Netflix holiday movie unsatisfying Not so Christmassy after all
ENTERTAINMENT
The
@Collegian_GCC @gcc.collegian The Collegian: The GCC Newspaper Friday, December 3, 2021
A case for small towns Grovers take the ice Student reflects on the meaning of community
PERSPECTIVES
Team shares memories, old and new
COMMUNITY
Collegian The Award-Winning Grove City College Student Newspaper
Vol. 107, No. 10
McNulty: No CRT at GCC President responds to petition claims
Ayden Gutierrez News Editor
College President Paul J. McNulty ’80 denied claims that Grove City College is advancing critical race theory in chapel, student life and academic programs. McNulty responded last week to an online petition that claims that critical race theory, or CRT, has gained a
foothold at the College and demands action to address its claims. Nearly 500 people signed the petition, sparking conversations on and off campus. “Regarding critical theory generally, we do not accept it as a proper framework for examining and understanding the real challenges faced in our fallen world today,” McNulty wrote on the Col-
lege’s website gcc.edu. “We affirm that every human is made in the imago Dei, the image of God, and should not be defined by ideological categories.” The petition, which was posted on Nov. 10 on behalf of “parents and former students,” said that a “destructive and profoundly unbiblical worldview seems to be asserting itself at GCC.” The
petition includes a number of claims about CRT and how the organizers believed GCC is pushing the theory on its students. “According to CRT, all of society is infected with intrinsic (structural) racism that favors Whites and oppresses Blacks and other minorities. Guilty White people (all Whites) can never overcome their intrinsic rac-
Embracing the Christmas spirit
ism; they can only practice personal negation. Only the ‘woke’— those awakened to the systemic racism of White society and how it impacts victims on a scale of intersectionality — can recognize the problem and permissibly speak about it,” the petition states. That “undermines a biblical view of learning,” acPETITION 3
MBA program underway Haley Steele Staff Writer
MATTHEW SCHOONOVER
As classes finish and finals begin next week, the campus community welcomes the first signs of the holiday season with decorations both inside and outside. For more ideas on campus Christmas fun, check out Community, pg. 4.
Wolverine Challenge tops $2 million for scholarships, more Grove City College
Grove City College alumni and friends rose to meet the Wolverine Challenge and raised more than $2 million, shattering all previous records. The College’s annual day of giving yielded a total of $2,015,538 for the annual fund, scholarships and other areas that improve the student experience. In the seventh year of the competition, the College’s Office of Advancement raised nearly 25 percent more than the 2020 total thanks to the unwaver-
ing commitment of alumni, parents and friends. College President Paul J. McNulty ’80 expressed his gratitude to those who participated. “We are so thankful for both the funds raised through the Wolverine Challenge and the sheer number of people who responded to our call to support distinctive private Christian higher education and empower our students to achieve their goals and pursue truth freely,” said McNulty. “The Challenge has grown exponentially since it was established and has be-
come a critical end-of-year fundraising event that allows the College to serve students well, maintain our commitment to affordability and remain truly independent.” The 2021 Challenge raised 25 percent more than last year and nearly four times what it did in 2015, the inaugural year. The Wolverine Challenge is intended to encourage more stakeholders – alumni, parents and others who share the College’s mission, vision and values – to become financial supporters. Since 2015, the number of
donors has increased from 700 to over 3,500 this year. As in past years, fraternities and sororities compete for the highest percentage of alumni support. Sigma Theta Chi sorority won this year’s Challenge Cup with 25 percent of their sorority alumnae making donations. This is the fourth consecutive year the sorority has earned the top spot. Greek alumni support is critical to the success of the Challenge, with 45 percent of all donors being members of one of the College’s 18 sororities and fraternities.
The college recently launched an online Master of Business Administration (MBA) graduate program, which is currently accepting applicants and will begin classes in the summer. The 39-credit online MBA program offers classes in fields such as accounting, finance, leadership, law, ethics, marketing and other topics. “We’re excited to launch this innovative and distinctive graduate degree program and provide a means for people at any stage of their careers to acquire the knowledge and skills they need to fulfill their ambitions,” Dr. Peter Frank ’95, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs, said. Dr. Christy Crute, the executive director of graduate and online programs and a leader in the making of the program, added, “This program will provide skills for future leaders” and “a cohort of peers that our graduates can rely on as they make tough leadership decisions.” The program is targeted to students with three to five years of work experience and is designed to be taken parttime without interrupting normal employment. As a part-time program, the core course schedule has students taking no more than two courses or six credits in the semesters of spring, summer and fall over two years. This does not include nine credit hours of a concentration available in topics such as business analytics and entrepreneurship. At $750 per credit hour, the program provides opportunities for students to get the personalized help they need, interact with professors and attend networking and professional development events during weekend residencies. When asked how the college would handle undergraduate students entering the program directly, Crute said that “MBA graduate students benefit most when they have had internships and/ MBA 11
Editorial
Page 2
The award-winning Grove City College student newspaper, Dec. 3, 2021
From the Tower
Hit the road for the holidays
There are few inventions that have shaped society as much as the automobile. As we continue through the holiday season, if your schedule looks anything like mine you will no doubt spend countless hours driving — returning home, visiting friends and family, going to church—all good things, yet so monotonous. When we think of how connected society is, it’s easy to think that this connection began to flourish with the development of the internet, and while that was a definitive catalyst, the ability to travel cross-country on a whim is a much different kind of connection. The internet connects us through data, streaming information at lightspeed across the planet so that we can all jump into the ever more abundant Zoom calls and Teams meetings that have continued to plague us. What that lacks, though, is the connection of being face to face, occupying the same physical space as one another. As many studies have shown, the human emotional connection is simply just not as strong when done over the phone or even a video call. The holidays are a time for us to take a break from the hustle and bustle. They’re a time to socialize and catch up with old friends, but what I think of most when I think of the holidays is the family connections and all the memories and traditions. As I grew up, some traditions fell by the wayside and were replaced with new ones. Gone are the days of waking up far before the break of dawn and waiting and waiting for 7:00 a.m. to come so I could wake up my parents for Christmas day to begin. Some of the magic of it all has faded, but there’s still something there, some indescribable feeling that just won’t be replaced. All of Christmas coalesces into one – the flavors of the same meal eaten year after year and sounds of carols and hymns – it all comes together to make the season what it is. Even with all that, though, the feeling is not the same without the people. Even for me as an introvert, overwhelmed by the sheer mass of people, it just wouldn’t be the same without them. As humans we were made as familial creatures, pack animals if you will, and we require other people to live. So, as we all go our separate ways for the holidays, take advantage of the modern wonder of transportation. Go visit some old friends, face to face (or mask to mask I suppose), and continue the traditions of Christmas that have been upheld for centuries.
Caleb West
Managing Editor
Collegian Staff Editor-in-Chief
David Zimmermann
Managing Editor Caleb West
Section Editors News Ayden Gutierrez
Community Noel Elvin
Perspectives Clark Mummau
Sports
Emily Rupczewski
Photo Chief
Matthew Schoonover
Design Chief Chris Murphy
Copy Chief
Joanna Thorpe
Business Manager Kathryn Miller
Copy Editors
Claire Josey Eve Lee Andrew Marston Lauren Ness Syd Travis Zachary Wood
Staff Writers
Scott Amon Emma Rossi Connor Schlosser Sarah Soltis Haley Steele Isaac Willour Emma Whiteford
Staff Photographers Mia Campagna Grace David Dan Kabakjian Eve Lee Maya Lindberg Nolan Miller Olivia Ortmann Max Pargeon Gracie Turnbaugh 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 Matthew Schoonover for his valuable contributions to the newspaper as Photo Chief this year. Matt, we miss you already and wish you the best in your future! The Green Eyeshade Award honors student contributors that demonstrate consistency and excellence in their work.
Schoonover
MATTHEW SCHOONOVER
Go with the flow
Matthew Schoonover Photo Chief
The past year as The Collegian’s photo chief has been filled with excitement, struggle, surprises and good fun. The past spring I grew in both my photography skills and my social connections, and in the fall I used those skills to train the next student class for the transition ahead of them. Recently I was given the opportunity to visit Audra State Park in Volga, W.Va., during Thanksgiving break. I arrived at the park around 8 a.m. and found myself looking at the bluest river I have ever seen. I hiked on the park trails for about three hours and got many photos of waves against rocks, and some landscape shots with a bridge going across the river. My favorite photo of the day is a landscape shot of the river flowing around many rocks with some whitewater in the foreground and the forest in the background (see attached photo). My landscape photo of the river made a great illustration of
my journey here at Grove City College. I arrived at Grove in 2018 as a transfer and have since changed my major five times, but my favorite part about being here is getting to be involved with The Collegian – not because I get to put together a photospread every week but because I get the opportunity to go out in the field to take photos and meet many people. The sad part of my editorial is that the river in my life has changed once again, and I will sadly be resigning as photo chief at the end of the fall semester to accommodate a new job at Harvest Baptist Church in Pittsburgh. The job will eventually become a full-time position once I graduate but, in the meantime, I will be mostly working remotely on campus. The full-time job involves creating intro videos for the morning services, recording the services and editing them for publication both online and on FOX 53. Another aspect of my job is to travel around the world visiting missionaries that Harvest Baptist sponsors to create videos and take photos of the impact that God is making on the mission field.
