The GēDUNK March 2021

March 2021

MEANWHILE ... ’Mid the pines, our story unfolds

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Grove City College

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PAC sports are back: Lindsey Stanforth ’21 jumps for a layup in the Wolverines’ home opener of the 2021 season. It was the first game played on campus in nearly a year. The women’s basketball team topped Waynesburg 67-51 in the Feb. 3 matchup. For more about this unprecedented sports season, see “Wolverines Together … Again” on page 28.

March 2021

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M E Grove City College

SSAGE

F ROM

THE

PRES ID EN T

MEANWHILE … THE BLESSINGS CONTINUE

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t’s the middle of another winter here at Grove City College. As I write this, a fresh inch of snow arrived last night, but the ever-present stretches of gray clouds are giving way to expanding patches of soft blue sky. The sun is even expected to make a cameo appearance today. Outside my Crawford Hall window, students, bundled in puffy down coats (and a fellow or two in shorts – get ready Zerbe) make their way around the Quad – or across it; how dare they! The ubiquitous face masks work double-duty in this frigid weather. It is hardly a normal time early in the second semester, but students are happy to be back on campus.

And so it goes at the start of 2021. Charles Dickens and the Apostle James come to mind.

Contrasting the riches of London with the poverty of Paris, Dickens famously wrote, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” More pertinent are the words from James 1:2-4, “Consider it all joy…when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” While this past year has been an enormous trial for all of us, we are witnessing God’s tremendous goodness to the College. In many ways, the past 12 months have been among the best in our history, particularly in the areas of academic innovation, student recruitment, and financial support.

Innovation has been the watchword for academic affairs. The highly successful launch of the Charles Jr. and Betty Johnson School of Nursing, the exciting rollout of two compelling graduate degree programs, and the incredible expansion of our online learning initiative (over 1,000 students for our summer courses) have taken us to a higher level of academic excellence.

There is a strong sense of expectation on campus. We look forward to an extensive renovation of Henry Buhl Library starting this summer that will transform this space into a 21st century facility for study, research, and collaboration. What will be next?

Applications for the incoming freshman class are the highest in 15 years. We are hearing from high school students from all over the country who are excited about the clarity and boldness of our mission and the genuineness of our community. We are an appealing destination for all who are weary of elitist foolishness and yearn for wisdom and the affirmation of timeless values. And we are an oasis for those who long for a caring culture rather than a cancel culture. In addition, our commitment to affordability has resulted in the lowest tuition increase in 30 years, making Grove City College unquestionably one of the best buys in higher education.

Finally, we are deeply thankful for the extraordinary support we have received from alumni, families of students, and friends of the College. Last June, we smashed our all-time record in annual giving by nearly $1 million. Then, as this academic year began, we were blessed by the largest unrestricted gift in college history – $4 million from entrepreneur Richard Staley ’62. The Lord knew we would need extra help this year. Our COVID costs currently exceed $3 million, almost 5 percent of our annual operating expenses. Nearly every other university and college is receiving major special funding from the federal government to help with these largely unplanned expenses. But we will continue to forego such funding and hold fast to our distinctive independence. In this current environment, our goal now is to replicate last year’s historic fundraising success as we seek to offset rising and unanticipated costs, increase financial aid awards, and enhance the student experience.

Though the pandemic has been a hard trial for all of us, you will see in the following pages that we continue to be blessed in remarkable ways. Our bold vision to be the best Christian liberal arts college in America is not strategic bravado. It is a shared appreciation of God’s promise: “Commit your work to the Lord and your plans will be established.” (Proverbs 16:3) Though new trials may await us, we will remain hopeful that there will always be a “meanwhile” to the inspiring story of Grove City College.

EDITORIAL BOARD Jeffrey Prokovich ’89 Vice President for Advancement Melissa (Trifaro ’96) MacLeod Senior Director of Alumni and College Relations Jacki Muller Senior Director of Marketing and Communications EDITORIAL STAFF Nick Hildebrand Managing Editor Janice (Zinsner ’87) Inman Associate Editor, Class Notes, In Memory, Babies Brad Isles Associate Editor Joanie L. Baumgartner Director of Advancement Communications Amy Evans Associate Director of Advancement Communications OFFICE OF ALUMNI & COLLEGE RELATIONS Tricia Corey Carrie Sankey Charlene (Griffin ’83) Shaw COLLEGE ARCHIVES Hilary (Lewis ’09) Walczak OFFICE OF DEVELOPMENT Brian Powell ’03 Kelly Conger Karen (Irwin ’85) Daum Elizabeth (Smith ’81) Hanley Zach Jew ’11 Adam Nowland ’07 DESIGN Justin Harbaugh Art Director/Graphic Designer ALUMNI ASSOCIATION Jana Volante Walshak ’07 President Carol (MacGamwell ’79) Yannuzzi Vice President Cover photograph by Kiley (Hajak ’19) Miranda Interior photography by Jason Jones, Andrew Stein ’18, Mac Hancock ’23, Wesley Kinney ’21, Liney Parker ’20, Josh Wanek ’21, Matthew Schoonover ’23, Justin Harbaugh, Nick Hildebrand, Brad Isles, Kiley (Hajak ’19) Miranda

Grove City College 100 Campus Drive

Paul J. McNulty ’80 President

Grove City, PA 16127 724.458.2300 888.GCC.GRAD alumni.gcc.edu

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March 2021

’mid the pages

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MEANWHILE ... In which we turn our attention away from the stories that have dominated the narrative over the last few months to see what else has been happening in Grove City College’s story. Inside you’ll learn about the advances in scholarship, new academic initiatives, alumni outreach, stewardship success, major projects that are part of the story now unfolding, and the work being done to write future chapters.

I NS I D E

7 | Upfront News from campus 28 | Wolverines Together ... Again 30 | Apiary Abuzz 33 | Class Notes Find out what fellow alumni are doing 37 | In Memory Friends we’ve lost and remember 41 | Li’l Wolverines Introducing our newest Grovers 42 | Faith & Learning A faculty perspective

Connect with us: The GēDUNK, an award-winning magazine published for alumni and friends of Grove City College, highlights College news and alumni achievements. Named after the on-campus gathering place / snack bar for students since the early 1950s, the word “Gedunk” made its way into the Grove City College vernacular when Navy veterans returned to campus and brought the term with them. For decades, the Grove City College Gedunk has been the place to come together to share news and ideas, live and learn, and this magazine strives to connect our family in similar style. College and University Public Relations and Associated Professionals (CUPRAP) has recognized the GēDUNK with awards for excellence in design and writing for five consecutive years.

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FUTURE GENERATIONS WILL SHAPE THE WORLD.

Grove City College

Your legacy will give them the tools and inspiration to succeed.

Make a gift in your will to Grove City College It’s a win-win situation: • Your gift costs you nothing • It may effectively reduce taxes on your estate • You make it possible for students like Tori and Jed to receive the transformative education they need to influence and impact society for good.

Contact Adam Nowland ’07 J.D. at 724-458-3865 or by email at nowlandav@gcc.edu for more information about how you can create an inspiring legacy at Grove City College. Request your free, personalized planning information at giftplanning.gcc.edu/resources.

If you would like to support Grove City College through your will, please consider using the following language: “I give and devise to Grove City College (Tax ID 25-1065148), located in Grove City, PA, all (or state a percentage) of the rest, residue and remainder of my estate to be used for its general support (or a specific fund or program).”

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March 2021

upfront

News about the College, alumni, students, campus, faculty, and sports

College weathers a pandemic semester, proceeds with a spring on campus “There are just over 90 days between today and Thanksgiving. With heightened conscientiousness, a spirit of self-sacrifice and the sweet providence of God, we will write one of the most memorable chapters in Grove City College’s illustrious history.”

– President Paul J. McNulty ’80 on the first day of fall classes

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nd so it was written. While many other colleges and universities conducted their classes online in the fall, Grove City College delivered on its promise to hold classes in-person and provide students with the residential experience that is a crucial part of the transformational education they receive at the College.

McNulty’s confidence in the College was borne out when the last students left for Thanksgiving break to finish up the semester as planned, with a week of classes and finals taken online. It wasn’t easy, but nearly 2,300 students and hundreds of employees made it happen.

After the mass exodus last spring during the pandemic’s first wave, the College was committed to bringing students back to campus in the fall and developed a comprehensive plan to protect the campus and mitigate the impact of coronavirus on student life. Students were screened and in some cases tested before arrival on campus, stayed masked up in classes and indoor common areas, practiced social distancing, limited their travel, and adapted to dozens of other new policies and protocols to protect themselves, others, and the community.

Adherence to the plan, and adjustments made along the way, demonstrated the determination of students, faculty, and

staff to look out for each other and live the scriptural dictum of love of neighbor.

While many things were different, many things stayed the same. Fall sports seasons were postponed, chapel requirements reduced, some in-person events limited, and others shifted to virtual versions.

But students and faculty connected in

“What’s keeping me going is the fact that we are all on campus together – facing a challenge, growing together, learning together.”

quarantine on campus, at home or in local hotels, where the College’s Quarantine Care Team ministered to their needs.

“Managing the risks associated with this virus is an unprecedented challenge. Our staff, faculty, and administrators responded with extraordinary dedication and skill. It presented a considerable hardship for many students, and we are deeply thankful for their understanding and resilience,” McNulty said.

In January, students returned for a second semester under the pandemic. “We know there are major uncertainties about COVID-19 in 2021, but we are determined to push forward with the best college experience for our students that we can achieve,” McNulty said.

lecture halls and labs despite masks and shields, Spikeball sets and hammocks got a workout as social life moved out-of-doors, Homecoming was observed and royalty was named even without a parade or football game, lifelong friendships were forged – at a safe social distance – and campus’ annual fall foliage show was the best in years.

Bio health major Caleb Richardson ’22 summed up the attitude of many students: “What’s keeping me going is the fact that we are all on campus together – facing a challenge, growing together, learning together.”

Grove City College was largely successful in its efforts to stem the spread of the disease, with approximately 125 total cases for the semester, many of them asymptomatic. As a result of testing and contact tracing, many students spent some time in isolation or

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Grove City College

Image credit: Stanford University & Cascadia Research Collective

Remora cling to a blue whale in a still from a video captured by a camera affixed to the aquatic mammal. Dr. Erik Anderson’s research into how remora move around on their huge hosts was key to a major biological study published last year.

Major blue whale study highlights impact of Anderson’s remora research

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rofessor of Mechanical Engineering Erik J. Anderson’s research and expertise in fluid dynamics was part of a major study that could lead to breakthroughs in the study of blue whales and the overall health of the world’s oceans.

The work was significant enough to make headlines in The New York Times, Smithsonian, and many leading science publications.

Anderson is a co-author, along with scientists from New Jersey Institute of Technology, Georgia Tech, Stanford, and UC Santa Cruz, of “Remoras pick where they stick on blue whales,” a peer-reviewed article published by the Journal of Experimental Biology.

The article looks at where and how remora – popularly known as suckerfish – attach themselves to larger marine animals such as sharks, marlin, turtles, dolphins, and whales. It’s a symbiotic relationship.

Remoras hitching a ride on larger animals are able to travel farther, avoid predators, eat the “crumbs” of prey, and find mates. In return they feed on parasites that might otherwise impact the larger animal’s health.

Marine biologists are interested in remora for many reasons, but in the case of this study, their ability to adhere to blue whales in specific conditions and the locations they choose were the issue. The answers the research yields may have a major impact on the design and placement of instrumented tags that are used to track whales as part of efforts to understand their biology and protect them, Anderson said.

Anderson specializes in fluid dynamics in research conducted on campus with

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students and at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts.

“This work was especially interesting to me because it involved boundary layers – the thin layer of fluid around any object with flow moving over it where a lot of important things happen. The flow in the boundary layer determines the ‘friction drag’ on an object, like a swimming whale or fish,” Anderson explained.

“Understanding the drag on organisms living in moving fluids can be a window to understanding their behavior and energy use – information that’s important if you are trying to monitor the ecological health of a species.”

Many organisms are adapted to minimize drag and energy use, Anderson said, but the twist in this work is that it involves an organism – remora – that live in or partly in another’s boundary layer. “It reminds me of those Russian stacking Matryoshka dolls,” he said.

To determine the drag on a fish living in the boundary layer of another swimming organism involved using existing aerodynamic data about the drag of nearby or attached objects – which is often greater than the sum of the drag of the two objects when measured separately – and calculating the flow of over a blue whale using computational fluid dynamics using a supercomputer in Barcelona, Spain.

“We needed an international and multidisciplinary team of scientists to pull this off, including biologists, programmers, and engineers,” Anderson said.

The study utilized the first-ever continuous recording of remora behavior on a host organism, using advanced biosensing tags with video recording capabilities. The footage shows remora freely moving around whales 30 times their size, using previously unknown surfing and skimming behaviors along special low-draft traveling lanes in the boundary layer just off the surface of the whale’s body. The researchers found that drag in that area is reduced by up to 72 percent compared to the much more forceful “free stream” just above it.

“In the end we found that remora do generally seek out locations on whales where they experience lower drag, but we also learned that their suction device on the top of their head is so strong that they can hang on just about anywhere if they want to – even the whale’s tail fluke! Nevertheless, in general, they go for the easy ride,” Anderson said.

“This probably saves the remora energy and makes life less costly as they hitchhike on and skim over the whale surface like a NASA probe over an asteroid like it is some mini-world,” he said.

Anderson has been conducting research of whale tags and remora for several years with students in his lab at both Grove City College and at Woods Hole, where he is a guest investigator. Much of his research with students is made possible by the Swezey and Jewell, Moore and MacKenzie funds, which are earmarked for STEM support.

March 2021

Highmark, AHN back nursing’s first class

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$5,500 grant from Highmark Inc. and Allegheny Health Network (AHN) to the College’s Charles Jr. and Betty Johnson School of Nursing will provide each student in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program with a backpack, stethoscope, pen light, customized scrubs, and a jacket so they’ll be ready to start clinical rounds in the fall.

