Saint Francis joins the PAC University reclassifies from D1 to D3 in quick switch SPORTS
The
Video games invade! Doctors Rawl ranks their favorites and Minecraft goes Live ENTERTAINMENT
Collegian
Quirks and quacks
Exhibit features Preschool Picassos
Kristiana Shirk
Contributing Writer
From Claude Monet to Andy Warhol and Jackson Pollock to Vincent Van Gogh, Grove City College’s preschoolers have spent a year loving and learning about these artists. Now, their own talent is on display in the Early Education Center (EEC) artist showcase installed by students of the College.
The gallery features the collaboration of education and art students. Director of College Archives and Galleries Hilary Walczak ’09 explains that students gave art lessons for the Art Methods field experience class, taught by Assistant Professor of Education Dr. Elizabeth
Rupnik. Walczak’s Gallery Studies students installed the exhibit.
The whole process started with students of the College preparing their lessons in Art Methods. Under the supervision and guidance of Rupnik and Dr. Jolene Munson, director of EEC, the students created background and art lessons on specific artists and then taught those lessons in the preschool.
The lessons themselves were much more than informational. The preschoolers learned about the style of each artist and tried the style for themselves in the art lesson. Munson said they began to really understand what the
Violet Whitmore News Editor
This weekend, get ready to make some noise for Grove City College’s annual Hilda Adam Kring children’s theater musical, “Honk! A Musical Tale of the Ugly Duckling.”
This musical, which debuted yesterday, is directed by student directors seniors Calista Robbins and Mary Margaret Bargery and is stage managed by senior Sarah Klein.
“This entire semester has been eat, sleep, breathe, ‘Honk!’ I’m so proud of the actors and crew (especially our stage manager Sarah Klein) who’ve poured their hearts and souls into this show. I can’t wait for audiences to finally see all their hard work,” Robbins said.
“Honk!” riffs off the classic Hans Christian Anderson story, “The Ugly Duckling.” The production debuted in 1993 with original music by George Stiles and lyrics by Anthony Drewe. The show revolves around Ugly, played by sophomore Will Mueller, an unattractive duck who is determined to find his missing mother, played by sophomore Jesse Richardson. Ugly encounters a flock of unique characters and situations in the musical, traversing multiple diverse landscapes and narrowly escaping trouble.
“My favorite part of working on this show has been watching the cast grow to truly love what they’re a part of and step into their parts with confidence and joy,” Bargery said.
The family-friendly show has created community ties between students of the College and local children, uniting actors and the local Grove City area.
No tickets are required to attend the musical, which is free to the public. There will be a performance tonight at 7 p.m. and tomorrow at 11 a.m. in Ketler Auditorium in the Pew Fine Arts Center.
Future President puts faith first
Matthew Purucker Staff Writer
When Grove City College announced Bradley J. Lingo ’00 as the College’s next president, it meant another opportunity for Lingo to pursue his calling. It also meant another change.
Throughout life, Lingo has embraced his journey and transformation through various jobs. However, one most important part of his life has stayed in the front of his mind, impacting his decisions more than anything else.
EMMA ROSSI
“Honk!” will be in Ketler Auditorium in PFAC tonight at 7 p.m. and tomorrow at 11 a.m.
Bradley Lingo ‘00 will assume his presidential role at the College in July.
From the Tower
Federal funding follies
Last Thursday, President Trump released an executive order entitled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History” petitioning Vice President J.D. Vance to work with Congress to limit expenditures on exhibitions or programs that “degrade shared American values, divide Americans by race or promote ideologies inconsistent with federal law.”
“Over the past decade, Americans have witnessed a concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our Nation’s history, replacing objective facts with a distorted narrative driven by ideology rather than truth,” the Order reads.
The situation is complex. There are many questions, all of which could be answered separately in a column: Is this censorship? Is this Trump’s attempt to control history? When have we seen this in history before? Is this unconstitutional? Should Trump be allowed to do this?
The question that comes to my mind first is one that is all too familiar to Grove City College. How does federal funding affect the Smithsonian’s freedom?
The Smithsonian receives and relies on federal funding. It is outrageous to consider that the president would see it as his responsibility to determine what the Smithsonian (which has 21 museums, libraries, research centers and the National Zoo) does. It is less outrageous when you consider that the Smithsonian, in part, is financially dependent on the president’s administration.
The Smithsonian Institution was founded in 1846 as a trust instrumentality of the United States, lawfully created by Congress to exercise the authority of the United States in carrying out the responsibilities Congress undertook “to found at Washington, under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men.”
Since it is a trust instrumentality, according to the IRS’s 1996 Exempt Organizations document, “it is regarded as legally separate from its governmental creator.” So, in short, legally, the Smithsonian owes Trump diddly-squat when it comes to his new requests for content changes.
