The Collegian - April 22, 2022

They win again!

Sporchesis returns

Ahoy, maties!

SPORTS

COMMUNITY

THROUGH THE LENS

LAX teams keep building win streak

The

@Collegian_GCC @gcc.collegian The Collegian: The GCC Newspaper Friday, April 22, 2022

Dancers show off ‘Life in Color’

Theater brings joy to children

Collegian The Award-Winning Grove City College Student Newspaper

Vol. 107, No. 19

CRT report released

Committee finds mission drift

Ayden Gutierrez News Editor

The committee appointed by Grove City College’s Board of Trustees to investigate possible mission drift within the institution over critical race theory released their findings on Wednesday.

The committee stated that they identified some specific instances of misalignment in several areas and offered remedial actions to resolve is-

sues that were first identified last year in the “Save GCC from CRT” petition.

That petition, which garnered 478 signatures from parents, students, alumni and others, kicked off a months-long debate that’s played out in media reports, anonymous and signed faculty letters, a counter-petition, on social media and across campus.

The investigation was “prompted by persistent re-

ports of actions allegedly indicating creeping ‘wokeness’ at the College, particularly through the introduction of critical race theory,” the report stated. “Those allegations are provocative because they conflict with Grove City College’s well-earned reputation as a conservative, independent, and Christcentered college standing athwart the increasingly progressive higher-education environment.”

The committee’s report said critical race theory is at odds with Grove City College’s mission and values, but noted it was a valid subject for academic examination.

The committee also stated that the Board of Trustees was committed to maintaining academic freedom.

“Consistent with past experience, the Committee respects individual academic freedom while reinforcing GCC’s institutional academic

freedom. We do not recommend imposing a speech code, banning books, or cancelling speakers. This report, while extraordinary, is respectfully intended to provide clarity regarding the College’s mission and values, and to suggest reasonable boundaries.”

According to the report, President Paul J. McNulty ’80 has already taken numerous steps to ensure closer CRT 3

Trueman writes new book Ayden Gutierrez News Editor

are the memories you make with the people who helped you make it.”

He said, “Aaron Phillips, Luke Owen, Elliot Eyre and Malachi Abbott contributed so much of their time and talent to this film, and I cannot wait to enjoy the night with them.”

When asked about his inspiration behind starting the film festival, Professor Bandy said, “Instead of cursing the darkness, I wanted to light candles, I wanted to develop storytellers…I know people

Last month, Dr. Carl Trueman of the Biblical and Religious Studies Department published his new book, “Strange New World: How Thinkers and Activists Redefined Identity and Sparked the Sexual Revolution.”

Trueman credited the Institute for Faith and Freedom (IFF) for assisting him with the publication of the book.

“IFF generously provided me with two research assistants, Joy Zavalick and TRUEMAN the mysterious figure known only as Emma Peel,” Trueman said. “They did excellent work in editing my drafts, suggesting additional material and providing study questions for each chapter.

Crossway, the publisher, has an excellent support team — an editor, publicist, cover artist and numerous others.

All worked tremendously hard to prepare the book for publication.”

Trueman’s book examines the argument that the various rapid changes we see around us — from thinking about sexuality and gender, to the collapse of traditional forms of identity (family, religious affiliation, nation) and the rise of new identities (racial, ethnic, trans, queer, etc.) — are all rooted in major cultural shifts that were gaining ground over the last 300 to 400 years.

“In some ways, it is a pessimistic book, because it paints a rather bleak picture of our modern Western world,” Trueman said. “But I am a cheerful person on the whole and have hope that resistance to and reversal of the tragedy of modern culture is possible — not in my lifetime, I fear, but certainly in the future.”

One issue Trueman addresses is his belief that we are increasingly granting authority to our inner feelings.

LUX MEA 3

TRUEMAN 3

Juniors Sarah Sawyers (above) and Gracie Turnbaugh (below) pose for the annual event’s promotional materials.

LUX MEA FILM FESTIVAL

Lux Mea shines a light on student cinema Nick Grasso Staff Writer

The Lux Mea Film Festival, hosted by Grove City College, will take place at 7 p.m. tomorrow in Crawford Auditorium.

This is the second annual hosting of the festival, and the aim is to achieve the same or greater success as the inaugural extravaganza at the Guthrie Theatre last year.

“Lux Mea,” or “my light,” is the name of the show and the motto of Grove City College. The festival’s official website explains, “Lux Mea is not only the motto of the college, but also points to the purpose of the film festival.

We encourage films to act as a spotlight for truth and explore what it means to be a human being made in the image of God.” As was the case for the 2021 showcase, the festival this spring is headed by Professor Greg Bandy of the Department of Communications. Bandy teaches a special events and promotions course in which the behind the scenes work for the festival takes place.

Junior Gracie Turnbaugh is part of the photography team and is responsible for “creating original visual content and capturing the special moments of the Lux Mea Film Festival,” according to the festival’s site.

Turnbaugh is in Bandy’s special events class and explained, “The class is divided in several groups like photography, video, marketing, program, etc., and each group has worked countless hours on little details to make sure everything goes smoothly on the night of the festival.”

“Professor Bandy is a great leader in that he allows us to our own thing and maintain professionalism but is always there when we need help,” she said.

Bandy and his team’s efforts last year ensured that the festival was a smashing success, and the team this year is looking to leave the same mark, according to junior Grace Eldridge, who is also the squad’s Digital Marketing Manager.

“I’m super excited to help bring this event back to campus. It was so cool to see the supportive response Lux

Mea got last year and we’re hoping to see that again this year,” she said.

There are 16 films slated to debut on Saturday night, all written, directed and acted out by students. The festival is an excellent way for aspiring filmmakers and prospective actors to obtain experience in a unique way.

Sophomore Caleb Vinoverski submitted a film, called “The Things Above,” and said, “There is something truly beautiful about seeing something you wrote and directed up on a screen, but what is even more beautiful

Editorial

Page 2

The award-winning Grove City College student newspaper, April 22, 2022

From the Tower

CRT at GCC no more?

In light of the recent developments regarding a certain hot-button issue, I think it’d be worthwhile to address the ongoing concerns of critical race theory supposedly invading this conservative Christian campus.

Ever since the organization of the first anti-CRT petition in November 2021, talk of the controversial ideology has sparked debate between the college’s community and conservative/religious media outlets as to whether CRT has taken root here on campus.

Numerous articles, widespread media exposure and subsequent petitions have caused panic among conservatively religious circles that the college, after 145 years of offering a high-quality Christian liberal arts education, is finally going ‘woke’. But is it really?

The recently released findings from the ad-hoc committee, formed to investigate CRT allegations on campus, concluded that the college is not drifting towards woke-ism.

The report, however, did address six major areas of concern among parents, alumni and students. (For the full story, flip to pages 1 and 3.)

After reading the 23-page report, I was pleased with the committee’s response and its detailing of how those in college leadership will take remedial action to prevent further CRT occurrences. Outlining the reasons for why CRT has no place on campus should ease the minds of concerned Grovers and those outside the immediate community.

I was not, in the least bit, surprised when the report said Grove City College still holds true to its conservative founding and has not strayed away from its religious convictions.

Sure, there were instances with “ideologically one-sided” material in a studies course, racially themed chapel services, and divisive RA training from Residence Life, in which CRT concepts were espoused by individuals. But I don’t think these are valid reasons to suggest that the whole college is becoming woke overnight.

I appreciate concern for the well-being of the college from parents and alumni (maybe not so much from critics who never stepped foot on campus), but the alarm over this issue was exaggerated to create catchy headlines.

Could this months-long controversy have been avoided if McNulty and the administration directly formed a committee to investigate the alleged CRT claims? Possibly. But that’s not what happened, at least not immediately. There is no point in wishing something turned out differently than what already happened; all we can do is move forward.

I commend McNulty, the Board of Trustees and those on the committee for handling the ongoing situation the best they could. Responding to these concerns could not have been an easy task on anyone’s part.

No institution or individual is perfect, but Grove City College out of all higher-ed institutions in America is one of the most likely to resist leftist ideologies and uphold conservative values.

CRT will never make a lasting impression at Grove City College. Let’s stop thinking it will.

David Zimmermann

Editor-in-Chief

Collegian Staff Editor-in-Chief

Business Manager

Managing Editor

Copy Editors

David Zimmermann Caleb West

Section Editors News Ayden Gutierrez

Community & Entertainment Noel Elvin

Kathryn Miller

Claire Josey Eve Lee Andrew Marston Lauren Ness Ashley Ostrowski David Smith Syd Travis

Staff Writers

Emily Rupczewski

Nick Grasso Emma Rossi Connor Schlosser Sarah Soltis Isaac Willour Emma Whiteford

Photo Chief

Staff Photographers

Perspectives Clark Mummau

Sports

Grace David

Design Chief Chris Murphy

Copy Chief

Joanna Thorpe

Mia Campagna Lydia Gilanshah Eve Lee Matthew Schoonover Caleb Warrick

Staff Adviser

Nick Hildebrand

The Collegian is the student newspaper of Grove City College, located in Grove City, Pa. Opinions appearing on these pages, unless expressly stated otherwise, represent the views of individual writers. They are not the collective views of The Collegian, its staff or Grove City College.

Green Eyeshade Award the

This week’s Green Eyeshade Award goes to staff photographer Mia Campagna, who photographed excellent coverage of Michael Knowles and Children’s Theatre.

