said.

Woodson cites an example to support the need for more awareness.

“The College Democrats

are putting on an LGBTQ+ panel and our posters have been torn down, ripped up and thrown away,” she said.

“We estimate around 40 of our posters have been taken down.”

Hunter acknowledges that he is not upset with the college since he understands that Grove City is a conservative college.

“It makes sense that a private Christian college in western PA would look like this, and I would hate to force anything,” he said.

Hunter agrees with Woodson’s call for greater tolerance of differing beliefs.

“I just think an environment of open-mindedness would be beneficial. Other than that, a way to find other liberal students would probably help me feel more at home,” he said.

Through the lens,

Through the Lens

Feb. 22, 2019

The Collegian,

Page 8

April 30, 2021

The sun sets on another year Reflecting on photos from the best parts

The past academic year has been filled with challenges, fears, uncertain outcomes and, most importantly, lots of fun. Every opportunity to step outside has always been met with a good photo opportunity, whether it’s a sports game or a sketchy night shoot with steel wool photography. The landscapes at Grove City do not always come through as “glory shots,” but when they have their moments they really shine. Grove City campus can seem small at times, but the walks on campus can surprise a person with what they can find. When looking around, the attention to detail is paramount.

Only when people slow down and notice the little things that quintessence of life is found. “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” said it best: “To see the world, things dangerous to come to, to see behind walls, to draw closer, to find each other, and to feel, that is the purpose of LIFE.” When people view the world with a meaningful lens, things become clear and far more enjoyable.

Photos and Text Matt Schoonover Photo Chief

Through the lens,

April 30, 2021

Page 9

Wes Kinney

The Collegian,

April 30, 2021

Page 10

Senior Man and Woman of the Year

Jesse Belitz

Independence, Ohio Major: Middle Level Math and History Education Minor: Biblical & Religious Studies

Hannah Tarolli Syracuse, N.Y. Major: Biology/Health

Nominees

Shannon Brawley

Reilly Diggins

Karl Heiser

Mount Airy, Md. Majors: Exercise Science, Pre-Physical Therapy Concentration

Sewickley, Pa. Majors: Social Work and Spanish

Columbia, Md. Major: Biology/Health

David Hutchison

Jonathan McCaslin

Stuart Rozendal

Molly Sears

Allison Smith

Paige Stitt

Bloomsburg, Pa. Major: Philosophy

Greely, Co. Majors: Christian Ministries and Biblical & Religious Studies

Beaver Falls, Pa. Major: Business Management

Tyler, Tx. Major: Music Education

Grand Rapids, Mi. Major: English

Gibsonia, Pa. Majors: Christian Ministries and Biblical & Religious Studies

The Collegian,

April 30, 2021

Page 11

Professor of the year named Antoszewski receives award Grove City College The 2021 Grove City College Omicron Delta Kappa Professor of the Year is Dr. Lisa M. Antoszewski, chair and associate professor of Biology.

Antoszewski accepted the award Thursday at Harbison Chapel on campus. “I am humbled and a bit overwhelmed by this moment,” she said.

Grove City College President Paul J. McNulty ’80 presented the award and cited student testimonials to Antoszewski as a teacher and a mentor.

Speaking to students at chapel, Antoszewski reflected on her educational inspiration and, in what might be a first for a professor of the year, quoted the late Christopher Wallace, better known as The Notorious B.I.G. “So, what makes a good teacher? Honestly, I don’t know,” she said. “I’m still trying to figure that one out. But I know what I loved about my teachers, and I try my best to emulate them in this space day after day.”

Antoszewski recounted early lessons from three nuns at her

Catholic grade school who demonstrated a love for God and their students and an AP history teacher who served up “a nice slice of humble pie” when she begged for extra credit to turn a B into an A. “She laughed in my face – literally -- and said, ‘No way, you need to learn to deal with this.’

I probably cried, but she was 100% right,” Antoszewski said.

“There is more to life than an A, and we learn more from failure than success. I remind myself of this each time I fall short. There is always a lesson on the other side.”

She cited her grad school mentor who “was so invested in each of his students. He knew what made each of us tick. He knew that he needed to give me a pep talk every month or so when my experiments failed in order to keep my confidence up. He challenged me when I needed to adjust my approach or my way of thinking. He wanted what was best for me and, because he knew me so well, he was able to guide me along the right path. I try to make the same investment in each of my

Dr. Lisa Antoszewski received the Professor of the Year award at Thursday’s chapel program. students.”

Antoszewski circled back to the lessons learned from her first and most primary teachers, her parents. They taught her to work harder, make connections with those around her and to have faith in God, she said.

“To my colleagues and my students: thank you for your continued support. Thank you for the challenges you bring.

Thank you for enriching my life. It is a joy to spend this time with you,” she concluded. “In the words of Biggie Smalls – yes, the rapper – ‘Stay far from timid, only make moves when your heart’s in it, and live the phrase sky’s the limit.’”

Antoszewski graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor of science degree in Biochemistry from Susquehanna Universi-

GCC

ty, Selinsgrove, Pa, in 2000 and earned a Ph.D. from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2007.

She was a researcher at the University of Pittsburgh before joining the faculty of Grove City College in 2011. She lives in McCandless, Pa., with her husband Ed Antoszewski and their children: Giana, Ava and Zach.

Recognition Convocation honorees These department honors were awarded to students at Thursday Recognition Convocation.