Financially, however, if the institution does not play by Trump’s rules and promote his desired “truth” (or whatever we should call it), they risk losing their funding. The Smithsonian is not entirely immune to administrative control. Just this January, the Institution abolished their diversity office because of an executive order from Trump, which forbid organizations receiving federal funds from operating DEI programs.
It is unclear how much power the Smithsonian’s Board of Regents, whose members include the Vice President, the Chief Justice of the United States, three Senators, three Representatives and nine citizens, have over the content dispersed and displayed by the Institution. But in Section 2 point D of the executive order, Trump calls upon Vance to “seek the appointment of citizen members to the Smithsonian Board of Regents committed to advancing the policy of this order.” So even the non-political members of the board will be influenced by the politics of Trump’s administration.
The Smithsonian is stuck between Trump and a hard place – having to make decisions that are both inline with Trump’s orders and remain true to history’s reality and their intellectual freedom.
Emma Rossi Editor-in-Chief
Collegian Staff
Editor-in-Chief
Emma Rossi
Managing Editor
Grace Scheller
Section Editors
News
Violet Whitmore
Community
Emily Fox
Perspectives
Grace Scheller
Entertainment
Catharine Runion
Sports
Mia Gallagher
Photo Chief Luke Paglia
Copy Chief
Kathryna Hoyman
Business Manager
John Remaniak
Copy Editors
Anastasia Brown
Olivia Emerick
Kendall Lambrecht
Bonnie Pittman
Jesse Richardson
Staff Writers
Dom Puglisi
Matthew Purucker
Madison Lynch
Christa Bashinski
Garrett Gess
Staff Photographers
Staff Adviser
Nick Hildebrand
The Collegian is the student newspaper of Grove City College, located in Grove City, Pa. Opinions appearing on these pages, unless expressly stated otherwise, represent the views of individual writers. They are not the collective views of The Collegian, its staff or Grove City College.
the Green eyeshade award
This week’s Green Eyeshade Award goes to staff writer Matthew Purucker, who, fueled by popsicle and his love for news, copy edited several articles and provided moral support in the Tower.
The Green Eyeshade Award
honors student contributors that demonstrate consistency and excellence in their work.
Is blue collar better?
Emily Fox Community Editor
Our society places too much emphasis on a college education. Yes you read that right. It might seem strange to read a statement such as this one in a college newspaper, but thoughout my time in college it has become more and more apparent to me.
When students are in high school – especially in their junior and senior years – the question they’re asked most often is “where are you going to go to school?” In a lot of places, it is assumed that almost the entire graduating class is going to go to college. College has become the norm, and it’s no wonder why students feel the pressure to go to school when you consider the advice being fed to them.
Teachers, guidance counselors, family members and really society as a whole have made teenagers believe that they cannot be successful unless they get a degree. Worse, those who choose not to get an education are often looked down upon by their peers. But why?
Highschoolers are told that they are better off going to
LINGO continued from 1
“I see God’s hand in every aspect of my life — preparing me for the work He would call me to do. Shortly before we turned 40, my wife and I decided that we wanted to be all-in for the cause of Christ in the second half of our lives — open to wherever the Lord led,” Lingo said.
“It wasn’t always easy — it involved resigning from my law firm partnership, selling our house, and leaving friends and family to move to Virginia Beach to teach at a Christian law school. And now it means moving again. But there has been so much joy. God has opened doors for both of us beyond what we could have asked or imagined,” he added.
Lingo has not always thought that way. If you had talked with him about his life’s vision before arriving at the College, it would likely differ from his vision today.
“I came to Grove City with a Sunday school understanding of my faith -- I knew the facts and the familiar Bible stories. Grove City profes-
college because a degree will allow them to get “cleaner” jobs and make more money. But is that really true? It depends on the job. Sure, a doctor is going to make a lot more per year than an electrician, but the monetary gap between blue collar and white collar jobs is probably closer than you would think.
Let’s take a look at an example. According to the U.S. News and World Report, the median salary of a plumber in the U.S. in 2023 was $61,550. I was curious about how that compared to my own career path of choice. I’m working on getting my English degree and two minors so that I can work in Public Relations post-grad. According to the U.S. News and World Report, the median salary of a PR specialist in 2023 was $66,750. So my college degree is making me a whopping $5,200 more than I would make if I’d followed in my grandfather’s footsteps and became a plumber. And let’s not forget that I paid four years worth of tuition for that degree while a plumber goes to trade school for about half the time and therefore pays much less for their tuition. Another guidance counselor exaggeration refuted.