While I wait for the fulltime transition, I will still be taking photos of sports and any other large events that the college’s Marketing Department wants me to photograph. Even after I graduate, I will still not be too far away, and I hope that I will still make it to some baseball and football games during the fall and spring semesters. Life has a funny way of working out. I never would have thought that God had this plan in store for my life coming to Grove City. Looking back on the past, every decision and every change to my major has led to a career in photography and videography. Life is like a river flowing through the mountains, weaving through all the rocks and snow, each of us are like the water and the world is like the mountains. Once we pass from this life to the next, the world will no longer remember us, just like the mountains will not remember the water. We never know how much we have on this earth so we should spend the time and resources that we have been blessed with to build up the Kingdom of God.
Letter to the Editor:
I am writing regarding a recent article published in the October 29th edition of The Collegian which offered a Christian perspective on Halloween (titled “Halloween: Not a holy holiday”). The author alleged that Halloween has no basis in Christianity and should not be celebrated by Christians as it only idolizes evil and glorifies the dead. This assessment is simply not factual and very shortsighted, because the celebration of Halloween draws its roots from the Catholic holy day of All Hallows Eve. All Hallows Eve (from which Halloween gets its name) is a vigil celebration of All Saints Day on November 1; it is a day to remind us of the reality of heaven and hell and to recognize and remember the saints who have been granted eternal life in heaven. What Christmas Eve is to Christmas, All Hallows Eve is to All Saints Day. Halloween exists today because of the celebration of All Hallows Eve. However, similar to Christmas and Easter, Halloween has fallen victim to a secular culture that has materialized and corrupted the true meaning and nature of the holiday. Remembering and praying for the dead has been replaced with costumes and candy. I agree with the author in their sentiment that Halloween has too much of an emphasis on violence and gore. While the author cites some Scripture to support their claim that we should not indulge in violence and evil as Christians, and while I agree with the spirit of their thoughts, the author misses the point. Halloween is not a holiday simply because it glorifies horror. Rather, Halloween is a holiday today because, at its roots, it celebrates and remembers those who have lived lives glorifying to God (i.e., the saints). Unfortunately, the real meaning behind Halloween has been lost among society, even in the Christian community of the college, as clearly exhibited by this article. While arguments can be made for and against Halloween’s roots in the Celtic festival of Samhain, Halloween, as we know it today, was not transformed from Samhain but rather All Hallows Eve. This is, for one, shown by the fact that Halloween gets its name from All Hallows Eve and not from Samhain. Additionally, the Halloween traditions of today are not derived from Samhain but were rather brought to America by European Catholic immigrants who celebrated All Hallows Eve in different ways. For example, dressing up in costumes is derived from a French tradition and trick-or-treating draws roots from an English tradition. I once heard that the belief that Halloween originated from Samhain was made up by Protestants in America who wanted to denounce the religious beliefs and practices of Catholic immigrants. If this is true, I think the author might need to consider the role their own faith tradition has played in the corrupting of Halloween before casting it off as secular and un-Christian.
Joe Polaski
News The Collegian,
Dec. 3, 2021
Page 3
Students voice Cabaret singer opinion on CRT Ayden Gutierrez News Editor
With the recent Critical Race Theory (CRT) petition roaming campus, several students shared their own thoughts on both the theory and the petition itself. Josh Ehst, a senior member of the Institute for Faith and Freedom, had a strong opinion on both the petition and the theory. “The petition is pretty accurate on what needs to be taken care of,” Ehst said. “As a conservative Christian college, we should be striving to preserve the values we were built upon. I believe those values counter CRT.” To Ehst, this means that faculty should be on board with the college’s mission and values. The few instances that are mentioned in the petition of faculty promoting CRT is dangerous for the institution, according to Ehst. Clark Fraser, a sophomore at the college, shared his thoughts on both the language of the petition and the theory in general. “I don’t agree with the message that it is spreading on the whole,” Fraser said. “I completely disagree with making it a part of a publicschool curriculum. However, I do think that teaching it in college is acceptable, since we are old enough and smart enough to come to our own conclusions.” Fraser added that he believes that the reason students go to college in the first place is to further their own education, and this includes learning from multiple perspectives, with one such perspective being Critical Race Theory. “I don’t think that we can say we believe in free speech and then in the same way ban CRT from college campuses,” said Fraser. “That just seems hypocritical to me.” Junior Vinny LePre also commented on Critical Race Theory. “I just do not think many
people understand what Critical Race Theory actually is, as they do not even understand what critical theory itself is. Critical Race Theory is not just “white people bad”; it is about how the power structures in the society and how their relations with race occur.” Fraser also added that he believes the theory does not align with his faith. “I totally agree that CRT is not consistent with a Christian worldview and that we shouldn’t teach it during chapel services,” Fraser continued. “However, I do feel like we should still invite CRT advocates and still offer a chapel credit for attending, because it helps us form our own worldviews. If we want to invite the Charlie Kirk’s of the world to the college, then we should be okay with inviting the Jemar Tisby’s in the same way.” Aaron Jenks, a junior member of the Institute for Faith and Freedom, had an interesting take on the situation. “When I was talking to others who had read the petition, I found that they were either in support of it or completely against it. I find myself in the middle,” Jenks said. Jenks added that he respected the parents’ willingness to admit that their argument could be wrong, if proven so. He commended them for being level-headed and not irrational. As for the theory itself, Jenks has an issue with how CRT is portrayed. “As Christians and as conservatives, when we talk about CRT, we have to be careful of our rhetoric,” Jenks said. “We need to understand that the average American that supports CRT views it as a statement or teaching which condemns racism and discrimination. My point being that we ought to be very specific about which parts of CRT we say we disagree with.”
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 the Collegian at collegian@gcc.edu.
This week in history...
Finance column
Earning credit
Karsten Lagerquist Contributing Writer
JACOB SHIRK
Junior Olivia Ortmann performed “Dream a Little Dream of Me” at Alpha Psi Omega’s Cabaret this past Tuesday night in the Pew Fine Arts Center Little Theatre.
PETITION
continued from 1
cording to the organizers. It continues: “In short, as biblically grounded Christians, we are not defensive about racism. Where it exists, we should repent of it. We are concerned, though, when our students are falsely convicted and unbiblically indicted simply because of their skin color. This is precisely what we fear is happening at GCC.” Among a number of claims in the petition are concerns about Jemar Tisby, an author and activist who spoke last fall at a Chapel event, and a TED talk by Bryan Stevenson that was shown this fall during a program on the biblical concept of mercy. The petition claims Tisby is “an outspoken apologist for CRT” and Stevenson is a CRT defender and a founder of the Equal Justice Initiative. President McNulty addressed both claims in his response. “CRT has never been promoted in chapel,” McNulty said. “This inaccurate charge stems from two chapel presentations over the course of a year. During an October 12 chapel service on the subject of mercy, students in attendance watched a six-minute TED Talk featuring Bryan Stevenson of the Equal Justice Initiative. Mr. Stevenson discussed his work on sentence reform for minors (e.g., 8- and 9-year-olds being sentenced to life in prison) and
erecting educational monuments in Alabama pertaining to slavery. CRT was never mentioned nor advocated.” In regard to Tisby, McNulty said he disagreed with some of what Tisby had to say, but that CRT was never discussed.” The petition also expresses concern about Residence Life training, the Office of Multicultural Education and Initiatives, the Diversity Council and books used in some classes and discussed in voluntary settings. It demands the College issue a statement rejecting CRT, direct faculty members and chapel speakers “promoting” it to stop, sanction specific employees, invite Black critics of CRT to speak on campus, and to disband or restructure the Diversity Committee. McNulty’s response addressed those concerns in some detail and the College’s overall approach to controversial and divisive subjects. “Any fair discussion about the threat of CRT should include consideration of GCC’s long-standing commitment to teaching every student about the history and culture of Western Civilization. We reject the cancel culture so prevalent in the academy as we encourage students to pursue truth freely. Disagreement with certain ideas, such as critical theory, should not exclude them from consideration. That would be a profound disservice to our students.”