Grove City College established the Johnson School of Nursing in 2019 and began offering the BSN degree this year to a class of 10 students. The College partnered with Butler County Community College (BC3) to create an innovative program that has students dividing their undergraduate years between general education and major-related classes at the College and clinical and professional training through BC3’s accredited and highly regarded nursing school.

Interest in the program is growing, with many prospective students applying for admission in fall 2021. The College is in the process of seeking accreditation from the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing.

Exercise Science students conduct research in the College’s Human Performance Lab in Rockwell Hall in February 2020.

Ketone supplement study details impact on 5K performance

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esearch on the metabolic and performance impact of ketone supplements on 5K runners conducted by Grove City College Exercise Science professors and several students was published this fall in the journal Nutrition & Metabolism.

Spearheaded by Department Chair Philip J. Prins and professors Jeffrey D. Buxton and Dana Ault, the article “Dose response of a novel exogenous ketone supplement on physiological, perceptual and performance parameters” details the impact of ketone supplements across physiological, perceptual, and physical performance parameters in a group of well-trained runners. It was published in September.

They worked with students Tyler Rothfuss ’21, Emilia England ’21, Adam Atwell ’21, Kylie Aiken ’22, Jantzen Hose ’22 and Dalton Jones ’22 on this research project, which was performed in collaboration with colleagues at the University of South Florida.

This is the first analysis comparing the multi-component dose-response of a ketone supplement across blood metabolites, gaseous exchange, respiratory rate, heart rate, perception, and physical and cognitive performance parameters, according to Prins.

Grads third in the state on CPA exam

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epartment of Accounting and Finance graduates are ranked third in the state for medium-sized schools for their performance on the 2019 CPA exam, according to the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA).

First-time alumni test takers posted a pass rate of 66.7 percent, nearly 10 points higher than the national average. Graduates’ average score of 75.6 beats the national average by several points.

Alumni pass rates and scores resulted in the College being ranked 18th among all Pennsylvania colleges and universities, NASBA reported.

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Grove City College

Trueman’s Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self hailed as essential reading for serious believers

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r. Carl Trueman, professor of Biblical and Religious Studies, has a critically acclaimed best-seller on his hands with The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self: Cultural Amnesia, Expressive Individualism, and the Road to Sexual Revolution.

Published in November, Trueman’s latest has earned book of the year accolades from The Gospel Coalition and Southwestern Journal of Theology and been favorably reviewed by Publisher’s Weekly, The American Conservative, and other outlets.

The book examines how the modern conception of identity – individualistic, secular, and inextricably tied to sex – developed and is now fueling a spiritual, theological, and cultural crisis. Published by Crossway, the book is available at Amazon and other outlets.

“My aim is to explain how and why a certain notion of the self has come to dominate the culture of the West, why this self finds its most obvious manifestation in the transformation of sexual mores, and what the wider implications of this transformation are and may well be in the future. Understanding the times is a precondition of responding appropriately to the times. And understanding the times requires a knowledge of the history that has led up to the present. This book is intended as a small contribution to that vital task,” Trueman writes.

“The framework for identity in wider society is deep rooted, powerful, and fundamentally antithetical to the kind of identity promoted as basic in the Bible,” he notes. “Any return to a society built on a broad religious, or even a mere metaphysical, consensus is extremely unlikely.”

Trueman doesn’t offer a “standard conservative Christian polemic against modernity” or “a pietistic exhortation to prayer, study, and sober living” that some might expect, Rod Dreher, author of The Benedict Option, writes in a foreword to The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self. Rather, Dreher says, the book is “a sophisticated survey and analysis of cultural history by a brilliant teacher who is not only an orthodox Christian but also a pastor who understands the actual

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needs of the flock – and who, unlike so many intellectuals, can write like a dream.”

One reviewer said the book is “perhaps the most significant analysis and evaluation of Western culture written by a Protestant during the past 50 years.” Another called it “essential reading for all serious religious believers who rightly sense that the ground is shifting underneath their feet …”

Trueman said he’s “pleasantly surprised” by the book’s reception.

“It’s not a light read but the material has clearly struck a chord with readers,” he said.

He chalks that up to the timeliness of the subject matter, specifically debates around transgender issues that are “transforming everything, from notions of privacy to freedom of speech,” and his tone, which avoids “engaging in the kind of soundbite polemics that characterize so much of public discourse today.”

“My aim is not to destroy those with whom I disagree but to understand them and engage them in a calm and polite manner. People are tired of cheap-shots and want substantial, respectful engagement of difficult and controversial issues,” he said.

March 2021

Ayers’ scholarship garnering widespread attention

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rofessor of Sociology Dr. David J. Ayers’ recent research and writing on Christian marriage, the family, and human sexuality is getting noticed.

Ayers’ article “Parenting Through Puberty” was prominently featured in the September issue of Modern Reformation. The article explores the challenges parents and children face in maintaining a historical and biblical sexual ethic in a culture that seems to be working against them. Ayers details current thinking and research on the subject, including surprising data Ayers about the sexual experience of young evangelicals, and offers concrete steps to building a healthy and scripturally sound approach to guiding young people to sexual faithfulness.

Ayers is currently working on his next book Sex and the Single Evangelical, an expansion of a research brief of the same title that was published by The Institute for Family Studies in 2019. That study drew attention to data detailing the pre-marital sexual behavior of young, self-professed evangelicals. The book is slated for publication by Lexham Press in 2021.

Dr. Shane C. Brower, professor of Physics, accepts the Professor of the Year award from President McNulty.

Brower earns ODK Professor of the Year honor

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rofessor of Physics Dr. Shane C. Brower earned Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK) 2020 Professor of the Year honors.

Usually announced in the spring, the 2020 award ceremony was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic until the fall.

College President Paul J. McNulty ’80 said Brower is an “impactful leader to all of his students” who has promoted excellence and innovation at the College. “He also teaches every course with enthusiasm, passion and genuine care for his students,” McNulty said.

“I love what I am doing at Grove City College, and to be named professor of the year is an affirmation of the love I have for teaching and for this College,” Brower said. He said the College’s commitment to science led him to join the faculty in 1999. “Solid programs in science and engineering require resources and funding that many Christian colleges aren’t willing or able to provide ... I was attracted to GCC because of their commitment to the STEM disciplines as a key part of their liberal arts curriculum, and not merely an afterthought,” he said.

In addition to having his name added to the plaque on the boulder between Breen Student Union and STEM Hall, Brower received a generous gift from the College Alumni Association.

Campbell invites readers to examine the Torah

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r. George Van Pelt Campbell, assistant chair of the Department of Biblical and Religious Studies, said he wrote Invitation to the Torah: A Guide to Reading, Teaching, and Preaching the Pentateuch in a bid to make the oldest scripture relevant for today’s readers, teachers, and preachers.

Campbell explores the first five books of the Christian bible – Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy – and debunks the popular conception of the Torah as “law” in favor of seeing it as a story about how Israel formed a relationship with God and what it took for that relationship to grow. “I argue that it is much like courting, marrying, and living happily ever after. The major lessons apply to believers of all time. There are laws in the Torah, but the larger framework is a grand story in five parts, sort of like Star Wars is a grand story in nine parts,” Campbell said.

Campbell credits Grove City College as playing a “very large part” in producing the book. As well as the support of academic colleagues and the work of his student assistant Charlotte Ebert ’21, Campbell was granted a sabbatical from his teaching duties to complete research and writing. t h e G ēD UNK w w w. g c c.e d u | 11

Grove City College

NOW MORE THAN EVER, WOLVERINES TOGETHER

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$ 1,507,855 1,600,000+ 3,100+ DONORS

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2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 Wolverine Challenge breaks record, engages alumni and friends to support GCC’s mission

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he sixth annual Wolverine Challenge in November raised a record-setting $1.6 million for Grove City College from more than 3,100 donors.

“With the Wolverine Challenge breaking another fundraising record, we are again amazed at the level of support that Grove City College enjoys from our alumni, parents, and friends. This level of generosity and support is an enormous blessing and sets the College apart from other institutions in higher education,” President Paul J. McNulty ’80 said. “The money raised will help more students gain access to a transformational education and ensure that the College can continue to weather the financial challenges associated with the pandemic.”

The Wolverine Challenge is a critical fundraising initiative.

Gifts are earmarked for the Annual Fund, scholarships, and priority funding areas that improve the student experience. The 2020 edition raised $1,646,205 from 3,160 donors.

“The Wolverine Challenge is a great way for the College to connect with its most-invested patrons – alumni and friends who know exactly how private Christian higher education benefits students and society,” Jeffrey D. Prokovich ’89, vice president for Advancement said. “It’s not just how much we raise that makes this event such a success, but the number of alumni and friends we’re able to engage in helping Grove City College fulfill its distinctive mission.”

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“The Wolverine Challenge is a great way for the College to connect with its most-invested patrons – alumni and friends who know exactly how private Christian higher education benefits students and society.”

As in past years, fraternities and sororities engage in a healthy competition to garner the highest percentage of alumni support. Sigma Theta Chi sorority won the Challenge Cup with almost 28 percent of sorority alumnae making donations. The Nu Lambda Phi fraternity alumni raised the most – $110,008 – followed by the Zeta Zeta Zeta sorority alumnae with $97,094. Greek alumni support is critical to the success of the Wolverine Challenge, with 45 percent of donors being members of one of the College’s 18 sororities and fraternities.

March 2021

Salary tracker identifies ‘Best Value’ ranking

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rove City College is in the top 12 percent of colleges and universities in PayScale’s Best Value rankings based on positive graduate outcomes – starting salaries, midcareer earnings, and more – and scored even higher in a half-dozen rundowns of specialty schools evaluated by the salary tracking website.

PayScale found a student’s four-year tuition investment at Grove City College will yield a more than 400 percent return over two decades. The website’s review is based on a rough cost of attendance of $105,000 and estimated average earnings over and above those without a College degree of $431,000.

In addition to the overall Best Value College ranking, Grove City College is highly ranked in the following PayScale Best Value categories: #11 in Pennsylvania #7 in Sober Schools #23 in Religious Colleges #91 in Private Colleges #22 in Liberal Arts #91 in Engineering Schools Grove City College graduates have an average starting salary of $56,000 and average midcareer earnings of $108,900 per year, according to PayScale.

U.S. News recognizes Grove City College in rankings

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rove City College was once again identified as one of the country’s best national liberal arts colleges by U.S.

News.

The College is ranked 113 in the respected guide’s listing of National Liberal Arts Colleges.

In the past seven years, the College has advanced 28 spots in the ranking based on student outcomes, including retention and graduation rates, faculty qualifications, admissions data, institutional reputation, and the quality of students based on test scores and class rank, all areas in which Grove City College excels.

U.S. News recognized the College’s Mechanical Engineering and Electrical and Computer Engineering programs among the top 100 nationally for undergraduate studies.

A hidden gem

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rove City College is one of just three “hidden gems” in the state of Pennsylvania and a leading college nationally with tuition under $25,000 a year, according to College Raptor.

“This selection recognizes Grove City College as one of the best colleges in the country, based on a combination of factors, including retention rates, graduation rates, studentHIDDEN GEM to-faculty ratio, endowment per student, selectivity, and Tuition Under other key metrics as reported via the National Center $25k Colleges for Education Statistics for the most recently available enrollment year,” according to the website.

COLLEGE RAPTOR® Grove City College holds the number two spot on 2021 College Raptor’s national list of Hidden Gems with Tuition Under $25K.

GREAT LECTURES FROM THE GROVE GREAT LECTURES FROM GROVE GREATTHE LECTURES FROM THE GROVE

‘Great Lectures from the Grove’ brings the classroom to you LotM_Backdrop_Banner 24x53.indd 3

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t Grove City College, what happens in the classroom doesn’t stay in the classroom.

The lectures and discussions led by our distinguished faculty are intended to transfer knowledge, develop wisdom, and encourage students to use what they have learned in service to the common good in their lives and careers. The life of the mind inspires the heart, head, and hands of those educated ‘mid the pines.

Now, the College is making the content of its classrooms available, free, to the public in a new video series “The Life of the Mind: Great Lectures from the Grove.” Viewers will learn from the same high-caliber faculty who teach on campus. It’s a great way to experience Grove City College’s commitment to academic excellence and learn from some of the leading Christian scholars of the day.

The series debuted in September on the College’s YouTube channel gcc.edu/youtube with Professor of Biblical and Religious Studies Dr. Carl Trueman’s course, “Makers of the Modern Revolution.” The course dives into historical civil movements and popular theorists such as Rousseau, Marx, Wilde, Nietzsche, and others who have shaped the way the world today thinks today.

The second set of lectures, “Everyday Economic Errors,” delivered by Dr. Caleb Fuller ’13, assistant professor of Economics, is set to be released this spring.

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View our full “Great Lectures from the Grove” playlist online at gcc.edu/GroveLectures.

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Grove City College

Education alumni fill the screen for a virtual event with Department Chair Dr. Constance N. Nichols ’93 in January. It was the first of a series of quarterly online Seat At Our Table events.

SHIFTING GEARS

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n late 2019, the Office of Alumni and College Relations at Grove City College set out on a new mission. The goal was simple. We wanted our alumni to recognize that they remain a vital and valuable part of the College. We hoped to remind them that they will always have a “seat at our table.”

Without a doubt, our alumni family members hold many different ideas, opinions, personal experiences, and stories.

The thoughts and opinions of each individual truly are important to our College family.

Though different, we are still connected – our shared roots here at Grove City College run deep.

Thus, the “Seat at Our Table” conversations were born, where alumni and friends could gather around a table, enjoy some food together, celebrate common bonds,

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By Joanie Baumgartner

and share their unique perspectives. These conversations were a forum for sharing ideas, feedback, thoughts, and concerns with the College. We launched this initiative here at our home in the Carnegie Alumni Center in October 2019 and quickly had several alumni step up to host more of these gatherings in their own homes. Our spring 2020 schedule of events filled up fast! Unfortunately, we were able to host just two events in the homes of Alumni Council members before the pandemic changed everything.