Grove City College, please don’t fire me yet. I’m not saying that a college degree is useless. I am saying that blue
sors, particularly humanities core professors like Dr. Hoffecker and Dr. Foster, opened my eyes to how those stories fit together and point us toward Christ. I left Grove City with a much deeper understanding of God’s word,” Lingo said.
Lingo was grateful for the last 25 years since he graduated from Grove City. He believed those years improved the Christian atmosphere of the College from a minor feature, second to its reputation for academic excellence and value that drew him to the College three decades ago, to its main identity.
“When I think of the many things about President McNulty’s legacy for which I am thankful, his emphasis on Grove City’s Christian identity and the spiritual formation of students is at the very top of the list,” Lingo said.
Among the goals for the College when Lingo takes office in the summer is the greater integration of Christ in everyday life. He emphasized it being vital in encouraging the College to become one of the most excellent Christian institutions
collar workers can be just as successful as college graduates. I am a firm believer that we need both. We need doctors who can treat us when we are sick. At the same time, I’d be afraid to watch my aunt (she’s a doctor) try to fix a toilet. Our society needs both blue collar and white collar workers in order to function. It all comes down to God’s plan. God has gifted every one of us with talents that He intends for us to use for the individual purpose He has given us. God has created some of us to be biologists and some of us to be welders. It shouldn’t be about the money or status. It should be about following a call to do what God has planned for us to do. I came to Grove City because I felt called to further my education, and my experience here has been a testament that I made the right decision. I found what I loved to do here and was eqipped with the resources I needed to keep following that call.
So why are we pressuring teenagers to do something that might not be God’s plan for them? I think it’s time that we stop adhering to stereotypes and start evaluating the talents and passions that God has given us and allow Him to determine our steps instead of the school system.
students can attend to grow their love for Christ.
“I hope that our Christian community is a defining characteristic of every part of our school. That’s a collective effort in our classrooms and dorm rooms, in class, after class, in our athletics, in what we teach and how we live together. It involves all of us — faculty, staff, coaches, administrators — and particularly students. Much of the most important ministry that happens at Grove City is done by students. I’d also love to see worship become an even more significant part of our culture,” Lingo said.
“We want to be the best four-year discipleship program on the planet — a place where students are more like Jesus after living and learning in our community. We want Grove City to be a place where the fruit of the Spirit is abundant in how we study, live, play and learn together. And we want Grove City to be a place where, as we learn together, rather than be conformed to the patterns of this world, we are transformed by the renewing of our minds,” he shared.
renditions
PRESCHOOL
continued from 1
artists are doing with their work. “I love when they make connections between the artists. They start to learn the vocabulary and start to compare and vocalize,” Munson expressed.
In every style, the preschoolers learned the skill and intention behind the famous artists. Sophomore Anna Plank gave a lesson on Jackson Pollock.
“One of the things I really loved about this project was that my group got to teach the kids about ‘action painting.’ This was a style of painting that Jackson Pollock used to create his abstract pieces -- as they experimented with the tools, they came up with their own ways of ‘action painting’ making each piece truly individual,” Plank said.
The lessons brought out
ENGINEERS
continued from 4
worked with Westinghouse to design and fabricate a heat exchange sleeve for the eVinci microreactor. The sleeve enhances heat transfer from the heat pipe to the air blown over the pipes and into the turbine. The higher the temperature of the air entering the turbine, the more efficient the turbine will be, therefore maximizing the heat transfer from the heat pipes to the air is paramount. For Schley, seeing all the
TEE continued from 5
items left in the library. Golf balls bounced off of Hydroflasks, old notebooks and finally through a tunnel of misplaced sweatshirts before students could move on to the next hole.
Students then completed several holes in the library commons that included loops and even a tower of books before moving on to the stacks. In the stacks,
the excitement and curiosity the preschoolers have about art. That excitement extends beyond their classroom and into the gallery. Here they can show excitement and take pride in what they have learned.
This is where the Gallery Studies students stepped in.
The students creatively installed the artwork to honor the preschoolers’ hard work and show their knowledge and attention to design.
Sophomore Maggie Mutchler, a gallery attendant, saw this process firsthand.
“The Gallery Studies class used various techniques to display the art, each one different from the next, and each one mimicking the artistic style of the art displayed,” Mutchler said.
After the gallery was installed, the preschoolers had the chance to see their
different aspects of individual team members’ work come together to make one finished and functional product has been the most rewarding part of this process, despite the difficulties.
“The most challenging part was designing the fins. We had very little basis to go off of, and the only constraint given was that the change in pressure over our sleeve must be less than two kilopascals. Our team researched different structures, arrangements and materials to maximize heat transfer and landed on a
golfers faced winding paths of books between the bookshelves that they had to clear to finish the hole.
Downstairs, the library staff paid tribute to the College’s mascot and landmarks.