Fires, babies and charters
December 4, 1940 Yearbook Pics Destroyed in Zamsky Studio Fire A little over 80 years ago, The Collegian reported on a Philadelphia studio fire which destroyed the college’s yearbook photos. One night 30- to 40-foot flames overtook the two top floors of the five-story building belonging to the publishing company, burning $30,000 worth of equipment. The fire was speculated to have been started by an electrical drying machine in the studio. The fire delayed the publishing of the yearbook by about two months. November 29, 1944 Baby Contest Cuties Chosen The Collegian reported on the winners of the Baby Photo Contest. An exhibit of student baby photos was put on display in the Colonial Lobby, and for 5 cents students were encouraged to vote on the cutest boy and girl baby picture. The proceeds, $13.85, went to WSSF, the World Student Service Fund, to bring a South American student to campus. The winners of the contest, dubbed “Glamour girl of the nurs-
ery” and “He-man of the Sandbox,” were Emily Deeter and Howard Canning respectively. December 1, 1995 Strength in Unity The Collegian reported on a student rally in support of Greek life on campus. At 3:20 p.m. on that Wednesday, the eight sororities and three fraternities on campus at the time, plus seven unofficial fraternities who had lost their charter in the last four years, walked to Crawford Hall where they joined hands around the quad in a display of unity and concern for the deterioration of Greek life at the college. About 200 students, holding signs reading “In Unity There is Strength,” gathered and sang on the quad. The Phi Sigma Chi sorority planned the display, modeling it after a similar event in 1986 where 500 students presented a banner and a statement of concerns and goals with 1,000 signatures to the college administration.
Haley Steele
Staff Writer
To round out our discussion of the basic areas of personal finance this fall, let’s talk credit. At its core, the word “credit” just refers to your ability to acquire a good or service before you pay for it. It’s basically a shortterm loan. Credit is present in all kinds of different types of financial transactions. Many of us have credit cards. Companies might open lines of credit. Even paying your utility bills at the end of the month instead of the beginning is a form of using credit. The key to understanding credit is that it is built on trust. The only reason why anyone would loan you money, or make credit available to you, is that they believe you will pay them back when you are supposed to with interest. This trust is not the same as the trust you have when you lend your best friend five dollars to go bowling, though. You know that your friend is a good, trustworthy person. Credit card companies don’t have that personal knowledge. The trust that credit card companies or banks need to have is based on your personal track record with money. For a credit card company like American Express to send you an offer, you will need to have a history of borrowing and paying back money on a regular basis for an extended period of time. This reliability is what your credit score measures. Building this trust takes time. This is why you often hear about students towards the end of high school and in college signing up for a secured credit card with their bank or something similar. The secured nature of the card allows the bank to place a hold on some of the funds in the cardholder’s account or have a guarantee that someone else with an established history, like your parents, will pay your bills if you fail to. Also, while I’ve been discussing credit cards, that’s not the only way to build credit. Making timely payments on student loans or paying your utility bills are other examples but certainly not the only ones. Long-story short, building credit is worth thinking about now. When it comes to buying a car or house, banks will look at your credit history before letting you take out a loan. This doesn’t mean that you should go wild and spend money that you don’t have. We are told in Proverbs that the borrower is a slave to the lender. As such, we should not rely on credit from others if we can help it. However, seeing its usefulness in the long-term and making controlled usage of the convenience of a credit card, paying it off each month, is certainly not a problem.
Community The Collegian, Upcoming Events...
What’s fresh at the Grove?
Carnegie Christmas Concert Series 12 p.m. Friday, Dec. 3 Carnegie Colonnade
A Musical Christmas 7:30-9:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 3 Ketler Auditorium
Big Man on Campus 7-10 p.m. Friday, Dec. 3 Crawford Auditorium
Okie Sig Pi Christmas Party 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 4 Ket Rec
Jazz Dance
8-11 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 4 MAP Cafe
Advent Candlelight Service 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 5 Harbison Chapel
Small Ensemble Recital
4-6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 8 Arnold Recital Hall
Take photos but have nowhere to display them? Join our team! For more info about being a Collegian photographer, email gcc.collegian@ gmail.com.
Dec. 3, 2021
Page 4
Campus Christmas traditions Eight ways to celebrate the season Emma Whiteford Staff Writer
Glimpses of Christmas are arriving all over campus— from the library bejeweled with strands of colored lights to the south lobby of Mary Anderson Pew decked with Christmas décor. As students have now burrowed into studying and finals loom just around the corner, the Christmas festivities must be sought out and cherished. And so, in this season of frigid temperatures and immense schoolwork, how do students still manage to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year? Here’s a compilation of the eight best ways to celebrate the season according to students from all over campus. To begin, there’s no better way to maintain the nostalgia of the holidays than by decking the dorms with Christmas décor. With this plan in mind, sophomores Hannah Young and Isabella Salerno intend to decorate their dorm-room door and have a small tree in their room. “We have been playing Christmas music ever since the first snow before break,” Young said. So, if you feel the need for more Christmas cheer, take a trip to a local Christmas tree farm and fill your room with touches of holiday decorations and some festive tunes! Additionally, it’s just the time of year when campus kitchens begin to be filled with the scents of Christmas baking. Many students love to commemorate the holidays by baking and decorating a batch or two of Christmas cookies during an evening study break or a Saturday afternoon in the South Rec or Ket Rec kitchens. Surrounding churches also host a multitude of Christmas traditions, starting with Harbison Chapel’s annual candlelight service this Sunday. However, that’s not the only special event to take part in. Local churches do everything from holiday luncheons and Advent to Christmas plays and parties. Be sure to find out and get involved in the ways your church is celebrat-
MAX PARGEON
Students anticipate Christmas as it begins to snow on campus. ing Christmas. The holiday season also creates splendid opportunities for random acts of kindness. From handing out hot chocolate and sending Christmas cards to paying for someone’s groceries and shoveling snow, there’s something everyone can do to bring joy and light into this chaotic season. Gifts don’t always come in material form, and we can all spread holiday cheer with intentional time, encouraging words and joyful actions. Christmas parties are a must, and you’ll witness them occurring all over campus; students stream classic Hallmark movies and host elegant holiday events. In fact, many clubs and organizations on campus maintain
a variety of Christmas traditions. For example, sophomore Brooke Hosler mentioned the Apologetics Club’s annual Christmas party that occurs during finals week this Dec. 8. Greek life also takes part in the festivities. If you’re rushing, you’ll be sure to come across Christmas costumes and elements during the events. Additionally, the groups host annual parties for their members. Junior Tess Dattoli, a member of the Gamma Sigma Phi sorority, said, “We do secret sis the week we come back and then have a little Christmas party at the end of the week.” However, even if you’re not part of Greek life, there’s still many ways to celebrate
the season! After all, the Residence Life team has a few tricks up their sleeve. This year, the RAs banded together to decorate the lobbies, and there are occasional Christmas-themed hall events throughout the snowy month of December. Lastly, sophomore Eden Kleiman suggests making hot chocolate and taking a drive around town to admire the Christmas lights. It’s one of the simplest ways to get into the holiday spirit; just listen to your favorite Christmas tunes and search out the best decorated houses in the area. You can experience the delights of the holiday season even during finals, so keep the Christmas cheer alive by using one of these ideas to celebrate!
Help! Time to meet the parents
Dear Dr. Love Dear Impressive Grover, Making a good impression on the parental unit carries a little more weight than making a good impression on her friends. Friends can be for a season and weren’t responsible for raising the girl
I’m meeting my girlfriend’s parents for the first time this Christmas and obviously want to make a good impression. So, how do I do that? Hypothetically, Impressive Grover you’re dating into the woman you know today. Parents reveal a lot about your significant other’s upbringing, values, habits, personality and even her true self, as you will see her treat them with her most genuine thoughts, behaviors and reactions. That being said, as you meet her parents, take care to get to know them. Ask them questions about their lives and jobs and be open about yourself. Reciprocity in conversation is increasingly rare, and you don’t want to be another dingdong her parents feel out of touch with. Be confident, don’t take
yourself too seriously, joke with them and enjoy the process. Parents want to know that the guy she brought home is taking care of their daughter. Assure them that you aren’t an impulsive, selfcentered and irresponsible college boy but a good young man. The more you show yourself to be of integrity, authenticity, care and responsibility, the more they’ll think you’re lying. That’s a joke, but it is true that you’ll want to do your best to show that you’re legit. Especially when it’s a daughter bringing a boy home, parents have every right to be suspicious of your intentions and
will do their best to ensure that you’re not just lusting after her. If you are genuinely unsure of how her parents will take to you, because you think you may not be doing your best to care of her, take some time to consider the dynamics of your relationship; check that you’re both honoring God as you spend time together. One final note: bringing either a thank you gift to thank them for having you over or writing a thank you note is always a good gesture. Don’t be a weird, creepy suck-up; just take the time to write down your appreciation of their hospitality or time get-
ting to know you. No need to buy them a Corvette or pay for her sibling’s college tuition. Keep it simple and take the time to deliver a token of gratitude, even if it’s sending a little note in the mail after the fact. That’s all, folks. Best of luck my Grover, and don’t mess up. Yours truly,
Dr. Love Love M.D.