Bechtell Award Darin Mumma

Richard Leo Scholarship Kevin Connors

Philip Sr. Carpenter Math Award Jared Kettinger

Syd McCormick Memorial Award Caleb Johnson

Elinor Caruthers French Prize Genevieve Frissell

David McKillop Scholarship Wes Gaines

Computer Science Student Recognition Award Eric Martin

Thelma Baltz Morrow Award Jessica Wills

Allen Crombie Prize Katie Grosh

Thelma Baltz Morrow Award Anna Bingham

Dawes Prof. Engineering Award Samuel Worsham

Thelma Baltz Morrow Award Bryce Lowe

Ross Foster Scholarship Fund Molly Sears

Music Education Award Caleb Hixon

Ross Foster Scholarship Fund Paige Stitt

Music Education Award Sarah Dawson

GCC Future Leaders in Finance Jacob McConnell

Edward and Sara Naegele Award Calvin Raab

J.P. Hassler Award Luke Mason

Edward and Sara Naegele Award Einar Trosdal

Institute of Management Accts. Erin Greer

Outstanding Management and Marketing Senior Adam Young

Institute of Management Accts. Bailey Martin

Phi Alpha Theta History Prize Nathaniel Bennett

Franklin Ketler Math Award Jared Kettinger

Phi Alpha Theta History Prize Genevieve Frissell

Andrew S. Korim Original Thought Senior Scholarship

PICPA Excellence in Accounting Award Katherine Reese

Eli Kendrick

Senior Biology Award Deidra Ressler

Andrew S. Korim Original Thought Senior Scholarship

Senior Molecular Biology Award Gideon Hillebrand

Margo Weller

Permelia Baldwin Shoemaker Meredith Basham

Frederick Kring Leadership Award Einar Trosdal

Robert H. Sisler Memorial Award Adriane Slater

Hilda Adam Kring Award Ashley Wright

Swezey/Janicki Prize Samuel Roettger

Jonathan B. Ladd Award Eva Tan

Swezey/Janicki Prize Carrie Dill

Jonathan B. Ladd Award Miriam Sterrett

James D. Thorne Education Award Alana Bergey

Lambda Epsilon Delta Award Bri Philips

LUX MEA

continued from 1

According to Bandy, a film festival was well needed.

“You have to have a platform for people to showcase.

Athletics have games. Musicians have recitals. Theatre has plays. We need a film festival. The narrative aspect of Comm Arts needs a film festival,” he said.

Sophomore Jacob Shirk, one of the documentary filmmakers behind “Mud to Mugs,” expressed how the film festival will help students build their portfolio as well as make connections.

“It’s good for getting your name out there. You never know who’s going to be at the film festival, if it’s going to be a potential employer or somebody who works in Hollywood because Prof B has some wild connections,” Shirk said.

Students have learned a lot through working on their films with the intent of submitting it into this festival.

Sophomore Margaret Langgin, who took Video Production with Bandy last fall, expressed how her favorite part of the experience was learning to edit and put the film together like a puzzle piece.

Laggin said, “It was very satisfying to spend 20 minutes on one second and make it just the way you wanted.

I feel in love with this thing that I didn’t know how to do at the beginning of the year.”

Laggin’s film “Busy Bees” will debut at the festival tonight.

Freshmen Aaron Phillips and Ayden Gutierrez cocreated “GFGF (God, Family, Grades, Football)” in Bandy’s Documentary Film class. “GFGF” was entirely based in Cleveland, Ohio.

Due to the traveling necessity of this film, both learned the importance of perseverance through their experience in preparing for the film festival.

Phillips said, “We definitely had to learn how to persevere a lot. Every weekend, we’d be driving up to Cleveland on Sundays to stay there all day and film.”

“It was a lot of hours we put in. We had to make the most of our time because it is a two-hour drive there. We couldn’t just get there unprepared, we had to make sure we had everything ready,” Gutierrez said.

The Lux Mea Film Festival is a phenomenal way to further develop the college’s campus culture and the Communication & Visual Arts Department as a whole.

“I think it can shine some light on some talents you

might not be able to see otherwise,” Gutierrez said.

“Bandy wants to go all out with this thing. I think that the film festival will definitely propel the Comm Arts Department,” Phillips said.

While the event will be a relaxing night of entertainment, films will be competing for titles including Best Documentary, Best Cinematography and Best Editing as well as the audience favorite award. Each attendee will be provided a voting form on their program to cast their vote.

Judges include three-time Emmy Award winner DT Slouffman, News & Documentary Emmy Award winner Kate Sweeney and film director Spencer Folmar ’10, a Grove City alumnus.

GRADS

continued from 1

vented such an event from occurring, the college was persistent in finding a way to give two graduating classes the commencement they deserve. Senior Ali White is forever grateful for the college’s efforts in providing inperson ceremonies.

“Although it will be a bit chaotic with the class of 2020 following our commencement, I think the gesture of providing them the opportunity for a real commencement too is just another example of the college’s compassion towards their students,” White said.

Current seniors will graduate at 10 a.m., while the class of 2020 is scheduled to have their long-awaited graduation at 4 p.m. With former White House press secretary Dana Perino as this year’s commencement speaker, both ceremonies will be held on the Quad, rain or shine.

Perspectives The Collegian,

Page 12

April 30, 2021

Ends don’t justify means

GETTY IMAGES

Violent protests are immoral and ineffective Clark Mummau Perspectives Editor

America is a nation ravaged by the scourge of racism.

Even though slavery was outlawed in 1865 with the passing of the Thirteenth Amendment, sharecropping continued the abhorrent practice of binding African Americans to land until the 1940s. And today, we are still wrestling with questions of how to deal with the lingering effects of such institutionalized racism.

We are now approaching a year since the death of George Floyd on May 25, 2020 – a year that has been filled with near-constant protests regarding racial injustice and police brutality.

While these social issues exist, I believe that the many riots and even some of the protests against racism and discrimination have crossed a line and are now using immoral means to gain a moral end, and these methods are largely ineffective.

As the trial of Derek Chauvin unfolded, Representative Maxine Waters joined protests out in the streets of Minneapolis after the shooting of Daunte Wright.

“We’ve got to stay on the street. And we’ve got to get more active, we’ve got to get more confrontational. We’ve

“Tension demands a response, but violence breeds obstinance.” got to make sure that they know that we mean business,” Waters said on April 17 regarding the then-pending trial of Derek Chauvin.