For obvious reasons, we couldn’t “gather around the table” anymore. Knowing this mission was still important, we shifted gears to help our alumni family connect and share their thoughts and feedback despite the hurdles. We pivoted to virtual “Seat at Our Table” conversations in the summer of

2020 to temporarily replace our in-person events. We learned that alumni appreciate the opportunity to share what the College means to them! Their ideas have helped our Alumni and College Relations team greatly as we continue to pursue alumni engagement differently during these days. Alumni have thoughtfully shared concerns with our administration. Ideas for improvement have been discussed along with thoughts on how we can better navigate the overall challenges facing higher education in the current climate. Alumni voices are being heard and are making an impact!

As the pandemic continues, so will our plan to engage alumni near and far.

There will be more “Seat at Our Table” conversations, and our hope is to expand these opportunities to allow for connections

March 2021

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between distant alumni and campus members in academia, athletics, and more.

Many alumni can’t come to campus, so we will do our best to bring the campus to you. We want to help alumni who might feel disconnected to forge new relationships and rediscover their Grove City College roots. We not only want to understand alumni perceptions of the College, but also to hear about how our majors and programs prepared alumni for the current marketplace and service in the communities they now call home. We will see to it that our best advocates, our alumni, friends, and parents, are equipped with information that will help them better represent and spread the word about the College.

You always have a “Seat at Our Table.”

It’s not just a phrase. It’s a philosophy that

instructs all we do to help alumni understand their ongoing relevance to the College, long after their graduation date. Our desire is to become even more relevant to your life as well, as we shift gears to provide the kinds of resources and connections that may help you better navigate your own particular set of challenges in these days. We may be doing things a little differently right now, but our goal remains the same: to connect you with your alma mater for a lifetime.

We’re excited to bring you new ways to engage in 2021! Check out alumni.gcc.edu/ events and alumni.gcc.edu/virtualevents for upcoming and past recorded event opportunities.. As always, let us know how we can better serve you at alumni@gcc.edu.

ith “Seat At Our Table” conversations directly affirming alumni interest in the College’s enrollment, the admissions office has created a new position.

The College has long recognized the huge impact that personal connections have on influencing prospective students. Because 83 percent of applicants have an association with someone affiliated with Grove City – alumni, faculty, and students – there is significant potential to leverage the strength of our very active alumni in reaching future students.

In her new role as Alumni Admissions Recruiting Coordinator, Kate (Nagatani ’13) Mariani, who has worked in the admissions office since 2014, has begun engaging alumni in the recruitment process. Based in Austin, Texas, Mariani is working with alumni networks and legacy families to find students who are a good fit.

“Our alumni are amazingly engaged in our College community. I was impressed by their dedication last spring as 121 alums eagerly contacted 550 prospective students, which helped to increase the size our freshman class by 8 percent,” Mariani said.

The new outreach shows that alumni are driving outcomes that directly impact students and position the College for success. You are partners in our mission every day.

Mariani is married to Mark Mariani ’15, a law student at the University of Texas. They have three sons.

To find out more and connect with Kate, visit alumni.gcc.edu/refer. t h e G ēD UNK w w w. g c c.e d u | 15

Grove City College M ESSAGE

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Dear Alumni and Friends,

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was talking recently with someone who was sharing the hard road they have traveled during the last year. Life has certainly presented its share of challenges for all of us. But we made it through to 2021 and I firmly believe that God has used and will use this time. Personally, I have been trying to find ways to reflect on how I’ve been stretched, grown, and given opportunities during this unique time in our lives.

So, too, we have been reflecting at the College. In our Alumni and College Relations Office, some of our old ways of doing things became impossible – gatherings in homes, dinners around tables, mixers at restaurants – so we had to work to find new ways to connect with you. Our traditionally sold-out Santa Breakfast had to be replaced with a virtual experience and our Seat at Our Table Series held in alumni homes was replaced by conversations via video conference. Communication has increased via social media, email, and even traditional snail mail. We’ve worked hard to find ways to connect and be relevant to you in your world today.

Don’t get me wrong; I can’t wait to give out an alumni “welcome back” hug again! Yet we recognize that in having to find new ways of doing things, we actually have been given the chance to connect with alumni and friends who just can’t get back to campus – those members of the GCC family who live in far-reaching parts of our country or even outside the U.S. Life does move on and Grovers have shown that they can sustain and thrive in tough times. I’ve watched so many of you do more with less and give of yourselves in ways that make your alma mater proud! We want to hear your stories and share them. If you have a special story to share of what you have been doing this past year, feel free to update us at alumni.gcc.edu/shareyourstory.

I want to take this opportunity to also thank you for your support of the College during this time. We really do need your financial assistance and so many of you showed your consistent care for Grove City College by giving during the Wolverine Challenge. We had record giving again this year, so on behalf of all of us here, thank you.

We are truly grateful.

None of us are quite sure yet what our summer and fall will look like, but we are pushing forward in planning Homecoming 2021, October 8-10. Knowing that we are all looking forward to being able to be with friends and celebrate, I’m sure it will be the “Best. Homecoming. Ever.”

Until then, I pray for your good health and for the health of those that you hold dear. May you look forward to many happy surprises during this year ahead.

Now grab that cup of coffee and enjoy the rest of this issue of GēDUNK!

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Melissa (Trifaro ’96) MacLeod Senior Director of Alumni and College Relations

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Just as this magazine was going to print, we received word of the death of Nancy (Lee ’54) Paxton, former dean of women and vice president for Student Affairs (see In Memory, page 40). We are overwhelmed by the outpouring of love for this great lady on social media. I’ve been reflecting on my own story: As a high school senior, I was accepted early decision at Grove City. In the Spring of my senior year of high school, I started having second thoughts about my decision.

My mom scheduled a visit to campus and we met with Mrs. Paxton. In her kind and sweet manner, she encouraged me with stories of student life. I started as a freshman that fall. Because of my deep love of the College as a student, and as the person who often coordinated social events for my circle, my friends often joked I would be the next … Mrs. Paxton.

While my path took me a slightly different direction in working with alumni, I’m so thankful for the opportunity to, like Nancy, give back to my alma mater through my calling to work at the College. Thank you Mrs. P for being my inspiration!

Your memory lives on at Grove City College.

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March 2021

from the archives

Grover veterans project highlights those who served, College’s military history

By Hilary (Lewis ’09) Walczak, College Archivist

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rove City College is proud of the alumni, students, faculty, and staff who have served or are currently in the armed forces of the United States. For the past nine years the College Archive has aimed to gather their stories to preserve them for posterity and to publicly honor their sacrifices. Some of that research is now available at alumni.gcc.edu/veterans.

A searchable directory will be added, but we know that information is missing on many veterans. To make sure we have military information on record about you or another GGC graduate in your family, please complete the online form at alumni.gcc.edu/ vetsupdate.

Our new veterans website will highlight the rich military history of the College. For more than 100 years, Grove City College has had a relationship with the armed forces.

Founder Isaac Ketler worked with the U.S. military to establish a training program on campus starting in the 1880s. Members of the program served in the Spanish American War and Philippine American War and performed in the inaugurations of President Theodore Roosevelt and President William H. Taft.

In January of 1917, as World War I raged in Europe, then-College President Weir Ketler considered it inevitable that the U.S. would also enter the war and so began a new military training program at the College.

Hundreds of students and alumni had left for the war before the fall of 1918, when the Federal Student Army Training Corps (SATC, precursor to ROTC) was officially set up on campus. After the war, the College was granted a Reserve Officer to continue a training program on campus, but it only lasted a few years due to student disinterest – they were either already veterans or they were exhausted by war.

After Pearl Harbor, the Board of Trustees approved the College’s assistance with World War II. Mass enlistment and the national draft sent almost all men on campus off to join the war effort. In 1941, the College partnered with the town of Grove City to train civilian pilots in case they were needed on the home front. This led to the College being chosen to house Army Air Corps recruits and conduct a pre-flight training school. By March 1942, a Naval Training program was started to prepare sailors and

Marines in the areas of mechanical and electrical engineering. The College was also chosen for a select radio training program that was an essential part of the Allied forces’ secret research and development of radar.

More than 4,000 servicemen came through these various programs.

In April of 1945, a victory ship was named after the College due to its efforts during the war. Pieces of the SS Grove City Victory remain on display on campus today.

July 1951 saw the AFROTC (Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps) program established at Grove City College. It lasted 35 years until May 1989. The program trained many individuals who went on to serve in the U.S. Air Force as peacetime officers as well as active servicemen during conflicts from the Korean War to Operation Enduring Freedom.

If you have information to share or a story to tell, please reach out to collegearchives@gcc.edu. Check us out on Instagram for more fun Grove City College history @gccarchives.

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Grove City College

GIVING BACK

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or Dane Mossgrove ’16, a last-minute decision during his senior year of high school began a chapter of his life that he can only describe as “foundational to who I am.”

He had the potential to be a legacy student, as his parents Scott ’89 and Elisa (Caruso ’91) Mossgrove met at Grove City College. They raised Dane and his sister, Rachael Mossgrove ’19, in close contact with their tight-knit community of fellow Grove City College alumni. It was not a foregone conclusion, though, that Dane would become a Grover as well. With an offer from thenfootball coach and current Athletic Director Todd Gibson ’02 to play football, Dane finally chose late in his high school senior year to follow in his parents’ footsteps and attend the College. It’s a decision he has never regretted.

Dane met his wife, then Carrie Anderson ’16, during the spring of their senior year, and their very first photos as a couple were taken at the 2016 Commencement ceremony.

Another memorable moment from that Commencement day was the speech given by 2016 speaker Dr. Ben Carson, Dane said. “Dr. Carson said that success is taking the talent God gave you and using it to elevate your fellow man. That challenge has really stuck with me.” Together, the Mossgroves have built their family’s foundation on wisdom like this, and on other principles of giving back that were reinforced during their College days.

Whether coaching young track and field athletes, contributing to the profession of engineering through his work at Cooper Tires, or now volunteering time as the Ketler Society chair for Grove City College, Dane has taken Carson’s charge to heart.

“I recently read Lee Edwards’ Freedom’s College for the first time and was struck by the founders’ passion for the College and its stewardship. I realized that moving the College forward means people like me need to step up and give back. People who are passionate about the amazing foundation

Carrie (Anderson ’16) and Dane Mossgrove ’16 enjoy a moment on the stoop of Harbison Chapel. Dane comes from a family of Grovers and now serves as chair of the Ketler Society.

Inset, meet the Mossgroves: Elisa (Caruso ’91), Scott ’89, and Rachel ’19 with Dane and Carrie.

they received at Grove City College are now the stewards of this institution. It’s really a privilege for me to give back however I can and encourage others to do the same,” Dane said.

“I’d say I’m living proof that Grove City College’s transformational education makes an impact on its students. It has guided me on a journey so far where purpose and understanding ways to serve others are at the forefront, not just finding a career. I know I still have a lot to learn and more opportunities to experience, but I am thankful for the perspective Grove City has provided me. It’s foundational to who I am.”

To become a Ketler Society member, alumni and friends need give just $1,000 in a fiscal year (July 1-June 30) to any fund of their choice. For more information on the Ketler Society, and giving as a young alum, visit giving.gcc.edu/ketlersociety. Giving online is easy at giving.gcc.edu/givenow.

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March 2021

PUTTING THE

CHURCH TO WORK

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s a school social worker, Phyllis (Farmer ’82) Thompson saw the need right away. Her faith helped her jump into action.

In the first days of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020, Thompson, whose students have disabilities, realized the difficulties those families and neighbors would face while losing jobs.

“I contacted a single mother who told me that she had lost her catering job, she was home with her daughter with a disability full time, and she didn’t know what she was going to do,” Thompson said. “This was a mother who always had financial challenges, but she somehow made ends meet. However, the pandemic changed everything.”

Thompson quickly spearheaded an initiative called The Church at Work to provide short-term rental assistance to needy families in her Arlington, Va., area.

Thompson started by contacting a local pastor who was ready to join the effort. She then devised a sponsorship project whereby a church family would pledge between $1,000 and $1,500 over a two- or three-month period to help and pray for a family in need. She admits it was a bold ask but the offers to sponsor families and the referrals of needy families rolled in simultaneously.

“I have a passion as a school social worker and as a Christian for believers to show up in a crisis. I would love to have all neighbors in our country be able to say, ‘when the crisis hit, it was the Christians who showed up for me,’” she said.

The project was a big success. Thirteen churches who didn’t have much contact joined in their efforts. In two months, The Church at Work helped nearly 300 families and raised more than $300,000 in assistance. The rental supplement money was forwarded directly to landlords.

Janice (Zinsner ’87) Inman “Families were surprised to receive a stranger’s care, school social workers were grateful, and sponsors often wrote to me, too, to say they were so thankful to write their check to meet such a tangible need,” Thompson said. “Because we formed and responded so quickly, we did not offer any tax deductions, so all of the giving was not for any personal gain, but out of a true sense of calling to love our neighbor.”

In November, The Church at Work project was honored as one of two winners of The Ellen M. Bozman Affordable Housing Award, presented annually to individuals or organizations who have significantly advanced efforts to increase the supply of and/or to improve the quality of affordable housing in Arlington.

The Church at Work is winding down, with established government agencies and non-profits taking up the mission, and that’s OK with Thompson. “It was my goal to be there immediately, before other efforts had coalesced, to have the church lead the way,” Thompson said. “I found great joy in facilitating the body of Christ to love our neighbors in the heart of the crisis.”

“In our community, I have seen a huge increase in churches stepping up in many creative ways to continue to love our neighbors in need,” she added. I’d like to think that in just a small part, The Church at Work inspired ‘the church’ to come together and love our Arlington neighbors.”