The Collegian,
Dec. 3, 2021
Page 5
Seven questions with…
Ice hockey club skates back
Dr. Adam Loretto
Scott Amon Staff Writer
After an 18 month-long hiatus, the college’s Ice Hockey Team returned to the rink for their second season. Founded in the fall of 2019 by Daniel Hagan ’21, the Ice Hockey Club consists of a five-month season, October through March. Typically, the team practices and plays their games at the Hess Ice Rink in New Castle, Pa. When the club first began, the team grew quickly consisting of roughly 30 men, senior player Maximilien Wilson said. Since 2019, though, that number has dropped. Though several factors affected the drop in players, COVID-19 prevented the ice hockey team from playing. The team’s first season was cut short due to COVID-19, according to senior Cameron Hilliard, the club president. Hilliard said that they weren’t able to play again until this fall. “As of now, we have 12 players and a goalie on our team, and we are always looking for new players to join,” Hilliard said. The members on the Ice Hockey Team have a varied amount of experience on the ice. Wilson began playing ice hockey in middle school but quickly lost interest. He restarted playing only after enrolling at Grove City College. “This is my second year playing on the college team, since we weren’t able to play last year,” Wilson said.
Associate Professor of English MARISA SCHROCK
Daniel Colflesh ‘21 looks for a pass in this November 2019 game versus the Mighty Bunkmen. Hilliard only began playing ice hockey when the team was founded at the college. He, however, is far from inexperienced when it comes to the sport. “I have played roller hockey for over 11 years, and I am a member of that team as well at Grove City,” Hilliard said. Although the ice hockey team is just now in its second season, the players have made many memories together. Sophomore Matthew Telarico shared his favorite, which was the game they played on Nov. 13. “We were very close to get-
ting our first win and only lost by one. We also had a little scuffle with the other team at the end of the game, which was exciting,” he said. Wilson shared another memorable moment: “One of my favorite moments was getting our first win two years ago after many brutal losses. We are still excitedly looking forward to getting our first win this season.” The ice hockey team is a great experience for all who are involved. Sophomore Drew Yecko, who played the sport for three years before coming to Grove City, said, “I enjoy being able to play my favorite
sport with fellow Grovers, and seeing my friends come out and support us. It’s also a nice break from schoolwork.” The team is open to anyone interested in joining, especially if they have previous experience on the ice. For those who cannot stay upright on the ice, the team invites anyone to stop by and watch them play. Most games are normally on the weekends, and game times can be found on their Instagram page @grove_city_ ice_hockey. Students still have plenty of time to stop over at Hess Ice Rink, as ice hockey games continue until Mar. 26.
Buxton’s exercise science study finds primal workout benefits Grove City College
Quadrupedal movement training (QMT) is pretty much what it sounds like: A workout that involves using your hands and feet. In practice, it runs the gamut from simple rock climbing to animalistic workouts like the “bear crawl,” in which people “run” on all fours, and esoteric ones like parkour, the art of traversing urban obstacle courses that was famously satirized on an episode of “The Office.” The training involves primal movements, transitions and crawling patterns that challenge strength through your joints’ full range of motion, according to Grove City College Assistant Professor of Exercise Science Dr. Jeffrey Buxton. While it makes sense that such workouts would be beneficial, there is little research on exactly how. Buxton is helping to fill that gap, and his work is beginning to get noticed. This summer, Buxton was featured in a Nike.com coaching story, “Train Like an Animal,” that explored the benefits of QMT. He recently detailed his research and findings for Animal Flow, a branded primal movement workout system in “The Science Behind Animal Flow.” With the help of student research assistants and fellow faculty, Buxton conducted a study that indicated a regular routine of QMT may ease workout concerns about strength, flexibility and mobility. “If there’s a large gap between your flexibility and mobility, you could increase your chance of injury during training. Primal training can help close that gap,” Buxton
What do you listen to on the ride home? Usually podcasts, though I miss having BBC World News on 91.1. What are you currently reading? Shelby Foote’s history of the Civil War. I also just read my sister-in-law’s new novel: These Silent Woods, by Kimi Cunningham Grant. It was great! What’s something you’ve been pondering lately? My wife and I are reading British poet and scholar Malcolm Guite’s Advent devotional Waiting on the Word. Each day, he provides analysis of a poem and connects it to ideas to work with in preparation for Christ’s birth. Last night’s reading used George Herbert’s “The Glance” and what it means to be seen by God and to see God. No matter what we anticipate in Advent, our ultimate desire is to “see [God’s] full-ey’d love.” Favorite restaurant? Locally, it’s definitely Jin Sushi. Name a movie that makes you emotional.
Students participated in a biweekly Animal Flow workout with Dr. Jeffrey Buxton. said. In the study, a group of 42 Grove City College students were divided in half, with one group adding two hours of QMT into their weekly workouts and the other continuing their regular exercise routines. Baselines for range of motion, functional movement, balance, handgrip strength and push-up endurance were assessed before and after the eight-week trial. Both groups worked out about 800 minutes per week. While there are a lot of options when it comes to QMT, Buxton decided against having students leap and swing their way around campus or scramble across the Quad like a bear in favor of a more research-friendly system: Animal Flow, which includes fixed elements and designed workouts. Students in the QMT group met in a dance studio in the Physical Learning Center twice a week to learn and practice positions, transitions and moves with names like Ape, Beast, Crab
and Scorpion. The QMT group saw significantly greater improvements in functional movement, dynamic balance and range of motion. The split groups showed no significant difference in upper body strength or endurance, though both groups saw an increase in the latter. The results confirm what many physical trainers already knew through their practices and provide some hard evidence to support commercial claims and guide trainers in the best use of QMT, Buxton said. “It is an effective alternative method of training for young, healthy adults. There are a lot of ways to add it to a regular exercise routine,” Buxton said, offering alternatives to the two hour-long sessions the test subjects participated in. “You can sprinkle it in, 10 minutes at a time, or do a full session in between heavy conditioning days,” Buxton said.
GCC
He said more research is needed on novel types of exercise like QMT and he’s eyeing a future study looking at the energy cost of primal movement workouts. Buxton’s research was published in 2020 in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. Co-authors included Dr. Phil Prins, chair of the Exercise Science Department, Dr. Gary Welton, professor of Psychology, alumni, including Adam Atwell ’21, Gretchen Elsey ’21 and Tirzah Talampas ’19, and Drs. Mike Miller from Western Michigan University and Tony Moreno from Eastern Michigan University. Exercise Science is one of the fastest growing disciplines at Grove City College. Student-faculty research is a hallmark of the accredited program, as is collaboration and cross-disciplinary study. Much of the research is conducted in the department’s human performance laboratory, which features state-ofthe-art equipment.
Since it’s December, I have to go with A Christmas Story. The scene where Ralphie finally opens the BB gun and his dad is so excited to see him loading it got to me just last night. What are you looking forward to today? Talking about Flannery O’Connor. Favorite class you’re teaching right now? Civ Lit always provides opportunities for interesting conversations.
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Stay updated with our social media @Collegian_GCC @gcc.collegian The Collegian: The Grove City College Newspaper
Through the Lens
Through the lens,
Feb. 22, 2019
Page 6
The Collegian, Dec. 3, 2021
Winter is coming...