While Waters later clarified that she meant nonviolent confrontations, her quotation still captures the attitude of many Americans about racial injustice: there is a problem, and we must demand a solution. However, the solution that has been proposed too often is a violent one.

A Washington Post report from Oct. 16, 2020 about “political crowds” in the summer of 2020 said that there were 7,305 events between May and June. The report noted that 96.3 percent of events involved no property damage or police injuries. As well, in 97.7 percent of events, no injuries were reported among participants, bystanders or police.

While 96.3 percent sounds like high, it means that there were about 270 propertydamaging protests in just those two months.

While violence is certainly sometimes present when people protest injustice, it is true that counter-protestors are also causing equally immoral violence, and if we condemn violence on the left, then we also must condemn violence on the right.

A study published by ACLED on Sept. 3, 2020 said that, “Between 24 May and 22 August, over 360 counter-protests were recorded around the country, accounting for nearly 5% of all demonstrations. Of these, 43 — nearly 12% — turned violent, with clashes between pro-police demonstrators and demonstrators associated with the BLM movement, for example.”

The summer of 2020 continued in a haze of hatred: hatred towards police, hatred towards rioters, hatred towards the government and hatred towards policies. Even now, after the trial of Derek Chauvin, we are faced with the ongoing challenges of responding to these issues of racism,

rioting and government responses.

When we look back at the ‘60’s, we think of protests marked by a stalwart commitment to pacifism. When we look back at the past year, we think of riots. What has changed from the “more excellent way of love and nonviolent protest” of Martin Luther King Jr. to today?

“Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue… My citing the creation of tension as part of the work of the nonviolent-resister may sound rather shocking,” Martin Luther King Jr. wrote in his Letter from a Birmingham jail. “But I must confess that I am not afraid of the word ‘tension.’ I have earnestly opposed violent tension, but there is a type of constructive, nonviolent tension which is necessary for growth.”

Waters and King agree that we need tension, but the people on both sides who have turned protests into riots fail to grasp the reason that nonviolent tension is so successful. Tension demands a response, but violence breeds obstinance.

According to Erica Chenoweth, a professor at the Harvard Kennedy School, “The finding is that civil resistance campaigns often lead to longer-term reforms

and changes that bring about democratization compared with violent campaigns…

This is because even though they ‘failed’ in the short term, the nonviolent campaigns tended to empower moderates or reformers within the ruling elites who gradually began to initiate changes and liberalize the polity.”

Since nations can change to democracies and the Civil Rights Movement was successful because of nonviolent protests, then surely today we can accomplish something far greater with the combined power of social media and in-person activities.

Do we live under systems that in some ways still unfairly disenfranchise minorities?

Yes. I think that all de jure racism is outlawed, but I would not hesitate to say that de facto discrimination is still present across the nation, but violent opposition is rarely the correct response, and we must continue to oppose violence on both sides.

The ends do not always justify the means, and when it comes to something as terrible as racism, we would do better to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us while standing boldly for the truth. As we saw in the Civil Rights Movement, nonviolent protests are more likely to bring about change than violent protests ever will.

Lux mea: replace the light on top of HAL

Daniel Kabakjian Contributing Writer

Symmetry, for much of human history, has been representative of perfection. It demonstrates harmony and balance and brings ease to the mind and soul.

Facial symmetry has had a widely recognized correlation to human beauty

among modern psychologists. For the Greeks, symmetry was perfection, and since then, symmetry has become the marking of classic architecture. Our own campus is one of great symmetry, to which it owes much of its beauty. Examine Harbison Chapel in its perfectly balanced splendor. Consider MAP, Harker, Rockwell, STEM, the SAC and HAL. Hicks, Ketler, Lincoln, Hopeman and Colonial likewise

display such balance and evenness. Even Zerbe, from an external perspective, is symmetrically constructed.

And yet, when the sun sinks behind the trees and our campus is left to its own artificial lighting, the monster emerges. The Hall of Arts and Letters reveals, at the highest point on campus, two light towers stationed precisely across from one another. One of them illuminates its surroundings, radiating a bril-

liant glow for miles. The other is shrouded in darkness, a cloak of gloom enveloping any hint of light that might emerge. The building thus shifts, as the sun descends, from a beautiful masterpiece to a lopsided, asymmetrical, imbalanced, hideous disappointment. I gaze into the sky and see not beauty but chaos.

I retire then to my bed to find myself restless and agitated as thoughts of asymmetry consume my mind.

Will it ever be fixed? Will our leaders ever give ear to the cries of their people? For months we have waited without response. But I will not sit by any longer and allow such an atrocity to plague our campus and community. Be silent no longer, o people. Let not your voices be muffled.

For “wisdom is better than folly, just as light is better than darkness” (Ecclesiastes 2:13). The light must be fixed. #LuxMea

The Collegian,

April 30, 2021

Page 13

Government burns the best bridges

Benjamin Seevers Contributing Writer

There is a lot of fuss surrounding Biden’s infrastructure bill. In response, Republicans have proposed their own bill, and it is looking like it will fail just as badly as the proposed Trump infrastructure bill did years ago.

Regardless, what exactly does Biden want to accomplish with his bill? He has proposed fixing the country’s roads and bridges, not just for the purported economic benefits the infrastructure derives, but also for the increased employment provided by renovations of the country’s infrastructure.

To start, it is completely unnecessary for the government to be involved in the business of constructing roads and bridges. Private companies/individuals have done so in the past with great success.

For example, the roads and bridges in my hometown of Apollo, Pa. were all constructed privately. The owner of the bridge managed a toll booth and used the tolls for upkeep, and then pocketed the difference between total revenue and costs. It was profitable enough to stay in business.