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

CAMPAGNA

Building community

GCC

Noel Elvin

Community & Entertainment Editor Community is one of the most crucial aspects of a successful collegiate career.

While academics and p e r s o n a l growth are both important, it is much more difficult for us to grow academically and personally without a solid community. We were innately created to commune with one another.

Grove City College provides great opportunity to build communities of rich friendships. Being on a campus surrounded by many students pursuing the same faith is extremely influential. But unfortunately, the college is persistently intertwined with Greek life.

While Greek life is sometimes a great option for certain students to partake in, I find it sad how strongly it is pushed on freshmen. Freshmen arrive to college unsure of what the next four years will look like. They feel out of place and simply want to make friends and build community.

Many Greek groups take advantage of this, playing on the fact that freshmen don’t yet feel at home. So, these Greek groups promise them a community. But paying your dues and being initiated

into a group doesn’t promise friendship or community. It just promises letters. Or, I suppose, popularity.

I’ve witnessed far too many people rush freshman year simply to have more friends. But why do you need to pay dues and experience mental and emotional stress to be a part of their friend group? Further, why are these groups claiming to be Christian establishments, when they deny people into their friend group? I suppose I expected more out of a Christian institution.

There is nothing inherently wrong with Greek life.

As a matter of fact, I have few moral qualms with national Greek groups, because they aren’t affiliated with Christianity. They don’t claim to be Christians or to hold specific morals.

But, at this college, Greek groups proudly proclaim that they are sisters or brothers in Christ who pursue, meet and exceed in “spiritual and moral development.” Yet, people are voted into the group based on popularity, whether they fit the mold. It’s not about your spiritual strength or leadership abilities.

While other groups also vote members in, these groups are voting on qualifications, and rightfully so.

For example, we don’t want just anyone to be on worship teams, athletic teams and Student Government. These people are expected to have

certain qualifications.

But Greek groups don’t have qualifications. You don’t need skills of any sort to be in a Greek group. It’s an exclusive friend group, and it’s all based on popularity. It’s an interview process that ends with a simple – “Sorry, you can’t be in our friend group.”

No valid reason. They just didn’t pick you.

Christ doesn’t pick and choose. He doesn’t say no to the unpopular. He accepts all. Christ calls us to community and to love everyone.

Being part of an exclusive friend group is not the same as an exclusive club that has legitimate qualifications.

I was blessed as a freshman to build a strong group of friends and community my first semester – twice over, I am even more blessed to call these same people my friends today.

But it saddens me to see so many freshmen each year be convinced that they need Greek life to have a community. Because they don’t. This campus is overflowing with students who want to build genuine friendships outside of Greek life.

Being a student at Grove City College has already blessed you with so many opportunities to flourish in community. Take advantage of it.

Don’t join a clique – build community.

This week in history...

Internet, awards, charity

April 24, 1998 Cyber Patrol cracks down on Grovers Many GCC students didn’t quite understand that restrictions could be placed on their internet access. Cyber Patrol was active during the spring semester of 1998, as many Grove City College students were unaware of the depths of Cyber Patrol. At the time, the software cracked down on any websites that contained pornographic content, along with any sites that contained violence and profanity.

April 23, 2010 Student director earns national recognition On this week in history, Senior LeeAnn Yeckley was recognized at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival.

Yeckley received the rare opportunity to display her skills in stage management at the national level in Washington, D.C. Despite there being no prize to win, Yeckley saw the festival as an invaluable opportunity for personal growth and enrichment. “It was more of a celebration of theater,” she said, “and one giant networking opportunity.”

According to its website, the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival is “a national theater program involving 18,000 students from colleges and universities na-

tionwide.” The Festival seeks to improve the quality of theatrical productions across the nation by recognizing the finest and most diverse work, whether in acting or technical areas, at university and college theater programs. Yeckley was the winner of the stage management competition for the College’s region, which includes academic institutions from Maryland, Delaware, District of Columbia, New Jersey, southwestern New York, northern Virginia, West Virginia and Pennsylvania.

April 18, 2008 College runs against cancer Grove City College students stepped up their crusade against cancer. During this week in history, many teams took to the track for Relay for Life on Friday, April 25, 2008 through Saturday morning in the Intramural Room. The opening ceremony started at 7 p.m. with the Survivorís Lap. All team members would join them for the second lap and continue walking throughout the night, with individual team members taking shifts. Between 8 and 8:30 p.m. there was a Fight Back Ceremony focused on cancer advocacy, followed by luminaries at 10:30.

Ayden Gutierrez

News Editor

News The Collegian,

Noel Elvin

April 22, 2022

Page 3

‘Free speech is not free’

Community & Entertainment Editor Conservative political commentator and author Michael Knowles, invited by the Institute for Faith & Freedom (IFF), spoke at the college Thursday, April 7, in Crawford Auditorium.

Host of his own show at The Daily Wire, Knowles came to campus to speak to students, faculty, alumni and community members about the freedom of speech.

He used “the slap heard round the world” to set up the premise of his argument on the freedom of speech.

For example, the right to make jokes about public figures.

The “slap” example moved into his overarching point: “Free speech is not free.”

In some instances, this means sacrificing an A in class or a promotion at work.

In others, it means sacrificing your right to speak about sex in elementary classrooms or have pornographic materials in said classrooms.

“Conservatives are on the right side of the free speech debate, but I sometimes think we speak a little too flippantly about speech,” Knowles said. “We downplay the power of speech.”

He offered two sides of the

CRT continued from 1 alignment with the College’s vision, mission and values, and, after reviewing the committee’s findings, will take additional actions.

GCC will replace the EDUC 290 course with “an elective, interdisciplinary course, designed for all students, and residing in an appropriate department as determined by the administration, that considers this controversial issue in light of the College’s vision, mission, and values.”

“The 2021 design and content of EDUC 290 was ideologically one-sided and effectively promoted popCRT,” said the authors of the report. “For example, assigned readings included Between the World and Me,

by Ta-Nehisi Coates, White Fragility, by Robin DiAngelo, How to Be an Antiracist, by Ibram X. Kendi, and similar books—but none from a critical or opposing perspective.

At the direction of the President, Provost, and Dean of the Calderwood School, the course content was modified by the addition of new readings in 2022, but it still suffers from the same fundamental flaws.”

The college will subject Resident Assistant (RA) training materials to be reviewed and approved by the

TRUEMAN continued from 1 “We have come to see ourselves as shaped by sexual desire. We have developed technologies that have both weakened traditional institutions, authorized new ones and are constantly expanding our imaginations concerning our control of the material world and our place in it,” Trueman said. “None of us are exempt from the way all these things shape our intuitions – the ways we think and act.”

He added, “We are not to spend our lives wishing we

same coin: 1) Conservatives recognize the importance of defending their right to voice their beliefs and 2) Conservatives are shocked to realize that right “carries costs.”

He argued that freedom of speech is not the ability to say whatever one wants. Referencing Florida’s Parental Rights in Education bill, popularly known as the “Don’t Say Gay” law, he argued this bill is indeed a restriction on speech – and a good one at that.

This law essentially restricts teachers from discussing sex within classrooms from preschool until third grade, Knowles said.

“Do you think that the Founding Fathers would have defended sex lessons for five-year-olds as some sacred right protected by the First Amendment?” Knowles questioned.

“I don’t think so,” he said.

“I suspect the Founding Fathers would not have given any speeches on the topic at all, because they would have been too busy gathering tar and feathers to run these people out of town and out of the country.”

Knowles spoke on how conservatives have begun defending free speech incorrectly, referencing when conservative columnist David French defended “Drag

Queen Story Hour as one of the blessings of liberty.”

“This writer insisted that our politics must remain perfectly neutral,” Knowles said.

“If we ban Drag Queen Story Hour, he suggested they might ban us from going to church on Sunday.”

The audience chuckled when Knowles added, “I think we have been doing exactly that for the past two years,” referring to the COVID-19 national lockdown.

Knowles related his premise directly to college students, arguing that college students need to be willing to stand up for what they

believe in while in college.

“Cowards do not suddenly become courageous at the age of 22.”

“If you are not ready and willing to risk a B plus instead of an A in Sociology 101, you are not going to risk your job when you’ve got a mortgage to pay and a family to feed and kids to put through school,” Knowles said. “College is the easiest you’re ever going to have it.

If you are not willing to risk invitations to some campus parties to say what you believe, you’re never going to risk anything.”

Dr. Paul Kengor, political

science professor and chief academic scholar of IFF, said that students, faculty and staff had “clamored” to bring Knowles, a Yale graduate, to campus.

Dr. Jay Cost, an IFF visiting fellow, who spoke at “The Limits of Government” conference this weekend, said, “He’s got things to say that aren’t typically said on college campuses.”

Cost said that it was “very electrifying” to have a big name, like Knowles, on campus, as he would certainly be welcomed by the Grove City College community.

Vice President for Student Life & Learning. The Board rejects “CRT and similar ‘critical’ schools of thought as antithetical to GCC’s mission and values. The report stated that such materials shall not promote a CRT-oriented approach to resident life.”

During the RA orientation in the fall of 2021, The Director of Multicultural and Educational Initiatives (DMEI) gave a one-hour presentation offering suggestions for how to understand and support minority students.