Student photographers embrace snow with open arms
Through the Lens,
Dec. 3, 2021
Photos
Matthew Schoonover Photo Chief
Mia Campagna, Grace David, Max Pargeon, Jacob Shirk Staff Photographers The coming of winter is embraced and loved by most, especially photographers. Winter offers so many opportunities to strengthen one’s phototography skills, mostly due to the lack of certain colors. Winter offers a lot of cool tones, and forces the photographer to focus more on composition and less on colors, which makes photos look really good in the spring. Some photographers, however, see all the other seasons as their trial season and winter as their benefit season of the year. Winter-focused photographers love to travel north where the land is strong and free. Winter photographers love snow, and the shapes that snow makes. They also love how the glacier blue water and ice contrast with the evergreen plants in the mountains. Home is where the heart is, and winter-focused photograpers find home in the snow and ice. - Matthew Schoonover
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Perspectives The Collegian, Dec. 3, 2021
Page 8
ZUM SCHNEIDER
Keep Christmas out of Advent Mark Armour
Contributing Writer Christians and Grovers ought to reconsider, at the very least, their increasingly early commencement of Christmas music listening. Although there are many secular tunes that celebrate the winter season or even the secular descendant of the Christian holiday of Christmas, I stand by a supposedly extremist position that Christmas music ought to be reserved for the day itself and afterward. While liturgical seasons are much more popular among
the Orthodox and Catholic sects, there is no reason they should be rejected completely by the highly Protestant demographic of the campus. The creep of Christmas earlier and earlier into the year is largely due to the materialistic revision of the holiday focused on giving, but more importantly receiving material wealth. Most of us probably share this disdain for the secularization of Christmas, but most do not make this connection to music. Music is an ornamentation of one’s surroundings. Regardless of Christmas, it is arguably overused. But Christmas music goes beyond ornamentation. I say it is better described as indul-
gent celebration, or at least it has an extraordinary sense of contentedness. These attitudes are very fitting for the celebration of the glorious fulfillment of every covenant of God, brought about by Jesus. However, the tendency of our society to indulge basic desires for pleasure lacks moderation, and during the winter season this manifests in the earliness that people indulge in Christmas music. These pre-Christmas attitudes directly contradict the dominant attitudes Christian churches strove for at this time of year since the 400s. Advent is a liturgical season, officially taking up the four full weeks before Christmas. It is dedicated to prepa-
prentice for himself, to train him up as a smith. The apprentice was overjoyed that a master had selected him from among the people to become a smith. However, to the surprise of the master, whenever the apprentice was told to begin work, he refused. When asked of this, the apprenticed proclaimed, “For You, O Master, have made me glad by Your deeds; I sing for joy at the works of Your hands. How great are Your works, O Master, how deep are Your thoughts!” Angered by this, the master responded, “‘You wicked, lazy apprentice! Throw this worthless apprentice into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!” “The Machine” Rusted, a humanoid machine, sits slouched in a pine rocking chair. Some might give the name “robot” or “android” to this being of complex design. However, this creature had lost its original purpose; it was plagued by flaws and corruption. Troubled by this, the maker decided it was time to correct its programming. The machine lay twitching in unrest; sparks would fly from its neck every so often. The warm fire in the room contrasted the blue, electrical light. The cogs within it would stutter every so often, making a mangled sound. The being was unable to help itself, yet the maker still found fault and blamed
the machine for its flaws. Finally, the maker bent down next to the chair and began to repair what was broken and reprogram his contraption. When he had finished, the machine was now perfect and complete, lacking nothing. The machine was finally able to fulfill its purpose and began to worship its maker. It was damned to worship like this permanently, and no thought was ever given to the machine again. “The Broken Vessel” On the 18th day of the eighth month during the reign of Jeremiah, the son of a potter went out to his father’s house to bring him some bread. As the son approached the house, he saw his father working at the wheel. The vessel that he was shaping from the clay became flawed in his hand. So, he formed it into another vessel, as it seemed best for him to do. There were many pots all around, and the son loved them, not wanting any to perish. After the potter had finished shaping the vessel, he placed it into the furnace to harden it. Once the vessel was ready for use, he set it aside, and with one fierce blow, smashed it to pieces. Horrified by this, the son wept. The father drew near to his son to comfort him and uttered these chilling words: “Oh son, it was only a vessel of wrath.”
Purposeful parables
Asher Silvey
Contributing Writer With the business of school, friends, work and life, taking time to reflect can almost feel like a distant dream no longer remembered. Information can seem to become more valuable than wisdom. Proverbs 4:6 reads, “Do not forsake wisdom, and she will keep you; love her, and she will guard you.” Taking the time to contemplate deeply and love wisdom can be a wearisome task, but it is one worth pursuing. Proverbs 1:5-6 reads, “Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance, to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles.” The following passages are three more short stories, this time on the subject of purpose. They are imperfect parables meant to provoke the heart and mind. My goal in writing is not to explain to the reader what I think but get them to question the way they think. “The Idle Apprentice” One day, a master of the smithing guild chose for himself an apprentice, although he was not particularly extraordinary in skill or social standing. Despite this, the master wanted this ap-
ration, and traditionally included acts of penance and even fasting, but also a sense of joyful hope. This is similar to the practice of Lent. While Lent is somber or even mournful, Advent should have an attitude of gleeful preparation. The Advent calendar, as well as formal practices, became standardized by the Catholic Church in the sixth century, however, the approximate four-week period of fasting and preparation does date back to the fourth century. Clearly, most Christians today have no sense of fasting in the days leading up to Christmas. Christmas trees, cookies and lights are more often celebrated before the season beginning on
the 25th. Even beyond the Christmas season, we live in a culture of instant rather than delayed gratification. Music is no exception. “All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone,” Blaise Pascal said in 1600. We are not a more contemplative society today. These three modern weaknesses – overindulgence, impatience and a fear of silence – are precisely fought against during a serious practice of Advent. Far from solely being a practice of individual sanctification, Advent is also an investigation of the real sense
Isaac Willour
es such as the college hosting Jemar Tisby and the oddout course containing books by pro-CRT authors were tantamount to “threatening the (school’s) academic and spiritual foundations.” In the wake of President McNulty’s (‘80) response, this issue illustrated the importance of avoiding hysteria in battles against improper ideas. The flawed information within the petition likely was not rooted in malice or a conscious desire to harm the college. The effect of the petition, however, intended or otherwise, was to conjure up fears in many members of the campus community that the college was slipping in its mission to foster sound learning and correct values. That such fears were created should be a warning of how careful we need to be with handling issues like critical race theory in academia. A simple depiction of a campus event, mistold, misheard or misinterpreted, can quickly snowball into a panic over the presence of faulty ideas. Such snowball effects are the kind of things that the Right has done well to criticize in the past. When conservative ideas like smaller government and values like free speech are attacked on campuses, the Right is quick to point out that words are not violent, rational conversation is important and the presence of controversial
CHRISTMAS 11
Wisdom in the war Staff Writer
To say that critical race theory (CRT) is one of the biggest ideological issues facing American academia today is no new insight. It has fueled countless discussions at school boards, sparked numerous debates over curriculums taught to young children and forced our nation to confront the deeply important question of whether the tenets of CRT are worth inculcating in millions of students across the nation. Answering that question is not easy. Not only is the political Right divided on the issue, from advocating bans in the name of preserving American values to questioning the effectiveness of existing anti-CRT policy. The handling of critical race theory is complicated by issues of proper definition, political portrayals (more often, misportrayals) and the fact that CRT’s most problematic aspects rarely end up drawing proportional amounts of criticism. Through all of this, however, one issue ought to hit particularly close to home to those on the political Right: avoiding hysteria. Recently, the argument over critical race theory hit home with the “Save GCC from CRT” petition. The petition claimed that occurrenc-
CRT 11
The Collegian,
Dec. 3, 2021
Page 9
No ‘little town blues’ here
Jackson Romo Contributing Writer
Perhaps no one is more American than Frank Sinatra. Nominally religious, a self-made man, the child of immigrants—Sinatra encapsulates America, both its struggles and philosophy. As I returned home to my grandparents’ farm in East Texas this Thanksgiving, I couldn’t help but reflect on his song, “New York, New York.” Sinatra celebrates a grand life in the big city and laments small town living: “These little town blues are melting away; I’m gonna make a brand-new start of it, in old New York.” Such sentiment is perfectly American. We love progress, economic development and the convenience that accompanies urban living. But it is worth pondering how much we sacrifice for such comfort. Most of all, we have given up community in our quest for urbanization. In the big city, there is no sense of permanency. People move into houses they did not build, because it is cheap or in a good school district, not because they belong to that place. Young people rent homes or apartments just to up and leave as soon as they find a higher paying job in a bigger city or a promotion in a new state. Thus, cities and suburbs alike are filled with neighbors who have never met each other. Their only common relation to one another is the neighborhood Homeowner’s Association. Urban living separates us from reality. Living five minutes from a grocery store makes one forget that we urbanites rely on rural people to work the land and harvest our food. Living amidst urban sprawl makes one forget both the terror and beauty of God’s nature. As a Boy Scout, my fondest memories are not of weekly meetings in a church building, but camping at Thurmond Ranch, or summiting Guadalupe Peak in far West Texas. The dizzying speed of urban living also robs us of joy
Contributing Writer
Campus Pride has named Grove City College and nearly 200 other higher education institutions across the U.S. some of the “absolute worst, most unsafe campuses for LGBTQ youth” and therefore “‘fundamentally unsafe for all students...’” Campus Pride, aiming to foster safe environments and inform society for American LGBTQ students, compiled the “Worst List” – the longest yet – with criterion for inclusion being schools that have “1) Received and/or applied for a Title IX exemption to discriminate against LGBTQ youth and/or 2) Demonstrated past history and track record of anti-LGBTQ actions, programs and practices.” Nearly all listed schools are Christian schools. The college’s placement is primarily due to its famous refusal to sign a Title IX compliance form in 1983; this law prohibits sex discrimination. Ultimately, the refusal
What do you think about course evals? Katherine Smucz “I tend to do the course evaluations. I know that some of my professors really value them. I don’t really know that they listen to them. I know that one of them, he asks constantly about textbooks and if they were useful, but I know that he does tend to listen to that.” Ethan Buckingham “They give a lot of feedback to the professors, and things like that. It can be a bit of an outlet for frustrated students where they can voice their opinions a little too much, but I think they’re good overall, becasue they allow professors to make the official changes to their classes.”