But construction of the roads was even more decentralized. Private businesses and households cleared the roadways and laid bricks for the road. Later, this was solidified by an ordinance from the Apollo Borough demanding that all households and businesses pitch in. Yet, the roads were already sufficient. This isn’t including the countless dirt roads, which

ASSOCIATED PRESS

found their beginnings in the glorious phenomenon of spontaneous order.

If any one of you were to investigate the beginnings of the roads and bridges in your hometown, there is no doubt you would discover they had similar beginnings.

Construction of bridges became centralized in the hands of the government, most likely during the grand public works projects of the FDR administration, wherein countless pointless bridges were erected in my area.

Biden’s infrastructure bill is all too similar to the New Deal public works programs that drew many laborers away from the private sector in order to work on extravagant and pointless public works projects. These projects were all funded by the state by drawing resources away from the private sector.

As mentioned previously, the public works projects during the FDR administration constructed many bridges in my area. In fact, my great-greatgrandfather worked for one of the initiatives building bridges for the Apollo Area during the era of the New Deal.

Where are these bridges

now? Gone. Collapsed. Rusted. Unused.

Which bridge is the only one standing? The relatively new bridge constructed in the same place as the private bridge built long ago. It is still used today – very often in fact.

When it comes to the Biden “New Deal,” we need to be wary of the resources that are being drained from the private sector to fund these projects. These resources would be used better in the private sector. The government arbitrarily decides what deserves resources and what doesn’t, severing the link between the owners of resources and the desires of consumers.

The government may have your wellbeing in mind, but they have no idea what composes your wellbeing. They act on whims and fancies.

There is no profit and loss in their work. They cannot gauge what is needed and what isn’t. When it comes to this legislation, keep in mind the costs. Don’t look at this infrastructure bill as aid, look at it as a drain on the productive power of the many individuals comprising American society.

Mets make a mistake

Gresham Smith Contributing Writer

In recent years, the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets have laid claim to two of the most significant free agent signings in baseball.

In 2019, the Phillies signed Bryce Harper to a 13-year, $330 million contract, and earlier this spring, the Metropolitans inked former Cleveland shortstop Francisco Lindor to a 10year, $341 million contract.

These signings—along with the emergence of Atlanta centerfielder Ronald Acuña–have presented fans with a National East ripe with talent. And with supporting roles filled by players like Rhys Hoskins, Ozzie Albies and Pete Alonso, the division makes for some excellent baseball, night in and night out.

But it’s the two players first mentioned, Lindor and Harper, who truly hold the keys to the future of the division. Rarely in sports are fans and professional pundits handed such a golden opportunity for analysis, such as the next decade will provide.

Lindor and Harper are two of the most similar signings in sports history, not because of talent, but rather because they were signed to almost identical deals, at identical points in their career and to

division rivals.

When their careers are all said and done, Lindor and Harper won’t be remembered just for their individual play, but also to what extent they made good on their mega-contracts, especially in relation to one another.

Predicting the outcome of free agent signings makes forecasting the weather look like child’s play. Of course, to even begin to understand where you are headed, it’s important to know from whence you started. So how did we get here?

In 2014, the Miami Marlins extended slugger Giancarlo Stanton’s contract to the tune of 13-years and $325 million. Since breaking the $300 million ceiling, it’s become old hat for the superstars of baseball. In 2019, Mike Trout took it to a whole other level when the Angels inked him to a 12-year, $430 million contract, making him baseball’s first $400 million man. Manny Machado, Gerrit Cole and Fernando Tatis Jr. have subsequently all joined the 300 club.

You see, as much as baseball fans may like to think of baseball as a virginal art form, Major League Baseball is, first and foremost, a business. And while our hearts may be set on seeing teams loft “a piece of metal” as Roger Manfred so eloquently put it, the majority of team owners are far more concerned about dollar signs. Sure, there may be one or two who actually care about baseball,

but they are few and far between.

The signing of Harper and Lindor are not aggressive moves in order to make the World Series. No, these are necessary business moves in an industry that, in order to remain relevant, you need to have your super-star, and you need to be paying him $300 million, or even more.

Because, as risky as spending that kind of money on one player may appear to be, no big market team seems legitimately concerned that such mega deals will backfire.

But winning a World Series brings in good money, and it’s hard to make bank with a bad roster. So, speaking in such terms as those, it’s quite clear, at least initially, who got the better deal: the Phillies. Lindor’s contract pays out $34.1 million a year, while Harper’s deal is only worth $25.3 million a year.

Lindor’s career average of .284 is .007 points higher than Harper’s, but his career OPS of .829 pales in comparison to Harper’s .903. Harper also projects as an easy move to first base as he ages, while Lindor, at 5’11, may prove less desirable, except as a defensively insignificant second basemen.

Any such claim that Harper is overpaid goes double for Lindor. While injuries or trades may derail the future of both players, the Mets appear to have paid far more money for a potentially inferior player.

ALLAN WARREN

“Long live the Consort” Hunter Oswald Contributing Writer

April 9, 2021 was a day of anguish and consternation for millions of people worldwide.

On that morning, an official statement by Buckingham Place’s Royal Communication, as well as Queen Elizabeth, announced the passing of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, the longest serving consort in British History. He was 99.

Citizens across the United Kingdom have paid their respects to the Royal Family in numerous ways. Members of Parliament and other dignitaries have given various speeches eulogizing Philip’s life and achievements. The massive display of emotional support by the citizenry has been seen through the laying of flowers, flags and notes outside Windsor Castle.

Philip’s life is certainly one of inspiration. The son of Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark and Princess Alice of Battenberg, Philip was born on June 10, 1921.

In 1922, Philip and his family went to live in exile in Paris after his uncle, Prince Constantine the First, was forced to abdicate during the 1922 Greek Revolution.

In early 1939, Prince Philip attended the Royal Naval College at Dartmouth, where a year later he graduated as the best cadet and began his naval career in the Royal Navy. At the start of World War II, he was a midshipman, eventually becoming second in command of the HMS Wallace by 1942.