Thompson has been a social worker in the schools for 14 years and was previously a family therapist. She and her husband, Curt, a psychiatrist and author, live in Arlington. Daughter Rachel pastors a small Presbyterian church in the Nashville, Tenn., area and son Nathan is in a Ph.D. program in policy analysis.

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Grove City College

2 1 Grove City College celebrated Homecoming in-person and virtually, with an on-campus court (1), alumni sharing their school swag photos (2 and 3), and interactive events like “How to be an Archivist” with College Archivist Hilary (Lewis ’09) Walzcak (4). Men’s soccer alums met up online (5) in October. Future Grovers (6, 7, and 8) enjoyed a virtual Breakfast with Santa in December. Grovers gathered in person (9) in October at The Villages in Florida. The newest members of the College Alumni Association (10) briefly posed unmasked with President and Mrs. McNulty at a reception in Carnegie Alumni Center for December graduates.

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March 2021

alumni & friends events Upcoming Alumni & Friends Virtual Events Join us online for these and other great opportunities to Celebrate, Connect, and Give.

For additional details, visit alumni.gcc.edu/events.

March 16 Foundations of American Leadership Series with Rachel Bovard ’06 March 17 Cooking with Katy McNulty ’07

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March 23 Seat at Our Table with Dr. Duffy Robbins, Professor of Christian Ministries Building Families That Build Faith April 9 Wolverines vs. Westminster Virtual Football Tailgate April 17-May 1 Wolverine Tracks Alumni and Friends Virtual 5K April 30-May 2 Family Weekend June 8 Foundations of American Leadership Series with Dr. Peter Keim

In-person events May 14 Staley Hall of Arts and Letters Dedication Grove City College May 15 Commencement for 2020 and 2021 Classes Grove City College May 24 Alumni and Friends Golf Outing Grove City Country Club May 30-June 6 Alumni and Friends Travel The California National Parks

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Grove City College

The atrium of the Hall of Arts and Letters, soon to be rededicated in honor of alumnus Richard Staley ’62, is typically busy on a fall day as the College’s story unfolds in spite of the current crisis.

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March 2021

Meanwhile …

By Nick Hildebrand

We’ve spent the last year fixated, understandably, on a world that seems to be falling apart. The global spread and terrible toll of a deadly viral pandemic has impacted our society profoundly. Political differences and racial tensions have manifested themselves in riots and mayhem. In such a time as this, the great and terrible things going on around us demand our attention.

At Grove City College, that’s meant a laser focus on keeping students safe and the community healthy while providing an in-person residential education on campus. Thanks to comprehensive planning, outstanding cooperation, and the grace of God, the College has been able to succeed when many other institutions didn’t. The College’s battle against the virus is a great and inspiring story in these troubled times, but it’s not the only one.

It is part of a larger narrative, a bigger story that began a long time ago and is still being written today in this season of chaos and caution. It is the story of a community that does not fear difficulty and is strengthened by adversity, a community that has made intentional progress through more than a century of challenges and opportunities, guided by an educational mission and a faith that transcends the current crises.

And now, we’ve come to the point in Grove City College’s story where – with a single word – we turn away from one narrative and take up others, where we learn something new, gain perspective, and begin to see where the tale is headed next. Meanwhile …

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Meanwhile …

Grove City College

HENRY BUHL LIBRARY IS GETTING A MAJOR MAKEOVER

When the Henry Buhl Library opened in 1954, it must have seemed like the future had arrived on upper campus. The expansive state-of-the-art collegiate study and research center was a vast improvement over its cramped, 19th-century predecessor in Carnegie Hall. The repository of books, periodicals, journals, and reference materials was just right for the needs of mid-century students.

The library has served students well over the last 67 years, with ongoing investments in materials, regular upgrades in library technology, minor renovations, and librarians eager and able to adapt to the changing needs of students. But its traditional design no longer matches the expectations of an intellectually-sophisticated and tech-savvy student body. While the study tables and stacks are still wellused by students, the ground floor Rare Book Room is rarely visited, and the entire facility is long overdue for an upgrade.

Modern libraries are hubs for electronic collection, unrestricted access to, and exchange of, information that serve to engage, educate, and empower their users. Very soon, Buhl Library will be joining their ranks thanks to a $9 million makeover that will see building-wide technological upgrades, the creation of expanded and flexible space for research, study, and collaboration, along with additions that will enhance community engagement and make Buhl a living and learning destination for the 21st century.

The plans call for a nearly top to bottom renovation and redesign of Buhl. A large study space and reading room will occupy most of the reimagined library and learning commons’ ground floor, along with the writing center and tutoring services. A new, open stairway will connect it to the first floor, which will be a flexible study and collaboration space, with enclosed individual and group study rooms, along with classroom space, and a mobile-friendly lobby lounge. The current reference library space will be converted into a café that opens onto a new patio between the library and Weir C. Ketler Technological Learning Center. The famous stacks will remain, but new high-density shelving will increase the storage space.

Work is set to begin in May and continue in phases through the summer of 2022. The College has raised much of the funds needed to complete the project, but if you are interested in supporting the project, visit giving.gcc.edu/supportBuhl.

View a virtual tour of the proposed Buhl Library renovation by scanning the QR code with your smartphone, or by visiting gcc.edu/buhlrenovation.

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March 2021

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Meanwhile …

Grove City College

DONORS ARE PITCHING IN TO MEET THE COLLEGE’S NEEDS

In 2020, the College received the largest single unrestricted gift in its history – $4 million – from alumnus Richard Staley ’62.

Staley, a successful entrepreneur, said the College meant a lot to his life and career and he wanted to do his part to help maintain its independence from the federal government.

He isn’t alone.

In November, over 3,000 alumni and friends came together to meet the fifth annual Wolverine Challenge, an annual day of giving.

These donors set a new dollar Staley record for the day of giving and made a powerful statement in support of Grove City College. The successful Wolverine Challenge along with Staley’s historic donation are an investment in the future and an affirmation of the kind of independent, Christ-centered, academically excellent higher education that the College provides.

The College continues to see increasing support of its Annual Fund including a historic record of $3.25 million raised in 2019-20, 44 percent above the previous record set in 2015-16. The Annual Fund provides maximum flexibility to cover unanticipated expenses, such as those related to the pandemic, and direct spending where it is most needed. These unrestricted gifts are also key to the College’s ability to offer scholarships that help maintain its commitment to affordability.

In recognition of Staley’s transformational gift, the Board of Trustees will dedicate the Staley Hall of Arts and Letters in May. The gift will have a major and lasting impact on the College’s ability to sustain its mission for years to come.

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GRADUATE, NURSING, AND ONLINE PROGRAMS MARK ACADEMIC EXPANSION

Over the past four years, Grove City College has introduced new programs and majors to prepare students for success and strengthen the academic program.

The Bachelors of Science in Nursing (BSN) program is the most recent addition to the academic catalog and one of the most innovative approaches to professional education in the College’s history. Under the auspices of the newly established Charles Jr. and Betty Johnson School of Nursing, the first class of BSN students began their studies in the fall like most other freshmen, taking the humanities core and entry-level courses in their major on campus. They’ll continue their educational journey next year 30 miles south at Butler County Community College, where they’ll receive clinical training through BC3’s acclaimed and accredited nursing program while continuing their studies at Grove City College. The partnership offers students the best of both institutions, a Christ-centered academic experience through Grove City College and top-notch clinical and technical training from BC3. By their senior year they’ll be working in the field to complete their degrees at ready to join the ranks of an in-demand profession.

In 2020, the College got the go-ahead from Middle States Commission on Higher Education to begin offering master’s degree programs through the Office of Graduate Studies and Online Education. The Master of Engineering in Systems Engineering & Technology Management degree will set graduates up for success in a fast-growing, multi-disciplinary field where demand is high for engineers and computer scientists who can design, analyze and manage intricate methods and procedures. The Master of Science in Business Analytics degree, which is 100 percent online, gives graduates a chance to advance their careers while learning from some of the top business minds in the region how to use data to solve strategic challenges in many fields and industries.

These academic moves, along with an accredited Social Work degree, new majors in ministry, data analytics, human resources, robotics, redemptive entrepreneurship, and design, and expanded online class offerings to traditional, non-traditional and dual enrolled students, demonstrate Grove City College’s ability to adapt and innovate to meet the needs of students and society.

March 2021

MORE STUDENTS ARE INTERESTED IN WHAT GROVE CITY COLLEGE OFFERS Grove City College is seeing a spike in interest from prospective students for the fall 2021 semester, up 25 percent from last year and more than the College has seen since 2005. It is part of steady increase in applications and enrollment over the last few cycles.

The positive numbers come as the Admissions Office works to create opportunities out of pandemic-related obstacles. Virtual versions of traditionally on-campus events like Discovery Day for prospective STEM majors or Admitted Student Days have allowed the office to reach more students from a wider geographic area and near daily group tours have been supplanted by targeted – and COVID-19-safe – individual visits.

In addition, the College’s recruiting force continues to face challenges of demographics

and basic economics. The pool of prospective students has shrunk significantly both in the traditional geographic region that the College draws students from and nationally.

At the same time, the number of colleges and universities competing for those students is largely stable; there’s more supply than demand.

In such a market, Grove City College’s distinctive identity, outstanding academics, and affordability stand out. Students looking for an education that aims to enlighten while affirming eternal truth and preparing them for lives of success and service are increasingly finding Grove City College.

Whether they be among the legacy students who make up about 15 percent of the incoming applications or minority students, who represent nearly the same percentage, they are finding their way to Grove City College.

A GOOD STORY DOESN’T JUST WRITE ITSELF It takes thought and planning, a solid outline and a distinctive voice, and, most importantly, a clear vision of where it is going. That’s essential for a story that spans generations, as Grove City College’s does, and has many authors.

The latest chapters – highlights of which are presented in these pages – were plotted out in Building for a Strong and Faithful Future, the strategic plan that’s been the driving the story for the last four years. It was designed to position the College for long term success while strengthening our commitment to timeless Christian truth and values and established six main goals to increase academic excellence, enhance the campus’ Christian environment, improve enrollment, raise brand awareness, streamline fiscal management and build up financial resources.

Extensive progress has been made in fulfilling these goals – even as unforeseen challenges and new opportunities have cropped up and demanded minor revisions to the story in progress.

Now, with Building for a Strong and Faithful Future in its fifth and final year, the time has come to begin drawing up a new outline to work from as the next chapters in Grove City College’s story are written.

“We have seen how valuable it is to have a mission-centric and initiative-driven strategic plan guiding our College,” College President Paul J. McNulty ’80 said. “At the same time, we appreciate the proverbial truth that while we make our plans, God determines our course.”

Work on the new five-year plan is being spearheaded by Craig W. Jones ’74, vice chair of the College’s Board of Trustees, who is working closely with McNulty, Trustee Chair Edward D. Breen ’78,

and a committee of comprised of faculty, staff, administrators, board members, and alumni.

“The College is blessed with a deep bench of wise and experienced leaders excited about this challenge,” McNulty said.

“We need to be bold and creative in looking to the future as we assess the current environment and shifting sands, if you will, in higher education,” Jones said.

While Grove City College occupies a unique place in higher education – it is one of a handful of schools that does not accept any federal funding, including student grants and loans, and remains aligned with the Christian faith it was founded upon – it is not immune from the same pressures facing most American colleges and universities. Demographics and economics are driving more schools to rely on federal support and engage in financial gimmicks to attract students from a shrinking pool.

So far, the College has defied many of these trends, with applications for fall 2021 surpassing last year and the past 10year average. Its commitment to affordability generates heightened conscientiousness about the cost for students and their families.

Tuition is still under $30,000, and the College ranks as one of the best values in higher education. That fiscal restraint is distinctive, as is the College’s approach to planning for the future.

“We don’t want to take a linear approach and just continue along the path we’re on. We don’t want to be constrained by anything that’s currently is going on,” Jones said. “We’re going to talk about a vision of where we want to be in three, four or five years and that will be significant in terms of furthering the college’s mission, vision, and values.” t h e G ēD UNK w w w. g c c.e d u | 27

Grove City College

By Ryan Briggs ’01 First downs and first base. Corner kicks and the “Hot Corner.” Middle blockers and middle distance races. All of those terms will be used concurrently this spring as intercollegiate athletics return to Grove City College.

The College’s baseball, golf, men’s lacrosse, softball, tennis, track and field, and water polo teams, which halted their respective seasons in March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, are expected to resume competition. Fall sports were put on hold as well, so the spring sports stalwarts will share the sporting stage with teams that couldn’t play then.

“When you put all of the seasons in one time period, we will compete over 175 times this spring,” Grove City College Director of Athletics Todd Gibson ’02 said. “That means 175 competitions to schedule while also arranging transportation, meals, officials, support staff, and athletic training coverage.

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... AGAIN

We also have to make sure that venues used for competitions are still available for practice for other teams. It presents a challenge.”

Added to that is regular COVID-19 testing for all student-athletes, per NCAA regulations, which required the College to put together its own testing lab and assemble a staff that’s trained and certified to administer tests.

“On the flip side, if you love Wolverine athletics, like I do, there will be action most days, starting in February and continuing until May,” Gibson noted.

The 10 full-time members of the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) will play conference-only schedules this spring.

According to PAC Commissioner Joe Onderko, playing conference-only schedules helps ensure that teams will be able to start and finish their respective seasons in a safe manner. “Limiting the number of teams and athletes with contact is the best, most sustainable route to not only starting, but

also successfully finishing an athletic season during the pandemic,” Onderko said. All PAC member institutions agreed to a baseline threshold of health and safety measures to continue play.

“Once you step outside the conference, there is less confidence that those measures are being met to the same degree, so our Presidents felt that a conference-only scheduling model in the winter and spring 2021 semesters made the most sense.”

In recent years, the tennis programs have played substantial schedules in both the fall and spring semester. The conference traditionally holds its women’s tennis championship in the fall and the men’s championship tournament in the spring.