SEAN PAVONE
in our work. I cannot help but think of my dad, bending over backwards to build or remodel houses as fast as he can for foreigners—people fleeing their own urban states (like California), only to bring that lifestyle to Texas. In contrast, my Nana and Papa have mastered the art of doing absolutely nothing. We love spending hours with them at the farm, sitting on rocking chairs on the front porch, drinking sweet tea and conversing. I am thankful for Grove City because of its smalltown atmosphere. My friends are only a five-minute walk away. Residing on a small campus means I know half the people I pass on the way to class every day. Being without a car adds to the depth of my relationships.
Walking everywhere forces me to enjoy the company of the people I am with, while driving would undoubtedly places more emphasis on the destination or activity. Before I came to Grove City, I wanted to be a U.S. Senator. But life at Grove City for a year has taught me how valuable friends and family are, and how sacred time is. Living in D.C. would mean splitting my time between Texas and Washington. It would mean attending to national education policy, while forsaking my own children’s education. It would mean living amidst a sea of cement, sitting in a chair all day, never being able to work with my hands. My dream now is to be a small-town attorney or a local judge. To those who are dying to
leave their hometowns, or who are chasing a job in the big city, I would only remind you of what you are giving up. If you love Grove City, it is due in large part to the quality community on this campus. You would be hardpressed to find community like this in a big city or participate in it if your work required extensive travel. Under the gaze of eternity, how much money you make does not matter, but community does. It provides us with heroes, mentors and fellow laborers in the Kingdom of Christ. As you reflect on this holiday season, do not be like Walter Hobbs from Elf, who spent so much of his life worshipping his job that he neglected the beauty of family, friends and an edifying vocation.
GCC on the Campus Pride List 2021 Annalese Aderholt
Word on the street...
resulted in the 1984 U.S. Supreme Court decision Grove City College v. Bell. The college does not receive any federal funding and is therefore completely exempt from Title IX. Also, in 2017, 12 professors of the college signed the “Nashville Statement,” which lays out orthodox Christian beliefs on marriage and sexual identity. Plainly, the college has been placed on this list not because its students, faculty or staff desire to discriminate against LGBTQ students, as the Pride List’s criterion claim, or even due to a history of poor treatment of LGBTQ students. Instead, Grove City College pushed back against governmental control of affairs (particularly financially) and was included for its Christian values. In my opinion, Grove City’s placement on this list is unjustified. Including colleges in this list because they have a Title IX exemption, a criterion that is being misapplied as this is not evidence of discrimination. Using signings of the “Nashville Statement” to validate inclusion on a list and assuming the college to be “unsafe,” while not cit-
ing a single incident or experience, lacks viability. The well-researched Justices in the 1984 case expressed that the “college did not, in fact, discriminate against anyone.” This statement alone debunks Campus Pride’s first criterion for the list. To me, the college’s placement on the 2021 Campus Pride list is an attempt to connect dots that are simply not there. Just because Grove City and the other schools listed have a Title IX exemption, does not mean it was sought in order to discriminate or because of a belief that LGBTQ+ people should be “condemned.” In Grove City’s case and according to President McNulty, the Title IX exemption “has never been about discrimination,” but independence and freedom from the regulations from the federal government that may not be aligned with GCC’s beliefs. Plus, the college still adheres to many principles in Title IX in order to best and equally serve the student body. Similarly, the notion that Grove City and the other schools on the list hold orthodox Christian beliefs does not
necessarily mean they have discrimination problems or would be a bad environment for LGBTQ students. In some cases, this may be true, and the list cites those occasions; however, the college has had no such incidents. The Nashville Statement shows the gospel to be principal, emphasizing God’s overwhelming grace and love. The statement in no way advocates for or supports any poor treatment of LGBTQ people. Inclusion of Grove City College just does not add up logically. Perhaps, if Campus Pride did a cultural research study among the student body and professors at Grove City, in which interviews, polling, etc. took place, there could be a serious discussion on this issue. That would be a study and a list worth reading and thinking deeply about. No school wants to be “unsafe” in this or any capacity. But a list that lazily includes every school with a Title IX exemption or a strong Christian stance is unworthy of serious consideration. Due to its simplistic inclusion methods, it is too extreme and fundamentally flawed.
Alejandra Flores “I have some professsors that encourage us to do course evals because I think they actually look at them, but I know there are certain professors that don’t look at them either, so maybe make them optional. Would love to get extra credit for them, that would be great. Extra credit course evals? I would do those religiously!” Kayla Hubbard “Course evaluations are a great idea, but I think it would be a lot better if ewe understood how much professors actually read them, because sometimes I just feel like they’re a thing that no one really cares about anymore, and they were cool when they started, but now, I don’t know if anybody even looks at them.” Ruby Herrera “I haven’t had a professor more than once at all recently, but I do think that they don’t take much time to do. I think they can be useful, if professors actually were to evaluate them themselves aw well, and actually put them into practice. I think they are a useful tool, but I think if professors don’t then it’s just a waste of time, and something that shouldn’t happen. But it doesn’t take much to do, so from a student’s point of view, it should not be too much of an issue to actually do them. But it doesn’t matter what we do as long as the professors actually evaluate them and take them into response and actually add them to their curriculum and evaluate what they’re going to do.”
Entertainment The Collegian, Dec. 3, 2021
Page 10
Hawkeye makes his mark
Barton’s character development as a result of ‘Endgame’ Noel Elvin
Community Editor “Your problem is branding,” Kate Bishop told Clint Barton in the second episode of Marvel’s newest Disney+ miniseries, “Hawkeye.” Jeremy Renner has played the character of Clint Barton, also known as Hawkeye, in five different Marvel movies and is best known for his friendship with Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, throughout these. Up until Nov. 24, he was never a lead character but simply a wellknown sidekick that some people loved and others disregarded. And if Bishop’s claim was true, his lack of branding has since been solved with his own miniseries. Episode one of “Hawkeye” opened amidst the Battle of New York, which was first seen in the third act of “The Avengers.” We see Bishop, who will fulfill the role of Hawkeye’s protégé, as a child look out from her home as an alien creature is about to attack her, just prior to Barton shooting the creature from afar. Despite not seeing Hawkeye shoot the creature, Bishop looks at Barton in awe. Through the opening credits, we see Bishop progress in her archery and martial art skills, coming to be a young, well-trained archer, who later claims to be “the world’s greatest archer” to Barton’s face.
Bishop’s character, porAmerica: The First trayed by Hailee Steinfeld, Avenger.” This musiso far lacked depth and cal portrayed, once proof of character developagain, the Battle of ment. New York, although Due to the loss of both now contrasting the her dad and home during show’s opening scene the Battle of New York and with all the sparkle of witnessing it from a gaptheater. ing hole in the side of her Despite his desire house, one would expect to lay low and return more depth to a charachome, we still witness ter after witnessing such Barton’s commitment events as a mere 11-yearto doing what is right old. Instead, she simply in undesired circumasked her mom for a bow stances as he ensures and arrow at her father’s Bishop’s safety after a funeral having yet to reseries of unfortunate visit the trauma of these encounters with his events. Ronin Hawkeye’s suit, an character deundervelopment had ground progressed seamblack-marlessly from his last apket auction pearance in “Avengers: and the Tracksuit Endgame.” His humor and Mafia. wit had diminished slightly This minisedue to the trauma he had exries brings back perienced during the temmemories from disporary loss of his family, tant movies, as the his Ronin years and world’s greatest arthe death of Rocher collides with manoff. his protégé. During his Although it is MARVEL encounters withJeremy Renner and Hailee Steinfeld star in Disney’s newest miniseries, “Hawkeye.” inadvertent on Bishop, it was eviboth ends, Bardent he did not want to re- went silent as Barton was of Hawkeye’s hearing aids ton remains undesiring of visit his Ronin days and sim- triggered, experiencing flash- in the MCU, a distinct char- the encounter with Bishop ply wanted to make it home back memories right before acteristic of Hawkeye in the throughout the first two epito his family for Christmas, Romanoff died in “Avengers: Marvel comics. sodes, while Bishop can’t Endgame” and his days as “Hawkeye,” like all MCU leaving his violent days in help but beg for his training. Ronan. movies and series, had many the past. “Hawkeye” provides amAs he came back to real- connections to other MCU ple opportunity to continue One instance portrayed this in the theater when Bar- ity, his daughter asked him stories. “Rogers: The Musi- growing Barton’s character ton took his children to see if he turned off his hearing cal” brings Captain Ameri- development and storyline, the Broadway production, aids, artistically giving pur- ca’s story full circle from his on top of developing that of “Rogers: The Musical.” The pose to the dramatic silence. rookie musical theater days the upcoming Hawkeye: Kate music faded, and everything This was the first mention selling war bonds in “Captain Bishop.