The Heritage Foundation’s tribute highlighted Philip’s service during the Battle of Cape Matapan in March of 1941, “where he was mentioned in dispatches for bravery.” Philip served throughout the duration of World War II in both the European Theater and Pacific Theater.

He was present at the unconditional surrender of Japan on Sept. 2, 1945.

After his service in World War II, Philip finally got to marry the love of his life, Queen Elizabeth II, on Nov. 20, 1947. That same year, he gave up his Greek and Danish citizenship to become a British citizen.

Philip established the Duke of Edinburgh Award, aimed at “challenging young people between the ages of 14-24 to attain standards of achievement and endeavor in a wide variety of active interests,” as well as the Queen’s Award to Industry, which recognized “outstanding achievement by industry either in increasing exports or in technological innovation.”

On the official Royal U.K. website, Philip is associated with 992 organizations with “special interests in scientific and technological research and development, the welfare of young people, education, conservation, the environment and the encouragement of sport.”

In favor of leading a more private life with Queen Elizabeth II, he officially retired his royal duties in 2017.

While Philip’s royal legacy has been a source of inspiration, the English monarchy has captured the eyes of the world. Since its founding, the English monarchy has been one of the few institutions in the world where political authority has been limited by the people, fostering liberal democracy across the Commonwealth, while also remaining a symbol of traditional values, honor and patriotism.

Americans ought to admire the history of the monarchy.

We can learn to do similarly, with respect to our heritage, and use our institutions as a source for promulgating our nation’s values and identity.

While many mourn Philip’s passing currently, it would be a disservice to forget the legacy he has left behind. Philip’s life stands as a testimony to the axiom that people can shape the world they live in for the better.

Philip’s legacy will continue to serve as an inspiration for generations to come.

Write for The Collegian Interested in writing for The Collegian? The Collegian provides excellent opportunities for students who are interested in journalism careers, in writing and in exploring campus events and issues.

All sections welcome new writers.

Email us at gcc.collegian@gmail.com.

Sports The Collegian, April 30, 2021

Page 14

The grind never stops

Senior athletes stay to play another season Emily Rupczewski Sports Editor

With college sports facing numerous challenges in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the NCAA has granted all student athletes an extra year of eligibility.

With this, student athletes may choose to stay an extra semester or an extra year as long as they are enrolled in classes. Students who need extra time to finish a degree may decide to stay on campus beyond their initial four years and continue in their sport to exercise their final season of eligibility.

Some of Grove City’s athletes are taking advantage of this opportunity and continuing to pursue their education further and at a pace that works for them.

For senior football defensive end R.J. Debo, taking the extra semester and receiving an extra year to compete worked out perfectly.

“I am not choosing to stay an extra semester; I actually have to,” Debo said. “I transferred into Grove City my junior year and a few of my credits from my previous school did not transfer with me. Everything that happened kind of worked out for me in the end. If we had played in the fall of 2020, I would not have been able to play in the fall of this year. In a way, I am kind of lucky that I have to come back for an extra semester because it means I get to have one more football season.”

MATT SCHOONOVER

Senior first and third baseman Haley Dietz up to bat in the April 17th game versus Fransiscan. Dietz will remain at Grove City to use her extra year of eligibility while pursuing an education certifiation For others, like senior softball first and third baseman Haley Dietz, the decision to stay another year was a choice.

“I chose to stay another year because it’s what worked for me academically,” Dietz said, who is majoring psychology with a biology minor. Dietz, looking for more general elective credits saw the opportunity to add a teaching certification as well as another year to play softball.

“Ultimately I have decided to stay a full additional year and pursue a teaching certificate,” Dietz said, one of the first who will be taking advantage of the Education

Department’s new fifth-year certification program.

“I also felt as though my softball career would have ended abruptly and I wouldn’t have been able to enjoy four years of playing in the PAC. I realized that once I am done playing at Grove City College, my career as a competitive athlete is over.

This is not the sole reason I have decided to stay, but I would be lying if I said it didn’t influence my decision.”

Dietz won’t be alone in staying for an extra year, as her twin sister and softball outfielder Hannah Dietz will also be joining her next year as they pursue a fifth year of

college and an extra season together.

The return of the Dietz sisters for next season will be an added strength for next year’s team, as they make up two of the four seniors on the team’s 18-woman roster this season.

Other senior athletes are faced with the opportunity to stay an additional season, or may take their extra year of availability elsewhere, like graduate school.

Students like senior basketball guard Justice Rice are exploring the opportunity to continue their athletic and academic careers beyond Grove City with this added eligibility in mind.

As a math major, Rice plans to pursue a master’s in a math related field such as data analytics.

“I am in the transfer portal right now, which means I have opened up my recruitment to play elsewhere, however, I can return to Grove City to play my final year if I decide that is the best route for me. I came about the decision to continue playing just because it seemed like a great opportunity, I get another chance to do something I love, so why not take advantage of that?”

As of now, Rice has yet to announce any decision, but does plan to continue playing basketball.

National Sports Column

The full playoff picture

Connor Schlosser Staff Writer

The top seeds have clinched, which means NBA Playoffs are around the corner. But this season as you may have noticed is like no other. This season’s playoff format includes a new PlayIn Tournament.

This tournament will give the top twenty of the NBA’s thirty teams a shot at the Playoffs.

The top six teams of each conference are guaranteed a spot, however the seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth spots of the standings all have a chance to claim the last two spots on each side of the bracket. This pioneering move by Adam Silver and the NBA gives another opportunity to teams stuck in the middle of the pack, but forces similar teams to defend their standing.

The veteran talent-heavy Brooklyn Nets were the first to clinch the Eastern Conference. It should come as no surprise given the amount of talent arriving in Brooklyn season.