This year, both championships will be held in the spring.

“We were all disappointed when we found out that our (fall) season was postponed,” senior women’s tennis player

The women’s basketball team works out in the Arena before starting the spring season, left, Freshman Luca Robinson, above, gets tested for COVID-19, part of the sports safety protocols.

Morgan Happe said. “However, we saw it as a unique opportunity to improve our game and have extra time to prepare for our conference matches.

“We also utilized this time to establish a strong culture before, as opposed to during, our main season. We are all extremely excited to compete again. As a senior, I am especially excited to have the opportunity to play with my team for my last semester.”

The spring football schedule features several changes. Grove City will join Case Western Reserve, Geneva, and Westminster in the PAC North Division. The Wolverines will play each of those teams once this spring. A fifth game will then be played against a team from the South Division, based upon division standings. The two division winners will meet for the conference title, while the teams in the subsequent places will play each other in inter-divisional action.

“The first thing that we talk about every year is our vision: ‘To glorify God in the pursuit of earning a degree, building lasting relationships and competing for Presidents’ Athletic Conference championships,’” head football coach Andrew DiDonato ’10 said.

“Along with this statement, we tell our guys to ‘focus on their vision, not their circumstance.’ This phrase guided us in 2016 and 2017 when we were in a challenging circumstance and it has guided us ever since.

This fall was another opportunity to live out that phrase.”

All football games this spring will be held on Friday nights. Grove City will host Case Western Reserve and Westminster in its two scheduled home games.

“I know our guys are really looking forward to getting back on the field,” said

March 2021 DiDonato. “We haven’t competed against an opponent since November of 2019, when we experienced a thrilling bowl game victory at home. This spring will give our seniors one last opportunity to compete for Grove City.”

Traditionally, the basketball teams begin their game schedules as volleyball season concludes. This spring, those roles are reversed as the women’s volleyball team will start conference matches as the basketball schedule enters its homestretch in late February.

Like other fall sports, the volleyball team practiced throughout the autumn but did not face outside competition. The volleyball team will play a nine-match regular season, followed by a modified conference tournament. According to senior outside hitter Elisabeth Sems, the circumstances required additional focus and determination.

“We would not push to do this if we didn’t realize the importance of the athletic experience to the nearly 500 student-athletes at Grove City College.”

“Practicing this fall was more of a grind than it ever has been before because we didn’t have specific games that we were preparing for,” Sems said. “It took a lot of leadership and determination to put all of our efforts into each practice. We reminded ourselves often of what we were working for, but there were days when it was tempting to not go all out at practice since we weren’t even sure if we would have a chance to play in the spring,” she continued. “Our team verse (2 Chronicles 15:7) really encouraged each of us. ‘But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your hard work will be rewarded.’”

Men’s and women’s soccer teams will both play nine-game regular season schedules and then play a 10th “playoff” match against an opponent to be determined by the standings.

“It was definitely challenging to train for such an extended amount of time without

a game,” senior women’s soccer goalkeeper Columbia Harkrader said. However, she said it was an opportunity to bond as a team and adopt coach Melissa Lamie’s “microscope/ telescope” view of our season. “We can see the start of the road, or where we are today, with a microscope, and we can see our destination in the distance, our season, through a telescope.

Even though we cannot see or predict what the middle of the road will be, we could focus on our training daily so that we would be prepared and have success when we reach the time to play our regular season games. This outlook was very helpful in grinding through all of the practices.”

Cross country teams will compete in March before transitioning into outdoor track and field season in April. Indoor track and field will not be sponsored this winter by the conference due to COVID-19 restrictions and facility limitations.

The men’s and women’s golf teams will each play a number of events beginning in March before participating in the conference championships in late April. Outdoor track and field will feature conference-only meets.

The championship format remains to be determined. Baseball and softball will both play 36-game schedules against conference opponents this spring. Men’s lacrosse will tentatively play a 10-game conference schedule in 2021. The women’s water polo schedule details continue to be arranged in conjunction with the Collegiate Water Polo Association.

“We would not push to do this if we didn’t realize the importance of the athletic experience to the nearly 500 student-athletes at Grove City College,” Gibson said. “In non-COVID times, they put in hours of practice, conditioning and meetings above and beyond their rigorous academic pursuits.

Now, the athletes’ willingness to follow very strict rules, wear masks, practice differently, condition differently, go through stringent testing protocols, and handle the stress that all of this brings on, to be able to represent Grove City College, has been inspiring to our administration and coaches to try and provide the best experience possible in the safest environment possible.”

“We feel that our athletes should serve as leaders all of the time, but especially at a time when leadership is critical to having the healthiest campus possible,” Gibson continued. “We are not afraid to ask our athletes to take on this role due the quality of individuals we are blessed to have making up our teams.” ■

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APIARY IS ABUZZ

By Nick Hildebrand

You can sponsor the GCC Bee Project or the Oliver Apiary. For more information, contact Kelly Conger, director of foundation and corporate relations, at 724-458-2991 or klconger@gcc.edu.

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Twenty-twenty was a bee-building year for the Oliver Apiary, the honey bee yard and certified pollinator garden on Grove City College’s campus.

A year and a half ago, the apiary wasn’t much more than an undeveloped plot of land on the edge of the student parking area known as “Siberia,” littered with chunks of concrete dumped there over the years. This fall, the certified pollinator friendly garden yielded troves of data for farmers and scientists, invaluable experience for student researchers, an opportunity for interdisciplinary cooperation – and a modest harvest of GCC Bee Project honey.

The apiary features carefully selected pollinator friendly flora planted in beds around four bee boxes, home to tens, perhaps hundreds of thousands of bees, and penned in by an electric fence to keep would-be Yogis and Poohs away.

The GCC Bee Project and the apiary are the brainchild of Dr. Tracy Farone, a professor of Biology and veterinarian. Her interest in bees was sparked by a 2016 FDA mandate meant to curb the growing problem of resistance to antibiotics due to overuse that required a veterinarian’s prescription for medicines that beekeepers commonly, and sometimes excessively, used to treat their bees. It created a unique problem for doctors, beekeepers, and farmers, Farone said. Farmers depend on bees to pollinate crops and that depends on healthy hives.

“Bees are responsible for pollinating one third of the food we eat. They are the most important agricultural animal in the world and contribute $15 to 20 billion to the national economy,” Farone said. The industrious insects are also a bellwether for something bigger. “The health of bees is a sentinel of how well our environment is doing.”

But veterinarians trained to care for pets and livestock had little experience with bees. A desire to correct that problem led Farone to spend the spring of 2019 on sabbatical from her teaching work at Grove City College to study beekeeping in Europe, where hive health has been a priority for decades, and in the U.S. “I’ve had my nose in thousands of hives,” she said, from commercial and research apiaries in France and Scotland to huge agricultural operations that haul thousands of bee colonies from harvest to harvest across the country like migrant workers,

to her own backyard, where she has several colonies. She came back to campus with plans to set up a research and teaching apiary to study pollinator and honey bee health and provide information about bees to beekeepers, veterinarians, and the general public.

In the summer and fall of 2019, with the approval of the College, help from her husband, and a cadre of bio majors, seed money from apiary namesake (and former Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary) John Oliver, and donated seedlings from Meadville, Pa.-based Ernst Conservation Seeds, the garden was cleared, planted, and began to take shape.

A minor miracle helped populate the garden. While many beekeepers lose 30 to 40 percent of their bees over a winter, Farone’s backyard bees thrived. In spring of 2020, she was able to split her own hive eight times and supply all the bees needed for the College. “We were really blessed,” she said.

By midsummer, Farone and her student research assistants were deep into studying and caring for the bees. Clad in white beekeeping jackets and veiled hoods, they regularly inspected the hives, one beeladen honeycombed frame at a time, to track the overall health and progress of the industrious insects. Their data and observations, along with BroodMinder technology that tracks the hives on an hourly basis, are contributing to ongoing international research through two mega studies with Penn State University’s Center for Pollinator Research. That larger work will help predict survival rates for bees in similar locations and provide an understanding of how landscape impacts bee health.

Their ongoing research has already been featured in professional journals including the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association and Farone has become a “go to” source for the industry.

She writes widely on the subject and now contributes monthly to Bee Culture magazine.

March 2021

The academic harvest and the continued flourishing of the College’s colony would be enough to point to a successful first year for the garden. But this fall, the apiary produced about 25 pounds of honey, despite a drought that impacted production and the very conservative call to leave the bees more than enough honey to survive the winter. It was donated to the Alumni Office to present as special gifts.

While the garden is primarily a Biology research project, several other academic departments have been involved in the ongoing work.

Communication and Visual Arts students were able to create box designs attractive to bees utilizing color theory and begin shooting video for a documentary on the garden. Electrical Engineering students are designing and testing solar panels to provide electricity at the site and the Physics Department’s electron microscope was used to photograph bees. Botany students helped out with a plant survey of the area and entomology students evaluated insect species collected at the garden.

That transcendent, interdisciplinary aspect of the GCC Bee Project reflects the big idea behind the work Farone and her students have been involved in. The garden, she said, is dedicated to the concept of One Health, an approach based on the idea that the health of people is connected to the health of animals and the environment.

“Everything under creation is interrelated,” Farone said.

To learn more about the Oliver Apiary and the work being done there, visit gccbeeproject.com ■

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Grove City College

SAVE THE DATE FOR 2021!

Get ready for the “Best. Homecoming. Ever.” to celebrate so many things!

24 CLASS REUNION CELEBRATIONS

5th Class of 2016

6th Class of 2015

10th Class of 2011

11th Class of 2010

15th Class of 2006

16th Class of 2005

20th Class of 2001

21st Class of 2000

25th Class of 1996

26th Class of 1995

30th Class of 1991

31st Class of 1990

35th Class of 1986

36th Class of 1985

40th Class of 1981

41st Class of 1980

45th Class of 1976

46th Class of 1975

50th Class of 1971

51st Class of 1970

55th Class of 1966

56th Class of 1965

60th Class of 1961

61st Class of 1960

SEVEN GREEK MILESTONE ANNIVERSARIES Pan Sophic 110th Anniversary alumni.gcc.edu/pansophic Delta Iota Kappa 105th Anniversary alumni.gcc.edu/deltaiotakappa Sigma Delta Phi 101st Anniversary alumni.gcc.edu/sigmadeltaphi Theta Alpha Pi 100th Anniversary alumni.gcc.edu/thetaalphapi Sigma Theta Chi 76th Anniversary alumni.gcc.edu/sigmathetachi Kappa Alpha Phi 65th Anniversary alumni.gcc.edu/kappaalphaphi65th Phi Tau Alpha 55th Anniversary alumni.gcc.edu/phitaualpha

It’s going to be a year you don’t want to miss!

Mark your calendar and save the date.

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March 2021

class notes 1949

KEEP IN TOUCH!

Merle Cleeton is retired after 40 years working with U.S. Steel and promoting the use of steel in automobiles. He is now involved with antique automobiles as a member of the Antique Auto Club of America and has been a senior master judge for many years. He owned a farm near Butler, Pa., where he raised horses and had apple trees. He now lives in New Jersey.

We want to keep in touch

1969

with you electronically! If you

Steve Eells retired from US Air Force Civil Service on July 31, 2020, culminating 47 years of service to the Air Force and Coast Guard with 20 years active duty and 27 years as a defense contractor and Air Force civilian. At retirement, he was deputy chief of the Operations Training Division, Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Fla. He supervised more than 70 personnel who managed training programs for 6,000 Air Commando aircrew members. He received the Air Force Outstanding Career Service Medal at his ceremony. Eells and his wife, Vicki, also owned and operated Stormwynd Equestrian Center in Defuniak Springs, Fla., where they raised and trained horses for eventing and dressage. They sold the facility and moved to Roanoke, Va., where he plans to pursue his hobbies.

have an email address, or have recently changed your address or work information, make changes through

alumni.gcc.edu/update.

Have exciting news? Submit a class note for the magazine and for viewing online at

alumni.gcc.edu/classnote.

Remember to let the alumni office know that you are having a “Grover Gathering!” We’d love to send you some fun “stuff” for your event.

Email alumni@gcc.edu for more information.

1974 David Mourer recently received his 38th patent. He has 26 U.S patents and 12 European Union patents. He retired as a consulting engineer for GE Aircraft Engines and is a volunteer teacher for adults earning a high school diploma.

THANKSGIVING ZOOM | For the 50th year, a group of alumni, spouses, and friends celebrated an annual pre-Thanksgiving get-together.

Due to the COVID pandemic, the 2020 event was held via Zoom. Row 1: Janice (Briggs ’73) and Paul Studt, Peter Metzloff ’72, and Gwen and Jack Wright. Row 2: Dale Abel ’72, Carol and Donald ’72 Kidner, and Dennis ’73 and Nancy (Hicks ’75) Kriek. Row 3: Nancy Abel.

1976 Harry “Skip” Leonhard retired after 40 years as a senior account manager with Mortgage Guarantee Insurance Company.

1978 E. Scott Johnston completed an 18-month ministry as the parttime interim pastor of Harvest Presbyterian Church (PCA) near Lancaster, Pa. This was his third interim ministry, also helping churches in West Chester, Pa., and Speculator, N.Y., managing the transition between longterm pastors. He continues in full-time ministry as a chaplain to independent living residents at Willow Valley Communities in Willow Street, Pa.

1980 Mary (Bush) Rauchenstein published a book, Right of

Passage: Surviving Shame and Battling Bullies of All Ages, in which she mentions the College and its profound impact on her.

“Grove City College accepted me when I didn’t accept myself – and I’m grateful that my salvation is directly tied to the profound influence this College had on my life.” She is principal and chief encouragement officer at Leadership Edge Solutions, LLC.