“The DMEI’s supervisors did not preview or preapprove the content of his presentation because they trusted the DMEI’s judgment in these matters. They were aware of the DMEI’s work on racial issues and viewed his activities as an attempt to carry on a “conversation” about a challenging subject of interest to some students,” the report reads. “They did not understand that he was parroting CRT concepts.

These supervisors uniformly say that they would not have approved that. Immediately after the DMEI’s presentation, his supervisors recognized that the TED Talk video was problematic. They say that in hindsight it should not have been used in the RA training.”

The committee also determined that Colonial Hall

RD’s “discussions and handouts promoted CRT-related ideas about race and racism. The Resident Director of Colonial Hall’s (RDCH) supervisors were vaguely aware of the RDCH’s racefocused activities during the Spring 2021 semester. But as with the DMEI’s controversial actions, they viewed the RDCH’s actions as a wellintended but ill-considered attempt to initiate a conversation about a challenging subject that college students should consider before entering the workplace. They did not preview or pre-approve the content of the RDCH’s presentations and materials.”

The report also disclosed that the Advisory Council on Diversity is no more. According to the report, the council’s sole purpose was “to advise the president on matters relating to recruiting and retaining minority students.”

The committee claimed that much of this work should fall under the leadership of the Vice President of Student Recruitment. The report notes that the Advisory Council last met in April 2021. In this meeting, President McNulty “informed the Committee that the Advisory Council has served its limited purpose and is defunct.”

The college’s Office of Multicultural Education and

Initiatives (OMEI) will be reconstituted and renamed to better fit its studentassistance mission, and to prevent veering into co-curricular activity. The report states that OMEI was created in response to this objective in GCC’s 2011-2016 Strategic Plan: “Incorporate and sustain college-wide diversity initiatives that exemplify the mission of the College.”

“This change would clarify that the student-assistance function must not stray into co-curricular activity, which is susceptible to mission misalignment and better pursued in the traditional academic setting,” the report reads.

The board decided that Chapel speakers will be closely reviewed by President McNulty. The report read that exercise increased scrutiny when determining whether a guest speaker should speak in chapel or elsewhere on campus, keeping in mind that “chapel speakers appear to receive the College’s imprimatur.”

“On a few occasions, the challenging ‘conversation’ about race that some wanted to pursue moved into GCC’s chapel program,” wrote the committee. “When asked about his vision for chapel speakers who talk about racial reconciliation, the Chaplain said that reconcili-

ation is an important biblical theme and generally defended the selection of speakers.

The handful of controversial chapel services, while concerning, should not be overstated.”

Regarding personnel issues, the report stated that the “Committee and President McNulty agree that it is critically important for College faculty, staff, and administrators to embrace GCC’s vision, mission, and values. To the extent they demonstrate misalignment, the president will take appropriate actions.”

The committee also recommended that the Board restore the College’s selfdescription as a “conservative” institution in the vision statement and 2022-2026 Strategic Plan.

“By deleting the word “conservative” from the vision statement, the Board did not intend to redirect, let alone betray, the College’s historic identity. Rather, proponents of the change expressed concern about the allegedly shifting meaning of “conservative” in contemporary American political discourse.

We find, however, that although well-intentioned, this Board action has sown confusion and invited misunderstanding.”

had been born at some other point in history.”

Trueman believes that we are called to address the problems and struggles of our own day. As a result, he hopes “this little book does that and will play some small part in making sure that future generations have ideas upon which they can build better.”

In 2020, he published a more thorough book on modern Western culture, “The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self.” Trueman mentioned that this text was an attempt to locate current

debates about sexuality and transgenderism in a much broader historical and philosophical context.

“That volume was something of an unexpected hit, selling more copies than I had anticipated. At over 400 pages, it was rather long. So Ryan Anderson, my friend and colleague at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, suggested I produce a shorter version that D.C. staffers could read in order to understand the gist of my basic argument,” Trueman said.

“At the same time, numerous pastors asked Crossway

if the material of the larger book could be presented in a form useful for Sunday schools. That was what motivated me.”

According to Trueman, it took him four months from signing the contract to submitting the first manuscript of “Strange New World.”

There was then a 10-month waiting period until the publication of the book.

“Strange New World” is available for purchase on Amazon, Crossway and The Gospel Coalition, among other sites.

LUX MEA

MIA CAMPAGNA

Michael Knowles of The Daily Wire spoke in Crawford Auditorium for an hour, leaving time for a Q+A with the audience at the end.

continued from 1 here have stories to tell.”

He continued with high hopes for the showcase this year.

“I think we have seen a big jump in one year with the quality of student films; we’re definitely happy to have more narratives. The classes and teachers here have done well to create storytellers,” he said.

You can visit the official website of the film festival to learn more and purchase tickets at luxmeafilmfestival. com.

Community The Collegian,

April 22, 2022

Page 4

Upcoming Events...

What’s fresh at the Grove?

Food Truck Friday Grannie’s Kitchen 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Friday, April 22 STEM Patio

Pie the Pi’s

11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Friday, April 2 HAL Courtyard

Orchestra Concert 7:30 p.m.

Friday, April 22 Ketler Auditorium

Club Rugby Tournament

CALEB WEST

Students dance to “One Call Away” at last semester’s “Timeless” Orchesis production.

Orchesis expresses joy through color

7 a.m. – 10 p.m.

Saturday, April 23 IM Fields

Ducky Derby

10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Saturday, April 23 Wolf Creek

Bounce House Afternoon 12 - 3 p.m.

Saturday, April 23 Hopeman Lawn

Students dance to varying tones

Lux Mea Film Festival

7 p.m.

Saturday, April 23 Crawford Auditorium

AEX Live

7 - 11 p.m.

Saturday, April 23 Student Union

Spring Choral Concert 3 p.m.

Sunday, April 24 Harbison Chapel

Is Jesus Jacked?

7:30 p.m.

Monday, April 25 TLC Auditorium

Recognition Convocation

7 p.m.

Wednesday, April 27 Harbison Chapel

Orchesis: Life in Color 8 p.m.

Thursday, April 28 Grove City College Arena

Sarah Soltis Staff Writer

Orchesis promises to put on a polychromatic spring production on April 28, 29 and 30 in the Arena.

The theme of the spring production this year is “Life in Color.” Sophomore Gianna Mamone, who is junior head of Orchesis, explained the theme of color: “Each dance represents a color and kind of like the motion that goes on behind the color.”

Mamone works as junior head alongside senior head Zoe Goncz.

“Each of our dances symbolize the beauty of color and how different colors can relate to different feelings or moments in life,” Goncz said.

“A lot of the pieces are very personal to the choreographers that made them and so I am hoping that shows on stage.”

Through the show’s progression, the dances of the production reveal not only

the beauty and motion of color but also its variety.

“For instance, for our opener, the color is white and black, and it’s about the light in the darkness,” Mamone said. “Then we start with more of the duller colors and then it goes into the bright and then fades back down. We didn’t want it to be all the dark colors at once or all the sad dances, so we kind of have it all mixed throughout.”

According to Mamone, every color, including multiple shades, is represented. The show consists of 21 dances.

Mamone explained that last year COVID-19 caused Orchesis to simplify their spring production to less than 15 dances.

“Normally, it’s a giant production, and we’re finally getting it back to how it was before COVID, which is great,” Mamone said. “We have like 59 people in our cast, which is a major jump from the 20some (dancers) we had last

spring.”

Mamone also shared that around 20 choreographers contributed to the spring show.

As Mamone said, the show will feature a wide variety of levels and types of dances, including levels of dances from beginner to advanced and forms including jazz, ballet, lyrical, contemporary and musical theater. The show features four partner dances, including a swing dance and a waltz, as well as two guy-only dances, two forms of dance that several people requested more of after Orchesis’ production in the fall.

With such variety in the production and such work on the part of dancers and choreographers, both Goncz and Mamone expressed a desire to connect to the audience through the dance.

“I hope that at least one or more of the pieces in this show will resonate with our audience members in some way,” Goncz expressed.

“It’s great to bring joy to others through it,” Mamone said.

Mamone especially looks forward to the opening dance, which she called “very symbolic.” According to Mamone, the opener reflects John 1:1-5: “(It is) about the darkness and about how the light will always overcome the darkness.”

Currently, Goncz and Mamone are putting their final touches on the design of the show. Since the beginning of the semester, the pair have progressed from focusing strictly on dances to finetuning design and costumes and finally to organizing and promoting the show.

“The best part is definitely getting to see how each dance comes together and to see how much hard work our dancers are putting in,” Goncz said. “There is a lot that goes into this show but being able to finally perform it is definitely worth all of the stress and struggles.”

Am I a simp or a good boyfriend?

My guy friends half-jokingly accuse me of “simping” every time I make time to hang out with my girl, especially at the cost of hanging out with the boys. What’s the move? Tragically, Grover Boy

Dear Dr. Love Dear Grover Boy, “The problem is not that this man is a nice guy; it’s that he’s allowed his niceness to travel down the slippery slope into weinerdom.”

(from “The Art Of Manliness: Classic Skills And Manners For The Modern Man” by Brett McKay) The “nice guy” issue of not having the confidence to stand up for yourself or say no has devolved into the modern-day term “simping” or being a simp. While the definition of “simping” varies, the essence of it is the idea of a guy being “extra” for his girlfriend, whether that means spending money, spending too much time or just doing nice things for her.