If Father Time turned back time to 2016, this team would be the undisputed favorite. The Brooklyn recipe consists of former Oklahoma City teammates Kevin Durant and James Harden, two-thirds of the Clippers’

“Lob City” in Blake Griffin and Deandre Jordan, the best ball-handler in the League in Kyrie Irving and key bench players like marksman Joe Harris and former Supersonic teammate of Durant, Jeff Green.

Despite the injuries that have kept the Nets from full strength recently, their over talent and depth has proven to be overwhelming.

The Sixers are not far behind Brooklyn, with Joel Embiid leading the charge with a record season.

Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Bucks have remained a top seed in the East behind Philadelphia. But the New York Knicks and Atlanta Hawks are just behind these teams.

Believe it or not, these two teams were not expected to be ranked this high at the beginning of the season, but have definitely earned their position among the top teams in the East.

And just barely holding onto the final guaranteed spot stand the injury-ridden and Covid-plagued Boston Celtics.

On the other side of the country, it was Utah not Los Angeles to clinch first in the Western Conference. This well-balanced Jazz team is one that few believe actually have a fair shot at the title.

When compared to the two behemoths in LA, the Jazz cannot simply match the firepower. The Denver Nuggets seemed like the only

NEW YORK TIMES

team in the West besides LA that could win the chip led by the future League MVP Nikola Jokic. But with the devastating ACL tear to point guard Jamal Murray, Denver’s playoff championship hopes have dimmed significantly.

The Valley has risen to towards the top of the standings with the veteran lead-

ership of Chris Paul. The vPhoenix Suns have been turned around, but much like Utah, lacks the firepower to go deep. The Dallas Mavericks and Portland Trailblazers have produced entertaining basketball with Luka Doncic and Damian Lillard respectively. The two players have been in conversation for league MVP, how-

ever, are near the level of accomplishment this season of Jokic.

The Play-In Tournament will certainly provide a surprising element in this season.

We very well may see a team ranked 10th in the standings, make a cinderella run, but in the end star power runs this league.

The Collegian, April 30, 2021

Page 15

Sports at a Glance

News

Baseball’s Tate Ostrowski threw a perfect game for the Wolverines last Friday’s 4-0 sweep of Bethany College. Ostrowski is the first pitcher to throw a perfect game in modern Grove City history since 1959.

GRACE DAVID

The men’s soccer team celebrates a victory in their March 13th game versus Waynesburg.

A season well played Emily Rupczewski Sports Editor

As the world learned to adjust to life in a pandemic, 2021 has seen the return of sports on Grove City’s campus. The fall saw sports postponed to spring, as fall sports and spring sports alike used the first semester to practice and pick up where they left off in preparation for the Olympic-like set up that the spring season brought.

This year, the spring of 2021 saw all 23 Grove City sports compete in a single season, not only adjusting and adapting to new procedures, but doing so successfully, healthily and to the glory of the One who restored what was lost.

“It means everything,” Athletic Director Todd Gibson reflects. “What I mean is that the athletic department is just a small piece of all of the great things that go on every day at Grove City College. In a year that challenged us in ways we never could have imagined, watching our teams, and for that matter, our campus come together to make sports happen in 2021 has been inspiring. This year taught us to never take doing things that you love to do for granted, taught us to trust and rely on others and taught us that we can be faced with obstacles that may seem insurmountable, yet find success.”

The New Year kicked off with the swimming and diving teams competing as the first teams to return to

Joanna Thorpe Contributing Writer

With the reoccurrence of all sports on campus in one semester, many teams have had to play shortened seasons with fewer moments to be noticed for their successes. However, many teams boast athletes who have put in the work to build team morale, play supporting roles and improve conference records throughout this unprecedented season.

One such athlete is men’s senior basketball player Justice Rice, who earned First Team All-Presidents’ Athletic Conference for his dedicated performance during his last season as a Wolverine. Rice has been a team leader and volatile force on the court since his freshman year.

For the women’s basketball team, senior Jess Bowen, freshman Kat Goetz and sophomore Emma Vezzosi all

competitive action. Not only were the men’s and women’s teams the first to return, but they did so successfully, with minimal COVID-19 complications. Both teams dominated the PAC in every meet, and were declared PAC Conference champions, paving the way and setting an example for other Grove City teams to follow.

“Watching swimming and diving compete in the first PAC Championships in more than a year for the PAC and winning was amazing,” Gibson said. “Before the meet the parents put together videos wishing the teams luck that were played on the big video screen in the aquatics center, since parents weren’t allowed to come. It was so emotional for all that were there.”

Shortly after, both the men’s and women’s basketball teams returned to competitive action. With them, fans in limited numbers and in social-distancing capacities returned to the Grove City College Arena to cheer on the Wolverines. On Feb. 3, the women’s team came through with a big 67-51 senior night win against Waynesburg in front of their home crowd—the first home competition since the pandemic started.

Normally fall sports, volleyball, cross country, football and men’s and women’s soccer embraced the cold start to their seasons and competed throughout March and April. Fall athletes will be returning to their sports this coming fall, with less of a break than they would usu-

ally receive.

So what could next year look like? The future is uncertain, but plans are in place to play a regular 2021-2022 season. The advantage going into next year’s season is the experience that this school year provided.

“We are planning two different ways,” Gibson said.

“We are planning as if all will be back to normal. And we are planning as if we will still be testing, contact tracing, masking, etc.…Either way, we are looking forward to spending more time on coaching, game planning and recruiting and less time worrying about how to handle Covid regulations.

The NCAA is presently deciding what the fall could look like in regards to getting back to normal.

“I would love to say that next fall will look like the fall of 2019, but early indication is that it won’t,” Gibson said. “I really think next fall will be a combination of getting back to normal, but with still some Covid regulations mixed in. My hope is that by the winter seasons we are pretty much back to the 2019 style of working with teams and athletes.”