Crappy Cali Christmas Chris Murphy Design Chief
With the end of the semester in sight comes the onslaught of papers, projects, presentations and exams that wreak havoc on Grovers. I am no exception to this, and in spite of it all, I decided to blow off my capstone project to watch “A California Christmas” on Netflix. It was not a good decision. Formerly ranked first on the global streaming charts by the media giant, I can’t imagine how many others had to endure what I have. The movie opens by introducing the central character, Joseph, as he leaves a onenight stand to go to work. When he arrives at his mother’s real estate office, he is assigned to convince a small, rural family to sign over their historic farmland to build a shipping facility. Upon arriving, he is assumed to be the new farmhand and begins intimately working with the property’s manager, Callie. Romance ensues. Joseph thus has to decide whether he wants to fulfill his commitment to the family business or preserve the livelihood of his new flame. Most of the major holiday movie tropes are represented well throughout the film: a sick parent, a token minority character as the comedy relief, a jealous old friend and a mountain of loss. At first glance, “A California Christmas” seems typical for the season. The contrived plot, conflict and romance are what most people would
Tunes from the Tower...
‘Torches’
Chris Murphy Design Chief
Callie cuddles with cold Californian con-man. expect for this style of movie. Yet, the content switching between nonsensical to artificial makes for some lawsuit-grade whiplash. Using the Great French Wine Blight and an accurate depiction of a calf birth to build the same plot makes for a less-thanpleasant watch. Oh, and don’t forget the nepotism. Lauren and Josh Swickard star as the main couple, and Ali Afshar as Joseph’s butler. This seems innocuous enough, until you see Lauren listed as a writer and co-producer alongside Ali. Having had this information beforehand, I saw the movie as a desperate attempt to establish the actors as legitimate talent in the industry. The campy atmosphere mixed with the over-involvement gives off a “family highlight reel” impression. Copious slow-motion shots don’t help either. “A California Christmas” is also certainly the least Christmassy movie I’ve seen with the word “Christmas” in the title. One of Netflix’s attempts to supply “so-bad-
NETFLIX
it’s-good” holiday movie magic, of which Hallmark has a monopoly, the film legitimately hurt to watch. The movie is so concerned about the feigned drama and showing the main characters shirtless that it forgets to bring Christmas into the story. Christmas is presented as this unflinching harbinger of the central conflict and is used as a timepiece instead of a celebration. This movie is the “Die Hard” of the Hallmark movie genre. Of course, there’s no snow in California either, save for the asbestos that’s sprayed into the air at the end. Do not be deceived by the middle-of-the-road ratings you may find online. The same audience that unironically purchases romance novels from Rite Aid is the audience that would enjoy this atrocity. There are no redeeming qualities about this movie aside from the rare moments of quality score. I cringed and recoiled during the entire movie. I shouted in frustration and laughed in disbelief. 0.3 out of 10.
Although I’ve already reviewed Foster the People in this section before, I’ve been listening to their album, “Torches,” a lot lately, and decided it deserved a recommendation. The band recently held a few concerts to celebrate this album, which were uploaded online and have made up the majority of what I have recently been listening to. “Torches” has been one of the most influential albums for me and has heavily contributed to my preference of indie pop and alternative music. The album is much more approachable than “Supermodel,” which I reviewed a few issues ago. Listeners will immediately recognize “Pumped Up Kicks,” hav-
ing billions of plays across a number of streaming platforms. The tracks are mostly bright and poppy, with catchy choruses and rhythms. “Houdini” and “Helena Beat” have strong drumlines and are solid additions to most playlists. “Life on the Nickel,” “Warrant” and “Call It What You Want” have a more out-there, yet catchy, style silmilar to “Supermodel.” The album also has a soft side: “I Would Do Anything for You” and “Waste” serve as emotional ballads, the band’s comparatively rare love songs. One of the most striking things about the band is the variety of ideas expressed through their music, making each song unique and interesting. It’s definitely worth a listen.
Sports The Collegian, Dec. 3, 2021
Page 11
Sports at a Glance News
Football’s star senior wide receiver, Cody Gustafson has been nominated as a semifinalist for the Gagliardi Trophy. The award is for the most outstanding player in NCAA DIII football.
MATTHEW SCHOONOVER
Senior guard Ben Rose pushes past a defnder in Wednesday’s game versus Wanyesburg.
Stung by Waynesburg Yellow Jackets snatch a win
Emma Rossi Staff Writer
Men’s basketball fell to Waynesburg University in their home game Wednesday night with a final score of 62-52. The loss gives Grove City an even 3-3 record, but leaves them 0-2 in conference games. The Wolverines led at the half 28-24 after a back-andforth first half, even extending the lead to 39-31, but went eleven minutes without scoring a field goal in the second half while Waynesburg’s offense caught fire and went on a twenty-point scoring streak. Waynesburg senior Matt Popeck led the Jackets in scoring with sixteen points. A putback from freshman guard Jonah Bock ended the Wolverines’ offensive drought. Grove City’s offensive efforts were distributed evenly across the roster. Senior guard Ben Rose and Bock both led the team in scoring with eight points. Rose had an impressive game with an additional four rebounds and three assists. Freshman guard Chase Yarberough and sophomore forward Sam
Schudel both recorded eight rebounds. Schudel also had seven points for the Wolverines. Grove City shot 21 of 65 from the field, while Waynesburg went 23 of 63. Waynesburg senior guard guard Matt Popeck led the Jackets in scoring with sixteen points and Waynesburg junior Ryan Felberg recorded threepointers, going three for five from downtown. Waynesburg may have bested Grove City in shots from the field, but Grove City pulled ahead with 51 rebounds to Waynesburg’s 39 rebounds. 34 of Grove City’s rebounds were defensive. Freshman center Christian Wiseman earned the Presidents’ Athletics Conference Rookie of the Week honors the week of Nov. 28. Wiseman went 5-5 in scoring in Grove City’s 72-54 win against Houghton. Wiseman is averaging 5.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game. “I’m looking forward to hustling and giving it my all with my teammates,” said Wiseman. “To me, competing against opponents with each other and having fun is
probably the best part of basketball.” Wiseman joins seven other freshmen on Lamie’s 20212022 squad. “The biggest part of the team culture is the sense of community,” Wiseman said. Everyone on the team genuinely cares for one another. We want each other to succeed, and we all push each other to the best of our abilities.” As for the team’s goals, Wiseman reconfirmed their standard of play, saying, “As a team, our goal is to compete for a league championship by playing to a standard in a culture of accountability and love. Our biggest goal as a team is to play our hardest on the court. To give one hundred percent effort.” The Wolverines have the remainder of the week to rally their efforts before playing their next game tomorrow at 3 p.m. at Bethany College in Bethany, W.Va. Bethany is coming into their sixth game of the season with a 1-4 record. The Bison got their first win of the season against the Franciscan Barons on Wednesday night with a 103100 decision.
CHRISTMAS
CRT
and meaning of Christmas. Advent is the imitation of the people of Israel, as they waited for thousands of years for their Messiah. What we need in the world is the discipline to keep our (even my) favorite genre of music silent for a long month. Instead, we could really celebrate all 12 days of Christmastide by properly preparing ourselves in imitation of the early church and of Israel herself. Let all mortal flesh keep silence.
ideas calls for more speech, not less. Yet, when it comes to ideas like CRT, how quickly can we go into damage control mode on controversial ideas that do not happen to be on “our side”? We digress so quickly that we run the risk of not realizing we may not have gotten all of our facts straight. As we look at this issue, however, we must be accurate in our understanding and beware allowing misinterpretations and misimpres-
sions to guide our analysis. We must be precise, consistent and properly informed. We cannot afford to fail. The complicated nature of the question does not excuse us from basic principles of intellectual honesty: accuracy, consistency and wisdom. The high stakes of our current conflicts do not mean that we get to treat those principles as mere suggestions. On the contrary, in these arguments, those principles are more important than ever.