Whether it’s simply being infatuated with a woman that a guy isn’t even dating or going all-out for the one he is dating, there is a toxic assumption of sexual undertones. I don’t tend to use the term “toxic” very much – it

just feels too dramatic – but this relatively new concept is truly toxic. I’m talking acetone levels of toxicity (that crap used to get nail polishoff), so this is for real, my Grover.

When a relationship becomes transactional, it becomes shallow, selfish and tiring. In Christ’s self-sacrificial example of love, we see the model of caring for someone in our life (romantic, platonic, familial) as the laying down of one’s desires, need and even life for the other.

The selfless, patient and humble love is one that holds no expectations of favors being returned. Especially in the destructive expectations of sexual favors in a relationship, an unhealthy understanding of trust and

identity is developed as tally-keeping shapes the role of the man and woman.

It is not only appropriate for someone to lay down some of their time for their partner, but it also encourages growth in becoming less selfish and showing your significant other that you truly care.

If you want to have a conversation with the person you’re hanging out with to get to the core of the issue, I’d encourage you to go for it. If you’re afraid you’re getting walked over, ask some trusted friends or family members if they perceive your relationship to be toxic or to have any red flags and reflect on those conversations. It is good to be devoted and selfless, yet it is not necessary to embrace a de-

structive and selfish person as your other half.

Even to show your gaggle of guy friends that you’re serious about your lady can say something positive about your commitment; it’s a good thing to care about her in an age where living for ourselves before anyone else has become an inalienable right.

Insecurity about your masculinity as a man that pushes you to love anyone in your life less is soul-sucking and detrimental, so cut your losses and buckle down.

Anonymously,

Dr. Love Love M.D.

The Collegian,

April 22, 2022

Page 5

Management professor to retire at end of semester Ayden Gutierrez News Editor

Dr. Kenneth Carson has announced that he will be retiring from the college at the conclusion of the spring semester.

Carson has been on the faculty of Grove City College for eight years.

Carson has been a professor of management at the college, working in the management and marketing department. Prior to Grove City, Carson served on the faculties of Cal Poly, Pomona; Arizona State University; the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga; and Geneva College.

Carson has taught a number of courses at the college, including Principles of Management, Organizational Behavior, Business Statistics, Advanced Human Resource Management, and Leadership.

Carson has also published research on performance appraisal, job analysis, leadership, decision-making and statistical issues, and is the

co-author of a human resource management textbook.

Carson earned a B.S. in Business Administration from Geneva College, an M.A. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from the University of Akron and a Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from the University of Akron.

“In addition to my teaching and research experience, I served as chief academic officer at Geneva College for a decade,” Carson said. This leadership experience greatly enriched my classroom teaching as I bring real-life

managerial issues to my classes. I have consulted with a number of organizations on human resource and managerial issues. My clients have included the city of Chattanooga, McKee Baking, TRW, Brown Stove Works, Tucson Power and Electric and Ruby Tuesday. And I have been an expert witness in two cases involving employment litigation.”

Many students on campus have enjoyed having Carson as a professor. Robert Tamburrino, a sophomore finance major who took Carson’s management course, appreciated Carson’s interest in his students.

“I enjoyed that Dr. Carson was always interested in what was happening on campus,” Tamburrino said.

“He’d ask the athletes how their seasons were going and when their next games were.”

Noah Yeck, a junior finance major who also took Carson’s management course, respected that Carson was interested in his students’ personal lives.

“I enjoyed how he really

tried to get to know his students and cared about what went on with our lives. As a football player, he was constantly asking how the team was doing, and we often discussed our most recent game.”

Carson gave advice to his students on how they can best succeed in life on the college website.

“Get the most you can out of college,” Carson said. “This means taking each of your courses seriously – including the general education courses such as humanities and writing. Be sure to connect with your faculty adviser and other faculty. When you need advice on course selection, your choice of major, or anything, ask multiple people (faculty, career services staff, parents, fellow students, etc.). Seriously consider studying off-campus for a two-week travel course or for an entire semester. Get an internship in the summer (or two, or three!). And, most importantly, love Jesus and seek to serve Him and the world in all you do.”

Gala at Gatsby’s brought crowds SGA hosted “Gala at Gatsby’s” on April 1, packing the student union. Students attended the ’20s-themed dance in black-tie attire. The event included mocktails, traditional casino games and dancing. This was the first Gala since 2019 when SGA hosted “The Greatest Gala.”

continued from 11 set of innings. Grove City’s 12 runs were acquired off 13 hits. The first of these runs came at the bottom of the first, after a fielder’s choice allowed freshman center fielder Nico Rodriguez to send sophomore designated hitter Markus Williams home.

After a scoreless second inning, Grove City added an additional two tallies to the scoreboard thanks to Hamilton’s double, which sent senior left fielder Jesse Clary across home plate. Hamilton himself followed closely, scoring after junior right fielder Anthony Tambellini singled up the middle.

Dr. Brian Yowler

Associate Professor of Biology What do you listen to on the ride home?

I have an hour-long commute, so I usually listen to podcasts on a variety of topics (This Week in Virology, Lost Ballparks (baseball), Dale Jr. Download (NASCAR), Unbelievable (theology), etc. However, if I just want to “chill,” country music is my go-to.

What are you currently reading?

“Gentle and Lowly” by Ortlund. It was recommended to me by several friends of mine, including a few pastors. I have a tendency to get a bit too “academic” in my faith, as I explore various theological topics.

Therefore, I’m hoping this book is a good reminder to me of the deep relationship I have with Jesus.

Students dance in the Student Union at Gala at Gatsby’s.

Student actors from children’s theatre entertain children at a pirate-themed breakfast.

BASEBALL

Seven questions with…

The Wolverines extended their 3-1 lead to 9-1 after a six-run fourth inning. Grove City benefitted from several errors on Thiel’s part, beginning with junior catcher C.J. Saylor and Williams scoring in a sequence due to a throwing error by the Tomcat’s third baseman. Rodriguez tripled, sending Kilbane home and putting another on the board for the Wolverines.

Two more Thiel errors sent two more Wolverines home, first Clary and then Hamilton, thus closing the electric inning.

Grove City had an additional three runs after Williams scored at the bottom of the fifth. A double from Rodriguez sent Kilbane and Saylor home, making the final count 12-2. Senior pitch-

MIA CAMPAGNA

er Tate Ostrowski earned his fifth win of the season, pitching all seven innings for the Wolverines.

In the second game of the doubleheader, Grove City won 13-11. The Wolverines were behind 5-2 when the offense stepped up to bat in the third, but a single from Rodriguez and clutch homerun from Hamilton brought the score to 6-5, with Grove City taking the lead.

What followed was a hard-fought battle until the Wolverines pulled ahead after Vittone and sophomore shortstop Lucca Baccari each took a turn stealing second base in the bottom of the fifth. Their sneaky maneuvers boosted the offense’s confidence, leading to a three-run sixth inning and a

MATTHEW SCHOONOVER

Students host pirate themed children’s breakfast The Theatre Program of the college put on a children’s play, “How I Became a Pirate,” for the Grove City community from April 7-9.

In addition to the production, student actors donned their pirate attire and hosted a pirate themed breakfast for the children of alumni. The breakfast occurred in Hicks Café, where “pirates” walked around talking with the children who wore their own pirate costumes as well. two-run seventh inning. Despite Thiel’s efforts, Grove City took the second game as well, giving them victory across Saturday’s boards.

Sophomore pitcher Nick Guidas, Kilbane and junior pitcher Elijah White all took the mound for Grove City.

Guidas’s five innings earned him his fourth win of the season, with White getting his season’s first safety after closing the door in the eighth and ninth innings.

The Wolverines continue conference action with a game against Bethany today at 4 p.m. and will travel to Bethany College for an away double-header starting at 1 p.m. tomorrow in Bethany, W. Va.

What’s something you’ve been pondering lately?

As I’ve been running in the cold rain and snow over the past few weeks, I consistently ponder why I still live in Western PA. Favorite restaurant?

My wife loves the Ho Ho Cake at Rachel’s Roadhouse, so we go there often.

Name a movie that makes you emotional.

“Field of Dreams.” The film ends with the two of them “having a catch” on a baseball field. I’ve watched the film dozens of times, and I cry EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. A few years ago, I took my family on a trip to Iowa so that my son and I could “have a catch” on that very same field that was used for the movie. It was a huge checkmark on the bucket-list!

What are you looking forward to today?

I’m looking forward to a long run (it’s Saturday).

Favorite class you’re teaching right now?

Tough question, but I love teaching SCIC 202 (a.k.a.

Baby Bio). It’s fun trying to get non-science majors interested in biology-related topics.

Through the Lens

Through the lens,

Feb. 22, 2019

Page 6

The Collegian, April 22, 2022

Children’s Theatre at Sea The college’s Theatre Program performs

Grace David

‘How I Became a Pirate’

Mia Campagna

Grace David

Grace David

Mia Campagna

Grace David

Mia Campagna

The Collegian,

April 22, 2022

Page 7

Grace David Photo Chief

Grove City College’s Theatre Program recently put on the production of the show “How I Became a Pirate.” The musical is adapted from the popular children’s book of the same name written

by Melinda Long and illustrated by David Shannon.

Young Jamie Jacob, performed by freshman Sydney Finch, encounters an excitable crew of pirates, each with different quirks and talents. This band of characters is lead by Captain Braid Beard, played by freshman Bryce Rennick.