Until then, sports continue here at Grove City College. In this anomaly of a sports season, men’s lacrosse, baseball and softball will continue their seasons through May. This weekend, women’s soccer as well as track and field and men’s tennis will look to secure their statuses as PAC champions in conclusion of the busiest sports season in Grove City history.

The women’s soccer team is headed to the PAC Championship match tomorrow. With their 3-0 win over Fransciscan, the team moved to an undefeated 10-0 on the season.

The Wolverines are back-to-back PAC champions, and are looking for their third conference championship win in a row.

Results

Women’s Soccer (10-0): W, Franciscan (3-1)

Men’s Soccer (7-2): L, W&J (2-1) W, W&J (2-1)

Softball (12-18, 7-9 PAC): W, Chatham (2-0) L, Chatham (1-0)

Baseball (20-7, 17-4 PAC): W, Franciscan (12-4) W, Bethany (8-0), (5-2), (11-5), (12-5)

Men’s Tennis (6-2, 6-0 PAC): W, W&J (9-0)

Women’s Tennis (7-3, 6-1 PAC): L, Francsican (5-4)

Men’s Lacrosse (8-1, 5-0 PAC): W, W&J (19-8)

Men’s Golf:

3rd/6 – 634, PAC Championships (Round 2)

Upcoming Men’s Tennis:

April 30 PAC Semifinals vs W&J

Baseball:

April. 30, 1 p.m. vs Chatham (DH) May 1, 2 p.m. vs Chatham (DH)

Women’s Soccer:

April 30, 4 p.m. PAC Championships vs Chatham

Men’s Track and Field:

April 30 - May 1 PAC Championships

Women’s Track and Field: April 30 - May 1 PAC Championships

Men’s Lacrosse:

May 1, 1 p.m. vs Westminster

Softball:

May 1, 1 p.m. vs Bethany (DH)

Athletes receive honors earned All-Presidents’ Athletic Conference honors for their immaculate effort and excellent progress through the season. Bowen earned First Team All-PAC honors for the second consecutive season, while freshman forward Goetz and sophomore guard Vezzosi both earned All-PAC Honorable Mention.

For women’s volleyball, many players exhibited notable accomplishments on the court. Senior Elisabeth Sems earned First Team AllPAC along with freshman Anna DeGraaf. Sophomore Faith Keating and freshman Sarah Webb both earned Second Team All-PAC recognition. Additionally, senior Brooke Sorenson received recognition on the PAC Sportsmanship Team, which acknowledges athletes who demonstrate sportsmanship and ethical behavior across all PAC teams.

Men’s golf brought their

best to the course this season, claiming four PAC honors. Senior Scott Hangliter captured First Team All-PAC and junior Peyton Brogan seized Second Team All-PAC. Junior Tanner McCreadie and sophomore Caleb Husovich both earned Honorable Mention All-PAC. The women’s golf team earned fourth out of eight teams at the 2021 Presidents’ Athletic Conference Championships, led by junior Kaylee Grieb who earned All-PAC Honorable Mention after finishing 14th overall with a two-day score of 200.

The women’s water polo team acquired postseason acknowledgement from the Collegiate Water Polo Association to honor the players who have shown resilience in the pool this season. Junior Elaine Miller received First Team All-CWPA Division III honors alongside Second Team All-CWPA recipient,

sophomore Reese Trauger.

All-Tournament distinction was also given to three Wolverines, with sophomore Michelle Danley earning First Team All-Tournament honors and junior Sophia Melanson and Miller taking Second Team All-Tournament honors.

Eighteen members of the men’s swimming and diving team earned All-Presidents’ Athletic Conference honors in recognition of their respective performances at the conference championships, which were held March 2-5 at the James E. Longnecker Pool. Among the swimmers who helped Grove City capture the conference championship for the third straight year were seniors Jason Alexander, James Hancock, Michael Moosa and Devin Reynolds who earned First Team All-PAC distinction.

Additionally, senior Tony Kraus earned one of the Sec-

ond Team All-PAC honors.

Fifteen women’s swimmers and divers earned placement on the All-Presidents’ Athletic Conference Teams based upon the competitive performances at the conference championships.

Seniors Reilly Diggins and Denali Hutzelmann won First Team All-PAC honors along with Second Team AllPAC senior winner, Alliefair Scalise.

Junior Nathan Warrick of the men’s cross country team earned Honorable Mention All-Presidents’ Athletic Conference recognition by taking 15th at the PAC Championships to close the season with the team placed 6th overall.

For the football team, senior wide receiver Cody Gustafson earned PAC Offensive Most Valuable Player honors, one last win to close his career in crimson.

Sports The Collegian, April 30, 2021

Page 16

Got ‘em looking

Ostrowski pitches perfect game Ayden Gutierrez Staff Writer

Perfection is something that we all strive for. Whether it be perfection in our jobs, perfection in school, being perfect in the Christian walk, etc. Yet, for everyone not named Tate Ostrowski, perfection is a goal that is never achieved.

Ostrowski tossed a complete game gem last Friday; an outing that saw Tate give up no runs, no hits, no walks or no errors. In other words, a Perfect Game. Ostrowski’s perfect game was the first in modern Grove City baseball history, dating back to 1959.

“There was just a lot of disbelief,” Ostrowski said. “I knew that the umpire called strike three, so I knew I did it.

I didn’t really process it until C.J [Saylor] was running out to me and hugged me. When the entire team finally got to me, I just tried to soak it all in as best as I could.”

Ostrowski’s perfect game helped lead Grove City to a four-game sweep of Bethany.

With the series win, the Wolverines have clinched a spot in the President’s Athletic Conference Championship Tournament.

Ostrowski’s perfect game came in the first game of Friday’s double-header at Jack Behringer Field. Matt Lew gave the Wolverines a 1-0 lead in the second inning on a single that scored Tanner Orner. Bubba Hamilton recorded an RBI Double in the bottom of the third to put Grove City up by two runs as C.J. Saylor scored.