1983 Bev (Senter) Rihtarchik is a contributing writer for a newly released devotional

by Revell. Take Heart - 100 Devotions to Seeing God When Life’s Not Okay includes notable writers who speak hope into hurting hearts during turbulent times. Rihtarchik had articles published in Today’s

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Grove City College

PAN/KAP GOLF OUTING | The first ever Pan Sophic/ Kappa Alpha Phi golf outing was held in October at the Hill Crest Country Club in Lower Burrell, Pa. Row 1, from left: Jim Runatz ’92, Jeff Yannuzzi ’79, and Scott Kelly ’85. Row 2: Tom Dodson ’88, Keith Wilson ’85, Adam Scaife ’90, Brian Kush ’88, and Chris Mathews ’85. Not pictured: John Cellerini ’86, Dave Shoffstall ’85, and John Bosic ’84.

Christian Living magazine and writes weekly for her blog, “Walking Well with God.” She is president and founder of Redeemer Christian Foundation, which serves orphans and impoverished children in hard-to-reach countries. Kelly (Kuremsky ’89) Stitt serves on the RCF board, as does Ellen (Chandler ’82) Brookhart, board member emeritus.

Bob Snyder retired in 2019 as a full time professor in the School of Education at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. He was the school’s director of clinical experiences, accreditation and partnerships, and a faculty member in the Department of Early Childhood Education and Reading.

He retired from Girard School District in 2008 after 25 years as a middle school math teacher, guidance counselor, and principal, and as the District’s central office director of curriculum, instruction, and assessment.

1984 Colleen (Cvetan) Ash published her first book in 2019. The Plan: God

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Has a Plan and It Includes You is an illustrated children’s book that explains who Jesus is, why he came, and the plan he has for each child.

1985 Amy Dinning is manager of education and development for Main Line Health in Radnor, Pa., where she designs and facilitates learning and development initiatives for the company’s 11,000 employees. Last year, she addressed the Association of Talent Development International Conference on the topic “Always Be Ready: Change is Inevitable in Your Life and Career.”

1986 Karen (Stroman) Pardonner is publisher and contributing author of Caring Kids: Coping Rhymes for COVID Times, and author of the companion journal, Caring Kids: My Journal. The picture book is designed to support parents, teachers, and caregivers as they help children to understand changes caused by the pandemic and quarantine. Pardonner worked with her daughter and close friends on the project.

HOMECOMING REMEMBERED |

These Sigma Theta Chi sisters from the Classes of ’91, ’92, and ’93 celebrated GCC spirit at a local restaurant during what would have been 2020 Homecoming weekend.

1990

1997

Mike Lebec accepted a position as professor in the University of Pittsburgh’s developing hybrid Doctor of Physical Therapy Program. For the past 18 years, he has been faculty at Northern Arizona University. He and his wife, Linda, will remain in Flagstaff, Ariz., while he teaches online and travels to Pittsburgh for hands-on laboratory experiences.

Jenni (Fields) Oyler received an M.S. in chemistry from Ohio University in December 2020. She and Jason Oyler ‘96 live in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., and have one son.

1993 Teresa Blair-Firek held her debut art show in September 2020 in Grove City to benefit the Brandi Montgomery House, a domestic violence shelter.

1994 Lynda (Ashbery) Dodd was promoted to deputy chief of the criminal division for the Montgomery County, Ohio, Prosecutor’s Office. She joined the office in 2007 and most recently served as a member of the violent crimes bureau.

1998 Jill Nealon and John Rowland were married Nov. 14, 2020, in Cleveland, Ohio.

1999 Dr. Jen (Dively) Forristal was honored in the fall as the University of Louisville School of Public Health and Information Sciences 2020 Alumni Fellow. She has been senior vice president of innovative strategic agreements at Optum since April 2019.

2000 Dr. Jennifer (Capela) Cafardi is author of The Manual of Dermatology. It covers broad dermatological topics necessary for any dermatology resident treating patients. She currently works as a dermatologist and Mohs micrographic surgeon at The Christ Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Megan (Evans) Hill’s book, A Place To Belong: Learning To Love

March 2021 the Local Church, has won two recent awards. It won “Book of the Year” in the Church/Pastoral Leadership category in Christianity Today’s 2021 Book Awards. It also won honorable mention in World magazine’s Accessible Theology Book of the Year contest. In the book, Hill encourages readers to rediscover the privilege of belonging to a local church fellowship.

NEMACOLIN ROUNDUP |

Pan Sophic brothers held a Golf Roundup in September 2020 at Nemacolin Woodlands in Farmington, Pa. Row 1, from left: Brian Wood ’96, Rob Aho ’96, and Jon Kuhn ’95.

Row 2: Brandon Haynes ’96, Mike Brediger ’97, Paul Arnold ’99, Dave MacGregor ’96, and Artie Slear ’95.

2001 Phillip Crisostomo was promoted to supervisor of instructional technology and data analysis in the Willingboro (N.J.) Public School District in July 2020.

He has worked in Willingboro since 2003 as a teacher and school administrator, and is currently pursuing a doctorate in educational technology leadership at New Jersey City University.

Karyn (Monaghan) Ward and her husband, David, welcomed daughter Emily Anne on May 14, 2019.

2002 HATCHERY HONORS |

Brittany Peachey ’14, senior aquaculture operations manager at Hudson Valley Fisheries, was named to Hatchery International’s annual list of “Top 10 Under 40,” which includes hatchery managers, research scientists and professionals from around the globe. She joined the Hudson Valley Fisheries after completing her M.S. at Texas A&M University. She now oversees a tech team of 20 and millions of steelhead trout that are sustainably raised free of antibiotics, hormones, or vaccines in a biosecure, land-based facility in Hudson, N.Y.

Shelley (Alfano) Berad published her second book in 2020, When at First I Saw the Sea, which she hopes offer encouragement to readers.

She and her husband, Derrick, welcomed their sixth child on July 6, 2020. Tessa Grace joined siblings Carter, 13, Reese, 11, Sienna, 8, Lawson, 6, and Evangeline, 3.

Tim Hilterman and his wife, Abby, adopted twins Paisley and Sheppard, now 2, in October.

They join siblings Kate, Piper, Kensington, and Derek.

2003

COFFEE FOR A CAUSE | Evan Addams ’10 and Mitch Young ’08 are aiming to help cover the Pittsburgh Light of Life Rescue Mission’s annual coffee budget of $40,000 with proceeds from the sale of their Richbarn Roasters coffee. The pair started the company in 2019 with a goal of helping others and adapted to assisting those impacted by the pandemic. To learn more, visit richbarnroasters.com.

Lindsie (Nofsinger) Newtz was named the Massillon (Ohio) Independent’s Teacher of the Month for November. She is a second-grade teacher at Fairless Elementary.

2004 Rusty Chadwick, along with a colleague, is the author of a new book titled Team Work: 13 Timeless Principles for Creating Success and Fulfillment as a Team Member. The book provides a framework for success and fulfillment based on the principles of personal excellence and sacrificial service. Chadwick is director of Win Shape Teams in Mt. Berry, Ga. Dr. Jenay Sharp Leach is now the assistant principal at Rowan Elementary School in Cranberry Township, Pa. Rebecca Miller, editor in chief of Farm and Dairy, and her newsroom staff earned national and regional accolades for writing and design in the 2020 National Newspaper Association and Ohio Society of Professional Journalists contests.

Miller earned top national honors in her category for serious column writing from NNA and was named top trade columnist by SPJ.

2005 Aimee (Myers) and Dr. Charles ’06 Cotherman welcomed son Theodore Edsel on Dec. 30, 2019.

Siblings are Elliana, 9, Anneliese, 7, and Benton, 4.

Andrea (Ferguson) Haas and her husband, Eric, adopted son Gavin Heath, 4, on Dec. 17, 2019, and announced the birth of son Theodore Frederick on Feb. 24, 2020. The boys join sisters Eliana, 5, and Sophie, 3.

Amanda (Parker) Mosley and her husband, Nathan, welcomed son Carter Jacob on May 7, 2020. He joins brother Chase and sisters Emily, Hailey, and Jordyn.

2006 Kristina Haines married Christopher Ragland on July 20, 2019. Kristina earned a Ph.D. from Pennsylvania State University in 2010, is an electrical engineer

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Grove City College at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. They live in Ellicott City, Md.

2007 Kristen (Peterson) Usher and her husband, Dan, welcomed daughter Amelia Ann on June 22, 2020.

She joins brother Andrew at home in Fairfax, Va.

2008 Leah (McLaughlin) Fazio was promoted to general counsel at Vitamix, headquartered in Olmsted Township, Ohio. She will provide day-to-day guidance for the legal team, serve as a counselor to senior leadership, and help to create policy and strategy for the company.

Jack McCracken joined the accounting firm Brown Schultz Sheridan & Fritz, in Westminster, Md. He will work as an audit supervisor.

2015 Kristopher Peterson earned his Professional Engineer license.

He is a mechanical engineer with Karpinski Engineering.

2016 Emily (Rothbard) and Alex Morgan announce the birth of son David “Davie” Alexander on Sept. 25, 2020.

2017

Ashley Cetnar was elected by membership to serve the American Association of Physicists in Medicine on its board of directors.

Jason Dauer and David Falk were married Dec. 5, 2020, in Pittsburgh, Pa. Jason is in his final year at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary for his M.Div. and is pursuing ordination in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

Mikaela Monteith married Jeff Stein on May 22, 2020.

Mikaela is an underwriter at National Interstate Insurance.

Anna Mullen and Josh Kellner were married Sept. 24, 2020. Anna is a children’s pastor at Manchester Christian Church in New Hampshire and started her master’s degree in counseling at Gordon Conwell seminary in January.

2012

2019

2009 Philip Daniels, a seventh grade social studies teacher at Fairview (Pa.) Middle School, was named a Golden Apple Award teacher for the week of Nov. 18, 2020. The award is presented by Erie TV JET 24 and Edinboro University.

Amy (Ritter) and Jacob ’10 Knox welcomed son Caleb Daniel on Sept. 24, 2020. He joins big sisters Ellie, 4, and Claire, 2.

2011

Heather (Campbell) and Gret Glyer welcomed daughter Galilee Campbell on Aug. 17, 2020.

Liz (Jones ’12) and Kyle ’14 Banal welcomed son Emmett on Jan. 8, 2020.

2014 Conor Eckhardt was promoted to senior mechanical project engineer with Karpinski Engineering.

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www.alumni.gcc.edu/travel

Sarah Moore and Timothy Gridley ‘18 were married on Nov. 28, 2020, in Harrisburg, Pa. Alyssa (Jackson) and Joe ’20 Bootsma announce the birth of son Benjamin James on Oct. 28, 2020.

Join us for one (or more) of our planned trips this year to experience and explore the world with Grove City College alumni and friends.

May 30 – June 6

California National Parks July 19 – 25

Canada: Polar Bears and Beluga Whales August 12-18

Vancouver to Toronto by Rail For details and more information, visit alumni.gcc.edu.

March 2021

in memory New software has allowed us to screen for alumni reported as deceased but for whom the College received no notification. We are sharing many of those recent names with you in this issue, resulting in a longer list of remembered alumni.

The Grove City College Alumni Association places a book in Henry Buhl Library in memory of each alumnus for whom the Office of Alumni and College Relations receives written notification of death, including a copy of the obituary. This pays tribute to the lives of deceased alumni while benefitting current and future students.

To notify the Office of Alumni and College Relations of the passing of a loved one, please send an obituary to alumni@gcc.edu.

Ruth (Longenecker) Wilson ’41, Lawrenceville, Ga., Dec. 16, 2019. She was a teacher, homemaker, and church secretary.

Betty Jane (Behning) Blackmore ’44, Lemoyne, Pa., Jan. 2, 2021. She was a bookkeeper for Planks Suburban Press and a church treasurer.

Lois Catherine (Love) Smith ’44, DuBois, Pa., Nov. 30, 2020.

She worked as registered nurse and helped manage the Smith’s Family Grocery Store in Falls Creek.

Jean (Wandrisco) Daly ’45, Naples, Fla., Nov. 8, 2020.

She was a retired teacher.

Dr. William F. Schwerin Jr. ’45, Sewickley, Pa., Nov. 19, 2020. A WWII Army veteran, he had a 50-year career in family medicine, founded the Wexford Medical Center, and was medical director at nursing homes including Passavant and St. Barnabas.

Jean (Malcolm) Kennedy ’46, New York, N.Y., Jan. 10, 2020. She taught elementary school in Ridgewood., N.J. for 21 years, winning awards for her teaching.

Robert M. Adams ’47, White Plains, N.Y., Nov. 8, 2020.

Mary Ann (Potschner) Ellwood ’48, Dover, Ohio, Jan. 2, 2021.

She was a homemaker with a gift for music.

Miriam (Hall) Brunt ’49, West Columbia, S.C., Aug. 18, 2020. She taught high school for 14 years and traveled the world.

Jane (Scott) Gilchrist ’49, Zelienople, Pa., Dec. 6, 2020.

She was a homemaker and active volunteer.

Carolyn (Morgan) Clossin ’50, Cumberland, R.I., Dec. 25, 2020. She worked as a newspaper reporter.

Mary (Bartley) Dumbaugh ’50, Butler, Pa., Dec. 4, 2020. She was a medical technologist at Butler Hospital and other facilities and traveled to more than 30 countries.

Doris (Gettemy) Flack ’50, Greensburg, Pa., Nov. 15, 2020. She worked in the engineering department of Goodyear Atomic.

Eleanor (Dean) Haney ’50, State College, Pa., Sept.

27, 2020. She worked as a pastor’s assistant and as an EMT with the fire department.

Joseph A. Hartman Jr. ’50, New Castle, Pa., Sept. 27, 2020.

He was the retired president of Winkle Electric. Survivors include daughter Joann Hartman ’81.

Jean (Bruggeman) Hays ’50, Tinton Falls, N.J., Sept. 5, 2020. She taught children with learning challenges in Middletown, N.J. Robert J. Moyer ’50, Cochranton, Pa., Aug. 13, 2020.