Jamie Jacob joyfully experiences the ins and outs of being a pirate for a day on a trip full of quests and adventures with the task of making it home in time for soccer practice.

The show was directed by senior Kaylee Shafer and stage managed by freshman Emma Grace Will. Talent was evident as Grove City students put their hearts and souls into producing a very colorful and entertaining performance for both children, families, and students alike.

It is apparent that the actors and producers all have God-given gifts of creativity and performance, as they did an excellent job at capturing the story and character of “How I Became a Pirate.”

Mia Campagna

Grace David

Grace David

Perspectives The Collegian, April 22, 2022

Page 8

Word on the street...

How did you celebrate Easter?

Becca Webb I went to First Presbyterian Church of Mount Joy for Easter Sunday service, and then I had Mexican food with my family. We didn’t go outside because it was cold.

Mathilde Steeneporte I didn’t do anything too formal. I went to Grace Anglican with some friends for the morning service, which was very celebratory and probably one of the best Easter services I’ve been to. For Easter dinner, some of my friends and I decided to do a homemade crockpot dinner, except we forgot half of the ingredients and didn’t realize that it would take four hours to cook, so we ate it at midnight. It was really fun and one of the best Easters I’ve ever had.

Dr. Steve Jenkins I went and visited my family. I celebrated Easter with my grandsons, daughter and son-in-law.

We had a special meal and went to a special service.

Emma Plank My church has a service every night of Holy Week.

We went each night and were reminded of what happened that day. It was like walking in Jesus’ shoes. For Easter, I went to my grandparents and ate a lot of food after church.

Cade Elder I went to Grace Anglican and then went to the Messer’s for lunch. There were ham, friends, and coffee; it was good.

Alayna Lowe I attended Grace Anglican’s Holy Saturday Vigil (which is three hours). On Easter after the church service, we had a big family gathering: lots of people and lots of food.

Ditch the basket

GETTY IMAGES

Get back to the core of Easter

Emma Fisher

Contributing Writer Like so many other holidays, Easter has been subjected to over-commercialization.

Its only meaning for businesses is the opportunity to bring in revenue.

Companies overturn a hefty profit all in the name of a cotton-tailed bunny who delivers eggs filled with treats, just as Christmas promises the consumption of gifts, candy and whatever else comes with the idea of a jolly man in a red suit.

The reason we celebrate these holidays is often lost in all the materialistic things we’ve come to associate them with. While those things can be good, I believe it is extremely important not to lose sight of what we’re really celebrating.

I’ve grown up celebrating

Easter with an Easter basket filled with my favorite candy hidden in random locations around my house. This was typically followed by a good meal of BBQ or hamburgers before there was a mad dash outside to find the plastic eggs filled with even more candy.

It’s a day filled with good food, lots of chocolate and fun times with friends and family.

These things are good, and I enjoy them thoroughly.

However, I’ve left out the most important of our Easter traditions, and that is the celebration of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who conquered death to rescue us and offer eternal life with Him. Each year, I wake up at 6:15 a.m. to get ready to attend my church’s sunrise service with my dad. We’re greeted by fellow Christians who are genuinely happy to be at church at 7 a.m., because we’re there to serve a risen Savior who conquered death, even death on a cross. We sing of His sacri-

fice and hear of the brutality He subjected Himself to for our sake.

I cry at the thought of my Jesus on a wooden cross but rejoice in the power of His resurrection.

My mom and my sister join us for a special Sunday school that is typically filled with music and singing all in the name of our Lord dying and being raised from the grave to save us from our sins. This is followed by an equally convicting message of the hope Jesus brings through His ultimate sacrifice and the miracle of His resurrection.

So yes, my family does indulge in society’s commercialization of this sacred holiday. However, we are intentional about keeping Jesus at the center, not just on Easter but every day. We should never stop praising Christ for what He did for us.

Some people would view our indulgence as sinful and selfish, but I don’t think this is true. It becomes selfish when the focus turns from

Jesus and onto the gratification that we get from receiving our favorite treats and throwing large parties to one-up the last family to host Easter the previous year.

Our culture has gotten so wrapped up in the concept of “me” that it has lost sight of why we really celebrate holidays like Easter and Christmas. This is the part that we must change.

People need to realize that it’s about more than just candy, food and good times. It’s about Christ and the price He paid for each and every one of us.

If the solution to this problem is getting rid of all the extra stuff that makes Easter a chocolate lover’s dream, then I say we take it all away so we can refocus on Whom Jesus is and why we celebrate Him. This world is in desperate need of Christ.

Secularization of sacred holidays like Easter takes the attention away from what we, as a society, should focus on during the year: Jesus.

The discrepancy between male and female students in counseling services reflects the gender differences in mental health awareness. In many contexts, women are allowed to be depressed, anxious and emotionally open, while our society expects men to be tough and treats men very dismissively when they struggle. This is also true across cultures.

Dishearteningly, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, two-thirds of suicide deaths worldwide are male. Considering the societal pressure for men to hide their mental struggles, this statistic is unsurprising.

The intense academic stress at college only exacerbates the problem. Our school is highly focused on academics with high standards for performance.

One male student noted that the culture at the college is very “Type A” and that it’s hard to bounce back from poor grades. The “Grover Achiever” stereotype, while commendable for many reasons, has a dark side.

Another male student said that students prioritize grades over other aspects of life. This can mean forsaking friendships due to the pressure to complete work and do it well. In this way, the “Grover Achiever” culture is detrimental to fostering the kinds of strong friendships between men that can be es-

pecially important for sustaining men’s mental health.

Religion can also have a negative impact on men’s mental health. The college is a small Christian college that stresses religious practice and growth. It is wonderful to have such a faithful community, but this can create barriers when mental health is misunderstood.

Men have expressed to me that many are led to believe that they should turn to prayer and chapel attendance instead of getting professional mental health help. Whether struggling or at baseline, men report pressure to be leaders on campus and feel that to admit weakness is a failure in that regard. It may even be seen as a spiritual problem, like being a “bad Christian.”

When we are depressed, anxious or extremely stressed, we are not at our best. Sometimes getting out of bed to face the day is harder than anyone else could imagine. The stigma around men’s mental health is neither healthy nor fair.

Men’s mental health should be treated as importantly as women’s.

Men deserve to be respected, loved and supported. There should never be a time where a cry for help is ignored, pushed aside or invalidated. We need to convey to our families, friends and children that it’s alright for men to feel and show emo-

tion.

We, as a campus, need to acknowledge that men can be leaders, as stated in the Word, even when struggling.

King David is an example of someone God used to lead through weakness.

We all need to check on the men in our lives. They might be experiencing something no one else can understand.

The men I spoke to offer these final thoughts to other men on campus.

“Take some time to relax and take some time to just pray and read the Bible.

Even on a Christian campus, academics can distract from faith. Every day, take time to have an actual relationship with God.” “Talking to people about your problems is good. First, go to people and tell them you have an issue that you want to talk about. It’s a matter of realizing that you are not alone, and that other people have had this happen to them before. As long as you do that, you can get a lot of help.”

“Keep your head up and talk to people. Don’t ignore it, bottle it up or pretend it doesn’t exist.”

“You’re not alone. Go talk to others. Chances are someone has gone through what you are going through. It might be different, but that doesn’t make it any less of a struggle for you. Go to the Counseling Center; they’re trained to help you.”

Counseling is for men, too Hannah Woo

Contributing Writer The Counseling Center sees twice as many women as men. Why is there such a discrepancy?

Dr. Suzanne Houk, the director of college counseling, explains that men who come to the Counseling Center are more likely to be in a crisis than women, and don’t come until they are in a crisis.

This insight was confirmed by several men I interviewed for this article, whose names shall remain undisclosed for confidentiality purposes.

Men, as society says, tend to “compartmentalize” and push away the issue through distraction. Unlike women, who are generally more willing to come to counseling for more minor problems and talk about their struggles in groups, many men prefer to talk one-on-one.

Men must often be pushed by their friends to get help.

Houk agreed. She described how men are often deeply struggling when they come to counseling.

The men I spoke with claim that men are best supported by other men. Even in romantic relationships, their girlfriends might not know how to help as well as other men would.

The Collegian,

April 22, 2022

Page 9

Lessons from a racial support meeting Isaac Willour Staff Writer

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson will damage the Supreme Court Ryan Young

Contributing Writer The confirmation of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson is not worthy of celebration but of mourning.

The media’s best efforts to portray Jackson’s confirmation as a wonderful step towards greater equality is the farthest thing from reality.

Jackson’s history as a radical left-wing advocate should have disqualified her. Her placement on the highest court in the land will only further divide and minimize constitutional principles that our nation was founded upon.

As a judge, Jackson has repeatedly given shortened sentences to convicted pedophiles and child pornography users. Jackson is on record describing pro-life advocates as a “hostile, noisy crowd of ‘in-your-face’ protestors,” while siding heavily with Planned Parenthood. She is an active proponent of critical race theory and serves on the board of an elite private school that teaches CRT to the youth.

Despite President Joe Biden’s discriminatory selection process that limited applicants to only African American women, Jackson wasn’t able to define what a

woman even was.

“I can’t…. I’m not a biologist,” Jackson said after Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn asked her to provide a definition of the word “woman.”