A Bobby Abbot single in the fifth inning doubled the score, putting the Wolverines ahead 4-0. Grove City plated four in the bottom of the sixth inning to set the final score at 8-0. Saylor drew a bases-loaded walk that scored Aaron Jenks. Hamilton singled and scored Jess Clary. Another Abbott hit scored Anthony Tambellini, and Saylor scored when Orner singled through the right side of the infield.

Ostrowski retired 21 straight batters thanks to his incredible command throughout the course of the ballgame. Ostrowski record-

Ayden Gutierrez Staff Writer

Junior pitcher Tate Ostrowski threw a perfect game last weekend against Bethany. ed 10 strikeouts on the day.

“I was able to keep them so off-balanced because I had control of my pitches,” Ostrowski said. “I was able to locate my fastball and had some velocity on it. The biggest thing was that I had my curveball too. I was able to throw it for strikes and in the dirt to get guys to chase.

It also helped that C.J and I were on the same page so that we could both stay in a groove.”

Ostrowski improved to 6-1 on the year. He now has struck out 54 batters, a President’s Athletic Conference best.

The second game of the day saw Grove City fall behind 2-0 in the first inning.

However, the Bison only recorded three hits in the game; the two first inning runs would be all that they would score.

Grove City had one run in the bottom of the fifth inning

and four in the bottom of the seventh inning to win 5-2.

Grove City tallied five runs, 10 hits and one error in the game. Bethany totaled two runs, three hits and no errors.

The teams traveled back to Bethany on Saturday for the second double-header in as many days. Grove City took Game One easily to the tune of 19 total hits.

Hamilton, Clary and Saylor led the Wolverines with three hits each. Nick Guidas earned the win on the mound as he gave up one hit, one walk and struck out four batters in four and one third innings of work. Grove City won by a final score of 11-5.

The Wolverines carried their hot bats and momentum into the night cap, as they pounded 17 more hits en route to a 12-5 victory. Grove City tallied seven extra-base hits, as Saylor homered while Abbott, Hamilton, Orner,

MATT SCHOONOVER

Lew, Kaz Hoffman and Caleb Vinoverski all doubled. Noah Sedmak picked up his first win of his collegiate career on the mound as he threw a scoreless inning of relief.

Sedmak gave up two earned runs on one hit, one walk and one hit batter.

Grove City defeated Franciscan on Tuesday afternoon by a final score of 12-4. The Wolverines scored 12 runs on 14 hits and one error.

Orner led the Wolverines with four hits, and Clary and Abbott both homered.

Austin Basham recorded the win on the bump as he went four and two thirds. Basham gave up one earned run on two hits, four walks and two strikeouts.

Grove City (20-7, 17-4 in PAC) now sits at second in the President’s Athletic Conference Standings. The Wolverines will play a four-game series against Chatham this weekend.

WOLVERINE WEEKLY HONORS

Tate Ostrowski PAC Baseball Pitcher of the Week

Columbia Harkrader PAC Women’s Soccer Goalkeeper of the Week

Hunter Hardin PAC Men’s Soccer

Jack Booker PAC Men’s Lacrosse Rookie of the Week

Offensive player of the Week

Women’s soccer advances to finals

Hailey Weinert PAC Women’s Soccer Offensive player of the Week

Michael La Forte PAC Men’s Lacrosse Offensive player of the Week

Jeffrey Biddle PAC Men’s Soccer Goalkeeper of the Week

Griffen Agawa PAC Men’s Lacrosse Rookie of the Week

The Grove City College Lady Wolverines took their undefeated record into the President’s Athletic Conference Tournament SemiFinals against Franciscan University on Wednesday evening at Don Lyle Field.

The 1st-seeded Lady Wolverines came into the game with a 10-0-1 record (11-0 in PAC), while the 4th-seeded Barons triumphed a 4-5-2 record (43-2 in PAC) into the game.

The Lady Wolverines took no time in getting into their groove, as they scored three goals in the first half as they coasted to a 3-0 victory.

Grove City was the aggressive team all night long. The Wolverines held the Barons to zero shots in the first half. Meanwhile, the Lady Wolverines recorded 13 total shots.

Sophomore forward Hailey Weinert got things going when she put the ball in the back of the net at the 20:25 mark. The goal was Weinert’s seventh of the year, adding to her team-leading total.

“It felt amazing,” said Weinert. “Sometimes all you need is the first goal to let the others flood in. It felt unreal.

I remember telling myself just to crash the net and get a foot on the ball. When I saw it in the back of the next, it took a moment for it to sink in, celebrate, then refocus and play. Hopefully, this win will give us the momentum to beat Chatham on Saturday.”

Freshman forward Gianna D’Amato led the team in assists on the night, as she assisted two of the three Grove City goals. Freshman midfielder Megan Mathes scored off of a D’Amato assist at the 29:29 mark and junior defender Tirzah Lloyd scored off of D’Amato’s second assist at the 33:51 mark in the first half. Lloyd’s goal was her sixth of the season.

The second half was a backand-forth affair of a lack of scoring. Grove City only attempted five shots in the second half, while the Barons attempted six. Overall, Grove City outshot Franciscan 186. Grove City had eight shots on goal while Franciscan had four. Each team had four corner kicks on the night.

Senior goalkeeper Columbia Harkrader earned the shutout victory after preventing Franciscan from scoring a single goal. Harkrader recorded four saves for the Lady Wolverines.

Grove City will host Chatham University, the 2nd seed in the tournament. Chatham is coming off a victory over 3rd-seeded Westminster; a game that was decided in a penalty kick shootout.

The Wolverines will look to repeat as PAC Champions.

These teams last met on April 5th at Chatham.

D’Amato scored at 74:08 mark to give the Lady Wolverines a 1-0 victory. These teams also met in the 2019 PAC Championship, with Grove City winning that contest 4-1.