Dr. James K. Sewall ’50, Grove City, Pa., Sept. 18, 2020. An Army veteran, he taught for 25 years in Westminster College’s foreign language department and was a genealogist.

Russell P. Smith Jr. ’50, Maryville, Tenn., Oct. 27, 2020. He was a chemical engineer and WWII Navy veteran. His career included

years at Y-12 in Oak Ridge, Tenn., and the United Nuclear Corporation, Fuels Recovery Plant in Rhode Island.

Marion (Guard) Christy ’51, Houston, Texas, Sept. 18, 2020. She was a travel agent.

Winifred “Bicky” (Hawke) Hulme ’52, Wilmington, Del., October 2020. She was a teacher for 30 years and later worked as a receptionist in the Delaware State Senate.

Survivors include daughter Sandra (Hulme ’80) Schilly.

Gladys (Walter) Schilling ’52, Jacksonville, Fla., Aug. 16, 2020. She and her late husband traveled the U.S., New Zealand, and Kenya.

Bonnie Louise (Baird) Baechtel ’53, Saint Simons Island, Ga., Nov. 16, 2020. She was a registered nurse and first responder for the New Providence rescue squad.

Carolyn (Wevers) Beckerink ’53, Clymer, N.Y., Nov. 13, 2020. She and her husband operated the Beckerink Dairy Farm for 55 years and she was a master at making syrup.

Jane (Ferguson) McCurdy ’53, Signal Mountain, Tenn., Oct. 25. 2020. She was a homemaker and a Life Master in Bridge.

Kenneth L. Montag ’53, Meadville, Pa., Aug. 7, 2020.

A WWII and Korean War Army veteran, he retired as an assistant vice president with PNC Bank and was treasurer of the Meadville Medical Center Foundation for 10 years.

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Grove City College

Alice Ketler passes away

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true queen of the College has passed away. Alice (Bryant ’39) Ketler died Nov. 2, 2020, in her Grove City home.

At 102 years old, she was the eldest member of Grove City College’s founding Ketler family. She was married to former College assistant bursar and longtime Alumni Council member, the late George Ketler ’39. Thus by marriage, she was daughterin-law to George’s father, former College President Dr. Weir Ketler ’08 and granddaughter-in-law to College Founder and President Isaac Ketler.

To more recent grads, Alice Ketler was the mother of retired Professor of Business Dr. Bruce Ketler ’71, who taught at the College from 1977 to 2018.

To her 1939-era Grove City College classmates, she was the special lady they elected as their May Queen.

A Grove City native, Mrs. Ketler lived at home during her College years, walking to school every day in the process of completing her business major. She was a member of the women’s basketball team and the Gamma Chi sorority.

George Ketler was her longtime elementary school admirer, and the two first “dated” at a sixth-grade dance. They married in September after college graduation in 1939. George taught in Indiana and was a commissioned officer in the Marine Corps Reserves. Alice traveled with him to California for his training before deploying to the Pacific during World War II, stayed with her sister in Cleveland for a short time, then returned to Grove City and bought a house – by herself.

In the late 1950s, Alice began teaching English and reading at Grove City Junior High School. She also enhanced her skills by earning a master’s degree in education from Westminster College.

“Alice Ketler was an amazing person in so very many ways.

Every once in a while we get to know someone very special and she was that for me,” said College First Lady Brenda (Millican ’80) McNulty, who struck up a friendship with Mrs. Ketler. “She had these spell-binding blue eyes that never dimmed. She was gracious and self-effacing. She wanted to keep up with what was happening at the College and was happy to share her personal history … I felt so blessed to be hearing all of it,” McNulty said.

After Alice’s husband died in 1993, she stayed in the family residence in Grove City, once the home of Weir Ketler. She continued to host friends and look after her family of what is now 10 grandchildren, 16 great grandchildren and four great-great grandchildren. At age 100, Ketler was still hosting book clubs, staying active in Tower Presbyterian Church, and having weekly meals with son Bruce.

She leaves behind a legacy of faith and kindness. “It’s been a good life,” Ketler said in an interview at age 95. “I’ve felt very blessed, I really have.”

Alumni survivors include her sons George “Jud” Ketler ’64, James Ketler ’66, and Dr. Bruce Ketler ’71; grandchildren Courtney (Ketler ’86) Bost and Heather (Ketler ’88) DeRose.

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John H. Moser Sr. ’53, Grove City, Pa., Jan. 23, 2021. An Army veteran, he retired from Grove City College in 1995 after directing the Department of Admissions for 31 years and the Registrar’s Office for five.

Throughout his admissions career, he said he read 59,953 applications, accepted 27,933 students and enrolled 17,863 students. He also served as an associate professor of music and supervised music student teachers for 20 years.

Previously, he taught high school vocal music in Lincoln Park, Mich. He received the College’s Florence E. MacKenzie CampusCommunity Award in 1986.

He leaves children Debi (Moser ’76) Beers, Jean (Moser ’77) Paden, son John, grandchildren, greatgrandchildren, and brother Frank Moser ’63. He was preceded in death by wife Jane (Whatton ’50) Moser, brothers Hugh Moser ’50 and Walter Moser Jr. ’56. Surviving sisters-in-law are Ruth (Merwin ’50) Moser, Carolyn (Easter ’61) Moser, and Rosemary (Krebill ’63) Moser. Moser’s grandfather, F. Hermann Poehlmann, chaired the College’s Music Conservatory for 43 years and composed the music for the College’s Alma Mater. His grandmother, opera singer Johanna Poehlmann, taught voice classes for Grove City College students.

Anne (Bertelsen) DahlstrandDaniel ’54, Erie, Pa., Sept.

28, 2020. She was an office administrator for Mutual of New York and T. Baer Financial. Survivors include son Eric Dahlstrand ’79.

Joanne (Stevenson) Gustin ’54, Erie, Pa., Oct. 24, 2020. She had hosted a local children’s show and fundraised for the Erie Philharmonic.

Ellis H. Klingensmith ’54, Ashtabula, Ohio, Aug. 2, 2020. A WWII Army Air

Force veteran, he was a high school teacher and guidance counselor for 30 years.

Richard C. McCamey ’54, Atlanta, Ga., September 2020.

He was an Air Force veteran.

Esther (Smith) Mercatoris ’54, Brookville, Pa., Aug. 5, 2020.

She was a teacher and hospital board member.

William L. Dods ’55, Lansing, Mich., Nov. 4, 2020. He was a branch manager with Westinghouse Electric Supply and an Army veteran.

George B. Rush Jr. ’55, Oxford, N.C., Dec. 5, 2020. An Army veteran, he managed credit and collection personnel and consulted on treasury management. He retired as general manager and newscaster at WIZS radio.

Survivors include wife Jane (Negus ’58) Rush.

Edalee “Lee” (Maurer) Brown ’56, Lancaster, Pa., Nov. 26, 2020. She was a homemaker and avid golfer.

Sandra (Wheeler) Evans ’56, Bridgeton, N.J., Oct. 16, 2020. A developmental education specialist, she taught elementary education, then mathematics at Rowan College, in addition to coordinating their learning laboratory and directing their Success Center.

Audrey (Crux) Gerlach ’56, Cabot, Pa., Dec. 25, 2020.

She taught high school and led several school trips to Germany. Survivors include daughter Lori (Gerlach ’83) Morgan.

Mary “Jody” (Bridges) Orr ’56, Rolling Hills Estates, Calif., June 23, 2020. She taught Spanish and later substitute taught. She was a world traveler.

F. Duane Snyder ’56, Kittanning, Pa., Nov. 26, 2020. He owned/operated funeral homes in Kittanning, Cowansville, and Worthington.

Charles W. White ’56, Conneaut Lake, Pa., Oct. 1, 2020. He taught science for 38 years at Conneaut Valley High School, and owned/ operated the former White Funeral Home. He was a Korean War Army veteran and also taught young golfers.

Helena E. “Edie” Heller ’57, Lincoln, R.I., Nov. 15, 2020.

A paralegal, she worked for the family liquor business, a bank, and Sears.

Benjamin G. Pastrick ’57, North Augusta, S.C., May 1, 2020.

He was employed by Cessna Aircraft, North American Aviation, and IBM. Survivors include wife Nancy (Wingrove ’56) Pastrick.

Stewart B. McCurdy ’57, Cortland, Ohio, Sept. 17, 2020. He spent his career in the steel industry with Republic Steel/LTV/WCI. The Air Force veteran was an avid sailor. Survivors include wife Joan (McDougall ’53) McCurdy.

Daryle (Shaffer) Harvey ’58, Redmond, Wash., April 19, 2020.

S. Frances (Whittington) Smith ’58, Rostraver, Pa., Sept. 3, 2020. She was a retired English teacher from South Allegheny High School.

Survivors include sister Nancy (Whittington ’59) Hoffman.

Edwin B. Bookwalter ’59, Montgomery, Ala., Dec. 10, 2020. A retired Air Force major, Bookwalter worked at the Pentagon and retired to a civilian career. Survivors include wife Elizabeth (Coen ’60) Bookwalter.

Robert R. Lawson ’59, Kissimmee, Fla., Aug. 15, 2020. He worked as a cost accountant and volunteered with Give Kids the World.

Robert A. Wilson ’59, New Wilmington, Pa., Dec. 31, 2020. He taught at New Castle High School, served in the National Guard, and retired from West Central Job Partnership.

March 2021 Robert A. Franke ’60, Boynton Beach, Fla., Oct. 3, 2020. An Army veteran, he worked in the pharmaceutical industry, including with Ivax Corp.

Keith C. Gray ’60, Bartlesville, Okla., Oct. 31, 2020. An electrical engineer, he worked with Phillips Petroleum in several cities and countries and was a Navy veteran.

Charles W. McKim ’60, Avon, Ind., Sept. 4, 2020. He was a warehouse manager for GC Murphy Co. and a Korean War Army veteran. Survivors include wife Norma (Silvestro ’56) McKim. John H. Younkins ’60, Ford City, Pa., July 30, 2020. An Army veteran, he was a chemical engineer and an independent consultant.

J. Ted Collar ’61, Pacific Palisades, Calif., Navy veteran, April 15, 2020. He was a finance executive in the oil and engineering industries and a small business owner. He was an avid genealogist.

Thomas L. Hunt ’61, Vermilion, Ohio, Dec. 6, 2020. He enjoyed a career in business management, consulting, and teaching.

Joseph W. Swenn ’62, Meadville, Pa., Dec. 22, 2020. His career included mechanical engineering with Talon Zipper, tool designing with Channellock, and teaching at the Crawford County Vocational School. He also ran his own photography business.

Dr. Timothy M. Spina ’69, Butler, Pa., Sept. 9, 2020. He practiced pediatric dentistry in Homestead and Butler.

William T. Boyce ’63, New Ellenton, S.C., died June 20, 2020. A chemist, he worked with SRS for 30 years, and was very involved with Special Olympics.

Larry E. Oskin ’72, Butler, Pa., Oct. 4, 2020. He was a manager for Kenmac Rentals for 50 years and a Vietnam War Army veteran.

Elmer T. “Ted” Betush ’64, Wexford, Pa., Dec. 20, 2020.

He taught high school German before moving to careers in sales and marketing, and financial advising.

Jeffrey K. Krinks ’73, Westerville, Ohio, Jan. 1, 2021. He was a computer programmer and systems analyst for companies including LTV Steel, J & L Steel, and Accenture.

John R. Caldwell Jr. ’64, Virginia Beach, Va., Dec. 11, 2020. He enjoyed helping people in his career as a financial advisor.

Survivors include brothers Gary ’65 and James ’69 Caldwell.

Rodney B. McClelland ’65, Grove City, Pa., Nov. 28, 2020. An Air Force veteran, he owned and was a broker with Century 21 McClelland Real Estate and co-owned the Magoffin Guest House in Mercer. Survivors include wife Janet (Pogue ’66) McClelland.

William R. Keane Jr. ’61, Dublin, Ohio, Dec. 23, 2020.

He worked as an accountant/ auditor in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania for private companies and the Pennsylvania state government and served in the Army Reserve.

Barbara (Hodgson) Husband ’67, Grove City, Pa., Nov. 24, 2020.

She taught elementary school for 30 years in the Cranberry Area School District.

Diane (Greiner) Yates ’61, Glenshaw, Pa., Nov. 26, 2020.

She directed the Shaler North Hills Library from 1981-2003.

She and husband Robert Yates ’59, who survives, led many European tours for the Musical Box Society International.

D. David Redic ’67, Chelsea, Mich., Oct. 13, 2020. He worked in environmental regulation and also owned his own business. Survivors include wife Diane (Miller ’67) Redic.

Alma M. Ruesch ’62, Wyckoff, N.J., Aug. 25, 2020. She taught Spanish at Ramapo High School for 35 years and volunteered at the Barnegat lighthouse.

Diana “Dee” (Hunter) Humfeld ’69, Grand Junction, Colo., Nov. 30, 2020. She served for 27 years as a high school math teacher.

Randal E. McCamey ’67, Natrona Heights, Pa., Nov. 19, 2020.

He practiced law in Oakmont.

Glenna “Sue” (Smith) Baker ’68, Mercer, Pa., Sept. 19. 2020.

She was a pharmacist and business owner.

James R. Buzzard ’69, Reading, Pa., Dec. 26, 2020. He was a respected electrical engineer.

William L. Sham ’73, Sharon, Pa., Oct. 1, 2020. He worked as a regional general agent for Motorist Mutual and Protective Life and was inducted into the Mercer County Hall of Fame in 2014. Survivors include wife Jane (Peale ’73) Sham.

Jan (Larson) Butcheri ’74, North Tonawanda, N.Y., died Sept. 20, 2020. After serving as a Peace Corps volunteer with her husband, she taught high school English and was devoted to her church.

Survivors include husband Terry Butcheri ’72.

Bruce P. Leasure ’76, Fairless Hills, Pa., Aug. 24, 2020. He was president and co-owner of Middlesex Welding Sales.