It’s hard to believe that a nominee for the highest court in the land is incapable of understanding a simple distinction.

Yet we must understand that her refusal to answer wasn’t due to a lack of knowledge but rather a deliberate avoidance of speaking the truth for fear of ostracization by a woke cancel culture that is hellbent on promoting amoral agendas and eroding biblical truth.

To recognize that we have a Supreme Court justice, who is more concerned with the cultural perversions of the day than speaking truth as an impartial judge, should be a telltale sign that she will damage the very mission with which the Supreme Court was created to protect — equal justice under the law.

Jackson is on record describing her method of determining sentencing for convictions to be based upon “myriad types of law, including administrative law, constitutional law and critical race theory.”

In a 2020 speech at the University of Michigan Law School, Jackson spoke about how her parents kept a copy of “Faces at the Bottom of the

POLITICO

Well,” a book by Derrick Bell, who is recognized as the godfather of CRT. “My parents had this book on their coffee table for many years, and I remember staring at the image on the cover when I was growing up,” Jackson said.

There is no question that Jackson’s political activism will influence her decisions on the Supreme Court and could result in detrimental rulings for the future of our nation.

Perhaps most frightening about Jackson’s appointment is her lenient attitude on child abuse.

As a district court judge, Jackson consistently sentenced predators, who engaged in child pornography and other vile sexual acts with minors, to lower sentences than the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines recommended.

In fact, just recently The Washington Post reported that one of the abusers that Jackson had sentenced to three months instead of the Guidelines’ recommended eight years has since reoffended, leaving yet another innocent child violated due to the negligence of Jackson.

Supreme Court justices are supposed to be impartial and dedicated to interpreting the Constitution and upholding the Founders’ intent, not furthering agendas that seek to destroy the very fabric of this great nation.

In March of last year, I attended a “racial support meeting,” and because exams have stolen my time, I’m deciding to tell the story right now, along with the lessons learned from it.

The campus meeting, advertised as an “Asian-Pacific Islander Support Conversation,” offered a safe place for Asian-Pacific Islander students to come and express their thoughts through processing, prayer and action.

It’s important to note that I’m highly critical in my analysis of political responses to racial issues. I’m gravely disappointed in the way some factions on the right glorify police and downplay the effects of racism in American society. I’m similarly irritated in the way some factions on the left malign the character and motivations of hundreds of law enforcement officers the nation over and infuse race into discussions where it’s neither relevant nor proper.

As an Asian-American, neither the supposedly “conservative” nor the allegedly “liberal” reactions leave me optimistic as to the state of racial divisions going forward. But that wasn’t what the meeting ended up being about.

I’d done everything in my power to come into this meeting with as few presuppositions as possible. A recent spike in hate crimes against Asian-Americans had worried me a great deal, and in those moments before the meeting properly started, I was trying to be optimistic about what I’d be hearing before it concluded.

Not a word was spoken about statistics in that meeting — that wasn’t the purpose of the meeting, as much as I might have anticipated such a thing. In the hours that followed, I listened as my fellow students gave saddening tes-

timonies of their encounters with prejudice.

Some were blatant: racially tinged jokes made publicly with no release or compassion for those marginalized.

Others were far more subtle: exclusive behavior whether at home or elsewhere that told these students that they “didn’t belong.” A respected academic explained antiAsian racism encountered in the field, telling about experiences that any decent person could clearly diagnose as viciously prejudicial.

Listening to all this, it took these first-hand accounts of prejudice to bring a thought to center state of my mind.

Regardless of statistics on hate crimes and racial sentiment, racial prejudice still exists. Profiling, exclusion and stereotyping hurt. These occurrences may be outliers and anomalies; they may fit any number of descriptions that don’t show up under “just the facts.”

This is not what we, as Christ-followers, are called to do. Even an anomaly is an untold story of pain and struggle from which we should not turn away.

The response of Christians to racial injustice is a pendulum that too often swings to the extremes of either overt partisanship or ignorance of believers’ lived experiences.

Neither extreme is healthy.

What the victims of prejudice need from God’s people are ears to hear and voices to point them to the comfort offered by their Maker.

The path for racial equality, while controversial, and with a plethora of wrong turns, need not be the playground of race-baiters and vicious discriminators. It is a place for us to live out one of the greatest calls of the God who made us in His image.

If Christ sought to bring hope to the fearful, the worried and the brokenhearted, so should we.

This story may be a year old, but I still think about it. Its lessons have sparked thoughts that accompany me even to the present day.

I can only hope that it is similarly beneficial to you.

‘exhale. gallery’ leaves students breathless Ransom Coffeen Contributing Writer

Two weeks ago, a group of students on campus hosted an abuse awareness event in the Student Union called “exhale. gallery.”

One of its aims was to bring attention to the evils of sexual abuse in the hope of preventing further victims and encouraging current ones. It featured an art gallery in the Great Room, several tables full of pamphlets and posters and live music, with many highlighting experiences with sexual abuse.

I admire the courage that went into making this event.

I imagine it’s excruciating to discuss something as painful as sexual abuse publicly.

I especially value the pow-

er of the poems, artwork and music. There is something so different between hearing about “rape causes great damage” and witnessing it.

The rage, despair, shame, pain and brokenness of shattered souls and plundered hearts were literally exhibited for others to watch.

It was crushing to feel firsthand their relentless suffering and to know the undoable psychological annihilation that occurs in the act of rape. I entered the event knowing rape was a horrible thing. I left feeling rape was a horrible thing.

Exiting the Great Room and its easels of horror, I was left thinking, “Now what?”

I had breathed in the heart of darkness and let it run in my veins, but why? I have more empathy for the victims of rape, but this isn’t good enough. What am I going to do about it? I have found awareness, but this is

insufficient. Does awareness prevent rape? Maybe. Does awareness provide healing?

Probably not. Does awareness ensure justice? No. If all that Christians can offer for sexual abuse prevention is an educational program, our religion is pointless. Let me offer a few alternatives.

First, the most important thing we can do is pray.

Pray for an end to sexual abuse on our campus and in the church. Pray for healing of victims and justice for perpetrators. Pray for God to use the suffering of the first and the sin of the second to bring them to Christ. Pray that God would not hold back his judgment. Pray that Christ would return soon and put an end to this pain. “The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working” (James 5:16). It is not the least we can do but the most.

Second, to the men among us, protect your women and protect yourselves.

Sophomore Katie Rose Emmons, one of the students who organized the event, said that “relational abuse plagues one out of every three women and one out of every four men.” This is unacceptable.

David tells Solomon, “So be strong, show yourself a man, and observe what the Lord your God requires” (1 Kings 2:2-3). One of the duties of men is to be strong. I interpret this to include protecting those around us, not just women but all the weak.

However, as Emmons suggested, women are more vulnerable to sexual abuse. As the physically stronger gender, we men must protect our women. If you can’t, may I suggest the Martial Arts club? Boxing meets at 7 p.m. every Monday in the MultiPurpose Room. Learn how to

fight. Protect the weak.

Third, whatever happened to justice?

The Old Testament prescribes the death penalty for sexual abuse and for good reason. There is almost nothing so demeaning, damaging and wicked as sexual abuse.

The art gallery taught me that one. You want to stop rape? You want to see justice done for these victims? Hang the criminals that do it.

Finally, lest I finish on a dark note, let us remind ourselves that God is our Savior.

He has redeemed us from all sin, including sexual abuse, and He works all evil for our good, as Romans 8 reminds us.

Let us not give up hope but cling to the knowledge that one day He will make all things new. All evil will be destroyed forever. The victims among us will find peace and rest. Come, Lord Jesus.

Entertainment The Collegian, April 22, 2022

Page 10

The Wizarding World returns Has ‘The Secrets of Dumbledore’ lost the magic?

Emma Whiteford Staff Writer

Ever since the first “Harry Potter” book was published in 1997, the Wizarding World has become a fantastical phenomenon attracting millions of dedicated fans.

Its magical lore has captivated the hearts of an entire generation of young readers.

And as the books continued to climb the charts, film adaptations of the novels began to hit Hollywood’s stage. The entrances to this fantastical world stretch wide, ranging from the books and movies to theme parks and games and now a whole new narrative set in the Roaring ’20s.

In 2016, this new story began to unfold with the “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” film series. Set in a bustling New York City, Newt Scamander, a timid and introverted Magizoologist, leaves Britain for a mission in America. Occurring 70 years before the time of Harry Potter, this is a magical world gripped by the silver-tongued speeches of Gellert Grindelwald.

In 2018, “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” sequel was released, in which a younger Albus Dumbledore entered the scene. For those who are well-versed with the

characters of J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World, increasing connections are made to the magical stories they already know and love with accordance to the appearances of Nagini and Minerva McGonagall.

Four years later, on April 15, the third movie in the series, “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore,” was released and starred Eddie Redmayne, Jude Law and Ezra Miller.

Continuing in the plot to foil the schemes of Grindelwald, the audience once again joins Scamander and his many magical creatures on a journey to fight against those who seek and destroy the balance between the magical and non-magical world.

With this continued plot comes glimpses of more ministries of magic across Europe and even a brief return to Hogwarts and Hogsmeade.

Critics have responded with a diversity of opinions as the movies try to reflect the magical masterpiece of the eight “Harry Potter” films. While Rowling has her hand in these prequels by assisting in the screenwriting, fans still view them as markedly different than the original series.