MBA
economics) or worry about not having been in the classroom recently, the college is offering an online bridge program where students can contact the Office of Graduate and Online Programs to collaborate on a personalized pathway to prepare them. Crute said that “Grove City College has a vision for supporting lifelong learning,” and the college anticipates a few new master’s programs over the next several years in addition to the MSBA (Master of Science in Business Analytics) program already in place, which teaches graduate students how to convert data to meaningful informa-
tion. Crute said, “We’ve already received so much positive feedback from area employers who seek to hire our graduates.” Additionally, having an MBA creates options for students seeking employment in upper-level roles such as financial/marketing manager, advisor or any other leadership roles relating to the broad area of knowledge covered in the MBA program. The Wall Street Journal called an MBA a “graduate degree that pays off” and noted that most graduates make more than they borrowed within two years.
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or are employed while in the program.” It is for this reason that the college encourages some work experience prior to entering the program or encourages students to take the program part-time alongside their work. However, Crute acknowledged that “undergrads are most welcome in the program.” For students who do not feel prepared to enroll in the program, do not have the necessary prerequisites (basic knowledge of accounting, finance, marketing, calculus,
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Gustafson concluded his college football career in the ECAC Scotty Whitelaw bowl on Nov. 20 with 13 catches for 232 yards and 4 touchdowns. Gustafson also earned PAC Offensive Player of the year for the second year in a row. The wide receiver leads active NCAA players 5,305 career receiving yards. The winner will be announced live on Dec. 9 on d3football. com.
Results
Men’s Basketball (3-3, 0-2 PAC): L, Waynesburg (62-52) W, Houghton (72-54)
Women’s Basketball (4-1, 2-0 PAC): W, Waynesburg (63-55) W, Houghton (87-58)
Football (8-3, 6-3 PAC): W, Utica (49-7)
Women’s Swimming & Diving (3-2-1, 2-0 PAC): W, Franciscan (155-100) L, Rochester (207-89)
Men’s Swimming & Diving (3-2, 1-0 PAC): L, Rochester (199.5-86.5)
Upcoming
Men’s Swimming & Diving: Dec. 2-4, Calvin Winter Invitational, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Women’s Swimming & Diving: Dec. 2-4, Calvin Winter Invitational, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Men’s Track & Field: Dec. 3, 2:00 p.m. at YSU
Women’s Track & Field: Dec. 3, 2:00 p.m. at YSU
Women’s Basketball: Dec. 4, 1:00 p.m. at Bethany
Dec. 7, 5:30 p.m. vs. Carnegie Mellon
Men’s Basketball:
Dec. 4, 3:00 p.m. at Bethany Dec. 7, 7:00 p.m. at Kenyon
WOLVERINE WEEKLY HONORS
Christian Wiseman Sam Belitz Men’s Soccer Men’s Basketball Rookie of the Week USC Third Team All-Region VII
WBB
continued from 12 rated for Christmas, and the Grove City pep band played familiar Christmas songs to encourage the festive mood. The win against Waynesburg gives the Wolverines a 2-0 conference record. The team will face Bethany at 1 p.m. tomorrow in Bethany, W. Va.
Tirzah Lloyd Women’s Soccer USC Third Team All-Region VII
“We have some things to clean up as we go into the weekend,” Fuss said. “We will keep working at getting one percent better each day.” Bethany is coming into their second conference game of the season with a 4-1 overall record, and a 1-0 PAC record, defeating the Franciscan Barons 70-33 in their last game.
Sports The Collegian, Dec. 3, 2021
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MATTHEW SCHOONOVER
Junior guard Megan Kallock dribbles down the court in Wednesday’s game versus Waynesburg. The women went on to win their first home game 63-55.
Christmas comes early Women’s basketball notches first home win Emma Rossi Staff Writer
Women’s basketball came out victorious Wednesday night in their home opener of the 2021-2022 season. The Wolverines defeated Waynesburg University with a final score of 63-55. The Wolverines had a 3-1 record coming into Wednesday’s game, while Waynesburg had a record of 0-6. Grove City defeated Waynesburg in last season’s home opener on Feb. 3 as well. The Wolverines came off an eleven-day stint with-
out a game after their game against Pitt-Greensburg was cancelled. Head Coach Chelle Fuss, now in her ninth season with the program, said, “We haven’t played in 10 days, so today was a great day to get it started again.” The Wolverines won their last game on Saturday, Nov. 20 at Houghton College. The game was a runaway with a final score of 87-58. Freshman guard Mara Polczynski opened the scoring for the night on a layup off a steal, setting the tone for a game that Grove City would dominate offensively and defensively.
Fuss said, “We played hard and with great intensity. It was a full team effort.” Several Grove City players put up impressive numbers on Wednesday night. Freshman guard Jaden Davinsizer led the team in scoring with 15 points, going five for seven from the field. Davinsizer joins Polczynski and nine other freshmen to make up the majority of the team this season. Starting junior guard Megan Kallock, who won Presidents’ Athletics Conference Player of the Week honors on Nov. 22, finished the game with three rebounds, three assists and
14 points. Senior forward Allison Podkul led the Wolverines’ defensive charge, racking up 13 total rebounds, 10 of which were off Waynesburg’s basket. The Wolverines were up 34-31 at the half and went on to score 12 points, while holding Waynesburg to only one point, scored on a foul shot. They held their largest lead at the beginning of the fourth quarter after a three-pointer from Kallock put them up by 17 points. The Wolverines forced 27 Waynesburg turnovers, scoring 29 points off the Jackets’ blunders. Before exiting the game at
the start of the fourth quarter with an injury, Sophomore forward Kat Goetz had eight rebounds, two assists, and 12 points. Goetz earned Honorable Mention All-PAC last season after averaging a double-double. She also led the conference in rebounding and field goal accuracy, shooting 58.6 percent from the field. The team was met with a full student section for the Christmas red-out. “It was awesome having fans in the stands today,” Fuss said. Grove City Arena was decoWBB 11
National Sports Column
AFC gets a new look this season Connor Schlosser Staff Writer
Four weeks remain in the NFL regular season. While the NFC records have largely filled out according to predictions, the AFC is very much different. The Baltimore Ravens sit atop the AFC standings. Lamar Jackson is a top-ten quarterback but is not as dominant as he once was. Their offense has options, the biggest x-factor being tight end Mark Andrews, who never seems to be in the Kelce-Kittle conversation but is arguably just as effective in the end zone. Baltimore needs to play consistent football on the offensive end, as there are several eager teams eyeing the top seed in the conference waiting for one misstep. If after week two you said that the Patriots would be the second seed in the AFC with four weeks remaining, football analysts would have thought you were joking. It has been a hard pill to swallow for non-New England fans to see Bill Belichick and company in the playoff picture yet again. Mac Jones has proven to
be the most efficient rookie quarterback in this year’s NFL draft class. Jones boasts the third best completion percentage among quarterbacks with an impressive 70.2 percent. Mac Jones’s stability and consistency is not the only thing attributed to New England’s success. Firsttime Patriots Hunter Henry and Kendrick Bourne have been proving they are worth the contracts. Henry has been an especially reliable weapon in the endzone, with seven touchdowns on the season already. Linebacker Matthew Judon has earned his paycheck as well as a new Patriot this season. The former Baltimore Raven has been feasting on the defensive end, ranking third in sacks with 11.5 just behind Myles Garrett and T.J. Watt. The Patriots have been rejuvenated both with their new signings, finally settling in with the team’s style of play and a cast of returning defensive players from a season’s hiatus due to COVID-19 such as Dont’a Hightower. Mix in a consistent young quarterback and the greatest coach in football, and you have recipe for a Su-
per Bowl contender. Tennessee was projected to be the favorites out of the AFC until injury plagued their all-star core. With the tandem wide receiver core of Julio Jones and A.J. Brown being both placed on injury reserve and superstar running back Derrick Henry undergoing season ending foot surgery, the Titans hopes for the Super Bowl now look very grim. The Chiefs look to return to Super Bowl form from last season. What was a rough start now seems to be turning around for the offense. Mahomes remains the best quarterback in the conference with his combined passing and flexibility in the slot, having the fastest receivers in Tyreek Hill and Mecole Hardman. The Bills face off against the Patriots on Monday, Dec. 6. It will determine AFC supremacy going forward. Buffalo has patiently waited for their time as the top dogs of the conference, living in the shadow of New England and ot her dynasties. Josh Allen had an amazing season last year, and he is on track to match or even surpass those stats from last season. Buffalo is known for their de-
BLEACHER REPORT
Lamar Jackson throws a pass in Sunday’s game against the Browns Baltimore defeated Cleveland 16-10 fensive dominance, and the in the NFC with the Packers strong chemistry between and Buccaneers vying for Allen and Stefon Diggs may the top spot, the AFC landstretch defenses thin. scape could be experiencing While history repeats itself a change of scenery.