Survivors include wife Karen (Carpenter ’76) Leasure.

Ada Rose (Peden) Mueller ’76, Grove City, Pa., Dec. 26, 2020. After raising nine children, she resumed her GCC education. She taught, mostly Kindergarten, in Karns City for 12 years, gave piano lessons, and played church organ for 33 years. Survivors include children Carl Mueller ’75, Mary (Mueller ’78) Ridley, James Mueller ’79, Richard Mueller ’80, and Robert Mueller ’80.

James D. Scriven ’76, Ann Arbor, Mich., June 5, 2020. t h e G ēD UNK w w w. g c c.e d u | 39

Grove City College He was a human resources executive for GE and Honeywell. Survivors include wife Cheryl (Collins ’78) Scriven, children Mark Scriven ’10 and Kelly (Scriven ’15) Nan. Linda (Amon) Wiggins ’76, Mercer, Pa., Sept.

1, 2020. She worked at Reznor as a programmer, executive secretary, and cost accountant. Survivors include husband Gary Wiggins ’77 and brother Gerald Amon ’65.

Marianne (Cipolone) Hartman ’89, Crownsville, Md., died Dec. 13, 2020. After teaching in Frederick County, Md., she became a mother to two sets of twins. The family spent six years abroad beginning in 2010, and she was an active volunteer.

Survivors include husband Christopher Hartman ’90.

Michael R. Horst ’89, Medina, Ohio, Aug. 19, 2020. He worked as senior director of investment management for Kaleida Health of Buffalo, N.Y. Frederick C. McDowell ’93, Uniontown, Pa., Dec. 24, 2020.

Michael L. Messer ’95, Hermitage, Pa., Dec. 12, 2020. He was owner and president of MBROS Construction and coached baseball and basketball for the Hermitage School District.

Marc A. Truszkowski ’97, Pittsburgh, Pa., Dec. 3, 2020.

He worked in marketing and tech support with Apple.

Amy (Bresnahan) Thomason ’96, Copley, Ohio, Nov. 5, 2020. She worked in human resources with companies including First Energy, Lockheed Martin, and Kent State University. She also served in many volunteer capacities.

Jason L. Spoerlein ’01, Little Elm, Texas, Nov. 26, 2020.

He worked in corporate retail, most recently as a planning and allocation director at JCPenney in Plano. He and wife Aimee traveled the world extensively.

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Friends Grove City College lost a teacher and a leader on Dec. 2, 2020, with the death of internationally acclaimed economist and widely syndicated columnist Walter E. Williams at age 84.

Dr. Williams served on Grove City College’s Board of Trustees for more than a decade before assuming honorary status. In his classroom, columns, books, and commentary, he advanced faith and freedom through an eloquent and forceful defense of sound economic principles, personal liberty and religious freedom. As a Trustee, he provided thoughtful leadership, wise counsel and extraordinary service to the College.

Dr. Williams’ relationship with Grove City College dates back four decades.

He provided the J. Howard Pew Lecture in 1983, spoke at Commencement in 1992, when he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree, and again in 2012. He also served as guest lecturer in Economics. In 2003, he was elected to the Board of Trustees and was named honorary trustee in 2014. Dr. Williams occasionally used his syndicated newspaper column to highlight Grove City College’s conservative values and outstanding academic reputation.

College mourns Nancy (Lee ’54) Paxton

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ongtime College administrator, mentor, and friend to generations of students Nancy (Lee ’54) Paxton, former dean of women and vice president for Student Affairs, died Feb. 20 at her Grove City home. She was 88.

“It would be difficult to exaggerate the impact Nancy Paxton had on the lives of thousands of students during her tenure at the College,” President Paul J. McNulty ’80, said. “She was a constant source of cheerfulness, kindness, and devoted service to the campus community. Now, in the presence of her Savior, she can look to her right and to her left and enjoy the eternal fellowship of the saints who have gone before her.”

Mrs. Paxton joined the College in 1976 as dean of women and director of housing.

She was promoted to dean of students and vice president of student affairs in 1991, a post she held until her retirement in 2004. She managed leadership in residence halls, coordinated student housing needs, organized special events, supervised student counseling, and led various campus activities. Mrs. Paxton touched the lives of thousands of students with her genuine kindness and compassion.

Edward D. Breen ’78, chair of the College Board of Trustees added, “Nancy Paxton, from the ‘Great Class of ’54,’ was a caring and tireless leader of Grove City College. Her love for the students was evident to all. Nancy’s dedication continues to serve as an inspiring example for all who are involved in the vital work of the College.” “‘Look to your left, look to your right, your future mate might be in sight.’ This often repeated quote of Mrs. Paxton’s was sometimes met with eye rolls, but still puts a smile on faces of alumni as they think of her in her red suit, telling us that we had no idea what the next four years of our life would bring,” Melissa (Trifaro ’96) MacLeod, senior director of College and Alumni Relations, said.

With nearly three decades of service to the College and students, Mrs. Paxton advised many campus organizations including Panhellenic Council, Mortar Board, Crown and Sceptre, Association of Women Students, and the Student Government Association. She was a sister of Alpha Beta Tau sorority. Upon her retirement, the College awarded her an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree. The Grove City College Alumni Association selected her for a Jack Kennedy Memorial Alumni Achievement Award in the field of Education in 1994. She received the College’s Florence E. MacKenzie Campus-Community Award in 1989.

Prior to joining Grove City College, Mrs. Paxton served as director of Christian education at Grove City’s East Main Presbyterian Church for 23 years.

Her husband, H. Thomas Paxton, passed in May 2016.

Nieces and nephew survive. Memorial gifts may be made to the Nancy (Lee ’54) Paxton Scholarship Endowment at Grove City College, established in 2010 by family and friends, in care of the Development Office, 100 Campus Drive, Grove City, PA 16127 or gcc.edu/givenow.

March 2021

li’l wolverines ‘mid the pines

Caleb Benjamin Allen Born 9-14-19 Jada and Benjamin ’10 Allen

Emmett Banal Born 1-8-20 Liz (Jones ’12) and Kyle ’14 Banal

Genevieve Elizabeth Bancroft Born 12-10-19 Erin (Lukasiewicz ’07) and Eric Bancroft

Benjamin James Bootsma Born 10-28-20 Alyssa (Jackson ’19) and Joe ’20 Bootsma

Vera Rose Crummy Born 4-19-18 Lindsey (Jacobs ’05) and Tyler Crummy

Selah Joy and Norah Faith Gibbs Born 8-8-18 and 1-7-20 Sandra (Kraynik ’14) and Christopher ’14 Gibbs

Walter Liam Kreider V Born 5-23-20 Joanna (Stack ’12) and Walter Soren ’12 Kreider IV

Alexandra Renée Leach Born 2-19-20 Jenay (Sharp ’04) and Nicholas ’04 Leach

Daniel Thomas Madar Born 10-16-18 Ashley (Cetnar ’11) and Thomas Madar

William Benjamin Read Born 5-2-18 Kimberly (Barron ’08) and Benjamin ’08 Read

Amelia Ann Usher Born 6-22-20 Kristen (Peterson ’07) and Dan Usher

Emily Anne Ward Born 5-14-19 Karyn (Monaghan ’01) and David Ward

CONGRATULATIONS NEW PARENTS! Grove City College welcomes your new bundle of joy. We want to send your newborn a Grove City College T-shirt.

So between the feedings and late-night lullabies, be sure to send the Office of Alumni and College Relations your child’s name and date of birth. Shirts are available only in infant size.

Due to the popularity of the Alumni Babies feature, photos will be limited to babies under the age of 5 in Grove City College shirts only. Digital photos must be high resolution, 300 dpi. Please do not embed photos in the body of an email message, but rather attach a high-resolution image.

To request a baby shirt, visit alumni.gcc.edu/babyshirt.

Send pictures to alumni@gcc.edu.

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Grove City College

faith & learning A faculty perspective into the mission of Grove City College, the role of Christian scholarship in higher education, and the connection between faith and learning.

In the nick of time: A theological reflection

By Rev. Dr. Donald D. Opitz

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Rev. Dr. Donald D. Opitz – aka Pastor O – is chaplain and senior director of Christian Formation at Grove City College. He previously served at Gordon College in student affairs, at Geneva College as a professor in leadership studies and sociology, and in college ministry at Messiah University before landing his “dream job” at Grove City College in 2020. He grew up in Grove City “almost under the shadow of Harbison Chapel” and graduated from Westminster College with a double major in religion and philosophy. Opitz holds a Master of Divinity degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. in religion and culture in modern society from Boston University.

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ick of Time was a critically acclaimed album by Bonnie Raitt from a few years back, and if something happens “in the nick of time” it means that it happened at a critical moment, and none too soon. Under the gray cloud of Covid, the College community has been striving to live faithfully in the nick, to maintain hope and pour out love in this critical moment of time.

We thought that a brief theological reflection on time and on our times might help us all to sustain Christian vitality and help us to shine like stars flung into the darkness (Philippians 2:15). We hope that this message comes to you in the nick of time.

I do not think that I should begin this essay with a discussion of Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity. That might only interest a handful of physics majors, but there is a little insight about time that is relevant for this discussion. Einstein recognized that these key aspects of the world – mass, velocity, and time – were not independent but were in fact related to one another. When any one of these dimensions approaches a limit, weird things begin to happen to the other two dimensions. Thoughtful Christians know that these dimensions are not merely relative to one another; they are each specifically relative to the One who made them.

“In the beginning” God’s creationword brought all things into existence, and God’s providential law-word frames and coordinates the way that the creation holds together. Everything that was created by God is a servant of the Lord, and it rightly responds to the word of the One who made it. Time itself is a servant of the Lord. God is not bound by it, but God does bind the creation to it and in time God displays both the glory of the creation and the beauty of God’s love that is poured out in redemptive history. This is a strong foundation for our Christian philosophy of time – time is a servant of God that provides a context for God’s creation and for God’s self-revelation.

Once upon another time, and this time Paul calls “the fullness of time” (Galatians 4:4), the Lord Jesus took on flesh and came to stand upon the earth, in time. He was the light that came into our darkness. Even though the times were dark (and our times are dim as well), no time is the devil’s time.

Time is not his servant, though we do have a devil of a time remembering that. The Timeless One came into time and then he took his time – ministering at the pace of relationship. Japanese theologian Kosuke Koyama wrote a small book called Three-Mile an Hour God. This title captures something crucial in the ministry of Jesus – he was on the move but not in a rush. He conducted ministry at the pace of saunter – talking with his disciples along the way. In the patient ministry of Jesus, relationships set the agenda and the pace.

Imagine that – the Lord of time entered time. Infinite Spirit was incarnate as a person, a baby no less. In covenant love God took on flesh and came in the nick of time, and took his time, and now remains incarnate and longs (as do we) for the Second Advent of His return. The Lord of time has transformed time. Paul acknowledges that the time between Advents is short (1 Corinthians 7:29) and that this is the time of God’s favor for the day of salvation has come (2 Corinthians 6:2). Paul affirms the wisdom of God’s timing – that Christ came in the fullness of time, and that our times are also full: full of God’s love being poured out in the gospel of the Lord Jesus, full of God’s Spirit that has been poured out in the church, and full of opportunities for witness and the challenges of kingdom faithfulness.

Even though shadows still stretch across this age and at times dark clouds still blow through, God’s claim on and care in our time extends even to this year and to each moment. A time is coming when the Lord will make all things new. We are encouraged that that day will be soon, but at the same

time we experience an ache that it is not coming soon enough. Take heart. God is not wasting this time – this age. The Lord is not only filling the forever church, but Jesus is also fulfilling his work in each of us. We are not alone; these rough days are not in vain; the arc of history bends not only toward justice, but also to bliss!

One of the tribes of Israel, the sons of Issachar, had a reputation for wisdom. They understood the times and knew what God’s people should do (1 Chronicles 12:32). Grove City College exists to raise up sons and daughters of Issachar, children of God who understand these times and who walk in the light, reflecting light. Wisdom is framed by God’s word, and it also requires attention to God’s world and to the times. It is not enough simply to know God and to know the Bible, though this knowledge is absolutely essential and formative. Sons and daughters of Issachar learn to see all of life through the biblical narrative and they learn to honor the Lord with their creativity and in all of their commitments.

March 2021

Student learning, shaped in the curriculum and the co-curriculum of the College, attends to deep and wide worldview questions: Who am I? Where are we? What’s wrong? What is the solution? In The New Testament and the People of God, N.T. Wright adds this worldview question: What time is it? This extra question reminds us that our wisdom is always in time and for the times.

We are living in the meantime of the Lord. I don’t mean that these times are mean, though there is some truth in that and we need to attend to the meanness of our present cultural moment. By meantime I mean that we must live with swivel heads – continuously looking back to the glorious gospel and the revealed goodness of the Lord as well as looking ahead to his coming kingdom. And while we are meantiming, we also need to be meanwhiling, for the Lord is at work far beyond my horizons and yours.

God is working simultaneously in us and in others, here and afar. Recalling what God has done in history, what God will do in the future, and what God is doing around the

world is good medicine for the apathy and anxiety that are gnawing at so many of us.

A theology of time can make us dizzy, for the Lord is vast and mysterious, but we have also been shown that Jesus is near and that God’s plan of redemption is slowly unfolding in time, in our times. We would be wise to listen once again to Jesus as he coaches the disciples regarding hope and readiness (Matthew 25). Follow the example of the five wise virgins awaiting the Bridegroom. Keep your lamp lit and your eyes open. Take along some extra oil in case it takes a little longer than you expect. Be assured of this: Love is on the way and soon the feast of feasts begins!

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Grove City College Alumni Magazine

Grove City College

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Grove City, PA 16127 www.gcc.edu

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GRADUATE STUDIES ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS gcc.edu/advanced VIEW ALL OF OUR ONLINE COURSE OFFERINGS AT gcc.edu/onlinecourses