Many claim that this third

WARNER BROS. PICTURES

installment has fallen short, only receiving a 48 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes at the time of this writing. The critics consensus on the site states that the newest film “avoids some of the pitfalls that plagued its predecessor but lacks much of the magic that drew audiences into the Wizarding World many movies ago.” However, the audience score reveals a more promising perspective at an 85 percent positive review rate.

There exists a melting pot of opinions as to whether

‘Sonic 2’ satisfies kids and fans David Smith Copy Editor

A lot has changed since the first “Sonic” was released in February 2020.

Since its release, director Jeff Fowler and his team had the ability to create a satisfying sequel: “Sonic the Hedgehog 2,” a highly anticipated film by many children and fans who grew up playing the Sega video game.

The blue anthropomorphic hedge- hog (Ben

Schwartz), who can run at supersonic speeds and has rings that opens portals to planets, delivers a lot of laughs and fun for its audience.

In the previous film, Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey), who is a mad scientist and robotics expert, discovers that one of Sonic›s quills holds a limitless amount of electrical energy and plans to capture Sonic to use his powers for his machines. Robotnik’s plan to exploit Sonic foils when Sonic knocks Robotnik into a portal to a mushroom planet. But, as seen at the end of “Sonic the Hedgehog,” Robotnik is thirsty for revenge.

“Sonic the Hedgehog 2” picks up not long after Sonic defeated Dr. Robotnik. Sonic is now adopted by sheriff Tom Wachowski (John Marsden) and his vet-

erinarian wife, Maddie (Tika Sumpter).

Wachowski urges Sonic to remain patient, as Sonic’s anxious desire to help the public through vigilante works falls flat.

Sonic decides to lay low for the time being but is suddenly attacked by Robotnik, who has escaped his galactic exile, with the help of Knuckles the Echidna (Idris Elba). Sonic is rescued by Miles “Tails” Prower (Colleen O’ Shaughnessey), who is Sonic’s twotailed fox sidekick. Both Prower and Sonic set out to discover the Master Emerald before Robotnik and Knuckles in order to prevent them

from unleashing the powers of the emerald and creating chaos on Earth.

“Sonic the Hedgehog 2” is inspired by the video games “Sonic the Hedgehog 2” (1992) and “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” (1994). The correlation between the video games and the films is that those who played the games now have children who are interested in watching the adaptations. Also, “Sonic the Hedgehog 2” aimed to capitalize on the success of its predecessor.

So far, the sequel is living up to its success with nearly a quarter of a billion dollars in the world-wide box office.

Amy Nicholson of “The New York Times” gave the film a positive review, stating, “Jim Carrey’s reprised role as a villainous weirdo helps this fast-paced, familyfriendly video-game-movie sequel maintain a refreshing silliness.”

A few of the “Raiders of the Lost Arc” references may not be understood by the children in the audience, but perhaps some of those lines may be intended for the parents or adults watching. Overall, “Sonic the Hedgehog 2” is a respectable sequel. It is an immersive film that works with its source material.

To add depth, “Sonic the Hedgehog 2” features several separate storylines, which eventually converge. Carrey’s portrayal of Robotnik is just as committed as it was in the previous film. Tacky, yet humorous, puns are just one way by which Carrey is able to act as his unfettered self.

Even though the film is a bit drawn-out, over two hours in length and twenty minutes longer than the first, it is still satisfying follow-up.

this movie matches the sparkle and wander promised to those entering the Wizarding World. Unfortunately, its opening weekend box office sales were on the side of disappointed expectations at $43 million.

Nevertheless, the plan remains to produce five “Fantastic Beasts” films. Some critics say that the third film is an improvement to the second, and others adore the continued expansion of the Wizarding World and appreciate its striking differences to the “Harry Potter” movies.

On the other hand, most critics agree that the latest film is an underwhelming addition to the franchise with very little to offer.

There are a myriad of perspectives circulating about the success of these films.

So, buy your movie ticket, go see it for yourself and decide if the Wizarding World has lost its luster with the creation of these new stories or if it has simply achieved a new glimmer, as these new characters navigate the world of magic.

Tunes from the Tower

‘Songs of Her’s’

Chris Murphy Design Chief

Her’s, despite their name not making sense, is described on their Spotify page as similar to Mac DeMarco, using the term “dream-pop” to summarize their sound.

Do I know what that means? Not exactly.

Wikipedia lists Lana del Ray and M83 as acts under this category, and I think the latter is a pretty fair comparison.

“Songs of Her’s,” their debut album, weaves together elements of pop, rock, alternative, R&B, ’80s and indie genres into a calm yet passionate album. The album starts off with “Dorothy” and “Cool With You,” two of my favorite songs throughout college.

“Dorothy” is something completely foreign to me with almost three octaves of shift between the verses and refrain. The ethereal falsetto over the slightly tense pop progression gives me chills almost every time.

“Cool With You” is a se-

ductive and slow track with such a strong melody that the second verse completely bleeds between the first two choruses. Then, out of nowhere, the band breaks into bossa nova for the end. I do not know how they thought to do it, but it honestly works in its own way.

What’s interesting to me about the album is that each song is so individually distinct. The variety of sounds, from the sweet and dreamy “Marcel,” to the Hall-andOates-esque “What Once Was,” make this album a charcuterie board of styles, with each taste done justice.

Something like the introspective and guilt-ridden “Medieval” is juxtaposed by a song as hopeful and upbeat as “I’ll Try,” and they are both done very well.

Over the course of about a month, I became aware of this band’s existence, became a proper fan and learned of the duo’s passing. To say that I am hurt about it would be an understatement, but at least I have the pleasure to know of their work.

Sports The Collegian, April 22, 2022

Page 11

Sports at a Glance

News

MATTHEW SCHOONOVER

Sophomore pitcher Nick Guidas throws a fastball against Thiel last Saturday at Slippery Rock.

Baseball breaks even Baseball battles conference foes Emma Rossi Staff Writer

The baseball team fell short in two close decisions on Wednesday in Washington, Pa., where they faced the conference’s number one seed, Washington and Jefferson College, in a doubleheader.

The Wolverines fell 3-2 in a quick and low-scoring first seven innings. Fifth year pitcher D.J. Newby made his season debut, pitching six innings. Grove City’s two runs were contributed by senior right fielder Colton Lineman and freshman third baseman Mally Kilbane.

Lineman opened scoring for the Wolverines at the

top of the fifth after a double from freshman left fielder Luke Vittone sent him across home plate. A flyball out to centerfield from senior first baseman Bubba Hamilton gave Kilbane the opportunity to score the Wolverines’ second run at the top of the sixth.

In the second game of the double feature, Grove City held the lead for the majority of the game, until W&J went on a four-run streak at the bottom of the sixth. Scoring opened for the Wolverines at the top of the first after single from Kilbane sent Vittone home. Another tally was added to the scoreboard due to a passed ball, sending Hamilton across home plate.

The final notch on Grove City’s side of the scoreboard came in the seventh inning, when Vittone batted in senior left fielder Jesse Clary.

Freshman pitcher Shane Cato made his season debut as well, pitching six innings.

Following him on the mound was senior pitcher Robby Randolph, who closed out the game.

The Wolverines defeated the Thiel Tomcats in both games of Saturday’s doubleheader. The wins gave Grove City a 2-1 advantage on the season series.

The Wolverines came out on top in an overwhelming 12-2 victory in the day’s first BASEBALL 5

Wide-open playoffs

Staff Writer

And so, it begins.

The enduring NBA playoffs are upon us, and Los Angeles is without representation this time around. Not just the Clippers who sunk in the play-in tourney, but the historic Lakers flagship with the kid from Akron at the helm, failed to navigate the tumultuous seas of the regular season.

Juggling the injury of first mate Anthony Davis and ball-dominant talents of Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony, they couldn’t come through. The two Staples center squads certainly had the weapons and talent to make any team quake in their Nikes, yet the execution was not there. No Lebron Toon Squad, no appearance from Kawhi Leonard and his fellow cornrowed teammate Paul George to challenge anyone out West.

The Suns are shining a ray of hope on the city of Phoenix, finishing their regular season with their franchise best record with 64 wins.

The only cloud that cast a shadow on Phoenix’s success this postseason is the hamstring strain of Devin Booker. Perhaps its only a slight hiccup in the process, but Book’s health is vital to the Suns’ success. The defensive emergence of Mikal Bridges, veteran leadership

Results Baseball (18-10, 9-6 PAC): W, Thiel (12-2); W, Thiel (13-11) L, W&J (3-2); L, W&J (5-3)

Softball (11-15, 5-7 PAC):

L, Waynesburg (11-2); W, Waynesburg (7-6) L, Westminster (3-2); L, Westminster (8-0)

Men’s Lacrosse (10-4, 4-0 PAC): W, Bethany (27-3)

Women’s Lacrosse (12-2, 6-0 PAC): W, Thiel (13-5)

Upcoming Baseball: Apr. 22, 4 p.m. vs. Bethany Apr. 23, 1 p.m. at Bethany Apr. 27, 4 p.m. vs. W&J Apr. 29, TBA at Chatham

Men’s Tennis:

National Sports

Connor Schlosser

Senior midfielder Brett Gladstone reached a career 209 points in Wednesday’s game against Bethany.

Gladstone is the first in program history to reach this milestone.

Men’s Tennis is undefeated in the conference this season, with a record of 5-0. Four of the five wins were shutouts.

The women’s lacrosse team has clinched a playoff berth in the PAC Championship tournament. They are guaranteed at least second seed.

of Chris Paul and the dominant presence of Deandre Ayton are pillars to this Suns team, but Booker gives them the offensive edge.

The Warriors have somehow returned to their dynastic-looking form of half a decade ago when they dominated the short-handed Cavs in five games. Without Kevin Durant, the Warriors are still gelling at a championship-level. Klay is back and producing, Steph can still shoot from anywhere, Draymond, as always, brings the intensity and now a third-year Jordan Poole is making a playoff splash with a combined 59 points over his first two games in the playoffs. The Warriors, many speculate, could be the biggest threat out of the West since their last championship run.

Ja and the Grizz deserve a shout out. He’s been the talk of Memphis all season and is really shaping up to be a future MVP. The Grizzlies have the third best odds to take the West after Phoenix and Golden State.

The East is a lot more open for unpredictability.

The defending champs, Milwaukee, are still favored to win the conference with the Greek Freak stretching teams thin with his one-ofa-kind play on both sides of the ball. They’ve only gotten deeper with the additions of Serge Ibaka and his rim protection and Jevon Carter.

The Heat finished with the best record in the East and maintained the best odds to win the conference after Milwaukee. All-Star Jimmy Butler has been a bucket this season playing quality basketball on both ends. With a deep bench and one of the best basketball minds in the league with Erik Spoelstra, the Heat are very much a threat.

Let’s talk about the Celtics. Boston was gasping for air to stay above .500 throughout the first fifty games. They finished the season second in the conference. They have been one of the best defensive teams in the league and one of the top offenses, thanks to the now synchronized solution of sharing looks between Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Point guard Marcus Smart earned Defensive Player of the Year honors as the second point guard in league history.

Center Robert Williams III was another candidate for such honors before he tore his meniscus a week or so ahead of the playoffs, which made many assume their hopes for a chip were out the window. After surgery, however, Williams could return as early as late this first round. If the Celtics get past the star powerheavy Nets with Durant, Kyrie Irving and a healing Ben Simmons, the sky is the limit for Boston.

Apr. 22, 4:30 p.m. at Saint Vincent Apr. 23, 2 p.m. vs. Westminster Apr. 29, TBA, PAC Championships

Softball:

Apr. 23, 1 p.m., at W&J (DH) Apr. 25. 3:30 p.m. vs. Penn State Beaver (DH) Apr. 27, 3:30 p.m. vs. Chatham (DH)

Men’s Lacrosse:

Apr. 23, 3 p.m. vs. Franciscan Apr. 26, 7 p.m. vs. W&J

Men’s Golf:

Apr. 23, 9:15 p.m., PAC Championships

Women’s Golf: Apr. 25, 10 a.m., PAC Championships

Women’s Lacrosse:

Apr. 26, 6 p.m. vs. Westminster

Men’s Track & Field: Apr. 28-29, 10 a.m., PAC Championships

Women’s Track & Field: Apr. 28-29, 10 a.m., PAC Championships

Water Polo: Apr. 21-23, CWPA Championships

WOLVERINE WEEKLY HONORS

Nico Rodriguez Baseball PAC Rookie of the Week

Seth Ray Men’s Track & Field PAC Field Athlete of the Week

Jameson Sposato Men’s Tennis PAC Tennis Player of the Week

Sports The Collegian, April 22, 2022

Page 12

LAX can’t lose Both men’s and women’s teams remain undefeated

MAGGIE WILLIAMS

Emily Rupczewski Sports Editor

Both men’s and women’s lacrosse are currently undefeated in the PAC. Both teams annihilated their opponents on Wednesday night.

The women’s team crushed Thiel 13-5, and the men’s team took down Bethany 273.

The women were down 1-0 in the first quarter as Thiel scored first. After Thiel’s first goal, however, they would not score again until the final seconds of the second quarter.

Meanwhile, Grove City fired back with 11 goals between the first and second quarters.

Freshman midfielder Amber Wartman scored first for the Wolverines at the 9:47 mark. A minute later, sopho-

more attack Madeline Dunda made it 2-1.

In the final minute and a half of the first quarter, junior midfielder Madison Nazigian slammed an unassisted goal, securing a 3-1 Wolverines lead.

Two minutes into the second quarter, senior Brooke Stoltzfus added two back-toback goals, both unassisted.

Stoltzfus then assisted Nazigian, as she scored back-toback goals at the 04:11 mark.

Nazigian’s next goal was assisted by freshman attack Abby Roetering.

Roetering scored the Wolverines’ next goal with 1:36 remaining, and Stolzfus rounded out Wolverines’ scoring in the first half with an unassisted goal with 1:09 left.

The Tomcats finally found their footing in the last seconds of the half with 47 seconds left in the half.

Starting the second half up 2-9, the Wolverines added four more points by Stotlzfus, Nazigian, sophomore midfielder Lucy Martin and Dunda.

The Tomcats managed to hold on and add a few more in the second half, but couldn’t catch up with the Wolverines, with 13-5 as the final outcome.

Following the women’s game, men’s lacrosse took Bethany to the cleaner’s with a 27-3 victory.

Senior midfielder Brett Gladstone opened up the Wolverine’s scoring followed by goals from freshman midfielder Alec Jones and freshman attack Zachary Hougan for a 3-0 Wolverines’ lead in the first quarter.

The Wolverines opened the scoring floodgates in the second quarter with seven goals in a row, until Bethany finally managed to find the

back of the net with 4:20 left in the quarter.

Grove City of course answered right back with nearly a goal per minute to finish the half up 13-1.

The streak continued into the third quarter as the Wolverines scored seven more when Bethany broke up the scoring streak with 1:26 left in the quarter, but that minute and a half was ample time for Grove City to answer back with two more goals, making it a 22-2 advantage for the Wolverines.

In the final quarter, Bethany managed to add one more point, but Grove City answered back with five more goals, nailing the Bison’s coffin closed with a 27-3 final score.

Though many players contributed to the high score, one player in particular had a very special Wednesday night.

GRACE DAVID

Brett Gladstone led the team with five goals and also made program history by scoring his 200th goal.

Gladstone is the first player in Grove City men’s lacrosse history to reach 200 goals.

The men’s team is now 4-0 in the PAC while the women’s team is now 6-0 in the conference.

With two games left in the regular season and PACchampionship bound, the women’s team will next face Westminster and Washington & Jefferson in their final two games.

The women host Westminster in their final home game of the season at 6 p.m.

Tuesday on Don Lyle Field and are guaranteed at least the second seed in the PAC Championship tournament this season.

The men will host Franciscan at 3 p.m. tomorrow on Robert E. Thorn Field.

Water Polo hosts conference championships Emily Rupczewski Sports Editor

The water polo team entered the first round of the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Division III Eastern Division Championships as the second seed with a 6-2 conference record.

Grove City College hosts this year’s Championship, which began yesterday afternoon and runs through tomorrow.

The Wolverines secured their spot as second seed with a 19-8 victory over Connecticut College and a double overtime 13-12 loss to Penn State Behrend.

Grove City went 3-1 again at Connecticut College in CWPA DIII East Weekend play two weekends ago, when they handed rivals Washington and Jefferson a 12-9 loss, mounted a 13-0 sweep over Utica and claimed a 19-8 victory over Connecticut. One point in the 13-12 double overtime against Penn State Behrend stood between the Wolverines and a clean 4-0 weekend sweep.

Grove City was ahead in the match against the Connecticut Camels 13-0 before

Senior Elaine Miller with the ball in a match against Connecticut College on April 10. their opponents could score their first point.

Senior 2-meter Elaine Miller led the Wolverines’ scoring with five goals. In addition to Miller, seven other players contributed to the win, with juniors driver Michelle Danley and utility Reese Trauger each scoring three goals.

Senior utility Sophia

Melanson, freshman utility Kamryn Kerr and freshman driver Mikayla Zablocki each scored twice. Sophomore driver Claire Lochstet and freshman driver Riley McCullough scored one goal apiece to add up to a whopping 19 points for the victory over Connecticut.

Going into the weekend tournament, eastern region

GCC

second seed Grove City sits just behind the 7-1 Washington and Jefferson Presidents.

Grove City is a three-time CWPA DIII East Champion, with their three conference wins occurring consecutively in the the 2010, 2011 and 2012 seasons. Last season Grove City finished third in the conference and are looking to become champions

again for the first time in ten years.

This season, the Wolverines started out conference play with a rocket start of a weekend tournament in which they went 3-1 in the CWPA DIII Weekend at Washington and Jefferson.

Their wins included a major 14-13 win over Penn State Behrend, 16-5 victory over Utica, 16-12 matchup versus Connecticut and a tight 14-12 loss to hosts Washington and Jefferson.

The CWPA rotates championship hosts yearly, and this season is Grove City’s third time as hosts, with their previous host years in 2012 and 2015.

With home-pool advantage, the Wolverines faced western foe Macalester College at 4 p.m. yesterday. The winner of the match will face the winner of Game 5 at 12:40 p.m. today. The paper was sent to print before the results of Thursday’s match were reported.

The tournament runs through tomorrow with the championship game scheduled to take place at 1:30 p.m. in the James E. Longnecker Pool.