One of the holes included mini replicas of Rainbow Bridge surrounded by ducks and fish, and Willie the Wolverine made an appearance as a cutout above one of the tunnels. Next, students were reminded not to “stay in the dark and ask for help” in a
art displayed professionally and thoughtfully. “It’s more than just ‘little kid art.’ It’s a chance for those kids to feel seen and valued with their hard work displayed,” Walczak said.
Exhibiting their art also means their parents can see the tangible result of their children’s talent. Munson said her favorite part is when the families come to see the gallery. They encourage the kids to dress up, because for that night, they are the star artists.
“The excitement and pride they felt in seeing their work showcased made the process even more fulfilling,” senior Celia Dobransky said, who helped with the art projects and gallery.
In the gallery, those who attend will see a variety of testaments to the thoughtful teaching of the College’s students and the excitement of
stepped, copper fin,” Schley explained.
The Satellite Thrusters and Additive Research (STAR) team, seniors Emily Arnold, Jacob Clark, Trent Donaldson, Joshua Helsel, Bobby Little, Mason Moorhead, Mattthew Runninger, Matthew Quinn, Caleb Ryan and Daniel Tanner-Szymczak, were sponsored by NASA. The team studied the effect of additive manufacturing surface roughness conditions on reaction control thrusters used on satellites. This research has required
black lit reference-themed course.
“Each hole had a unique theme and presented different obstacles you had to navigate. It was super fun to see how creative the librarians got with the design of the mini golf course. It was a lot of fun – plus there were free snacks and stickers,” junior Tava Derr said.
The event was both fun and educational. As players waited to take their turn or for another team to move
IFF seizes Mr. Smith moment
Kathryna Hoyman Copy Chief
The theme of this year’s Institute for Faith and Freedom annual conference is “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington – 2025.”
The title of the event references Frank Capra’s 1939 movie “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.” The classic film stars Jimmy Stewart as Jefferson Smith, a naive yet visionary senator who, though astonished by the corruption in Washington D.C., remains committed to the country’s central virtues and convictions.
Bringing similar themes to 2025, the institute’s conference will address topics of political corruption and government reform that dominate in the populist-themed Trump era.
the preschoolers. “What surprised me most was just how much the children enjoyed the process of making art. Each project reflected their personalities and enthusiasm,” Dobransky said.
Sophomore Elly Bruner, who taught on Ted Harrison, also recognizes the uniqueness in each of the preschoolers and their artwork. Each piece is special because it is special to the individual little artist.
“The uniqueness and creativity each student portrayed in their work was beautiful, and I loved watching my students glow as they worked hard to create something new,” Bruner said.
To see the preschoolers’ art in the styles of Frida Kahlo, Keith Haring, Leonard Da Vinci and more, come to the Pew Fine Arts Center Gallery. The exhibit will be on display through April 7.
the development of a testing stand, a profilometry stand and the contours of nozzles.
The team also incorporated computational models, code and finite element analysis to aid their research.
“Seeing real life results replicate what our team has anticipated through the research we have performed is an extremely rewarding experience. Another rewarding part is seeing concepts learned in class come to life in the project,” Clark said.
onto the next hole, they were invited to read displays about the history of golf dispersed throughout the library.
“Around 70 students were originally registered for the event, but including walkins, there were over 100 students who took part in the event. I think it was a fun event for students because it was so different than anything the library has done before. I think it was a huge success,”
It will take place from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 10, and will discuss on questions such as: “What should be reformed in Washington? What is the proper role of government? What are its core functions? What are its limits? What did the American founders believe? What is the ideal balance between local, state and federal governments? How do we return civility and decency to public discourse? Above all, what is the calling of the Christian in the public square in 2025 and beyond?” according to the institute’s website.
The speakers at this year’s conference include former U.S. Vice President Michael R. Pence, former Governor of Pennsylvania Tom Corbett and Grove City College President Paul J. McNulty ’80. Also speaking are Yuval Levin, Marc Thiessen, Jay Cost, Megan Martin, Tony Woodleif and Michael R. Dimino, as well as Michael Medved, Noah C. Gould ’20 and Lenny McAllister.
Libby Kreiger ‘25, Isaac Willour ’24, Corey Kendig ’24 and Olivia McGalla ’23 are alumni speakers from the institute itself, along with Paul Kengor, the chief academic fellow at the institute.
Each April, the institute hosts a conference at the Grove City College campus, and it regularly brings in notable scholars and pioneering minds to speak alongside the College’s own faculty.
The conference “provides a forum for education and discussion for the future generation of American leaders,” exploring topics such as communism and socialism, the American family and media, according to the institute’s website.
Preschoolers’
of Piet Mondrian’s distinct abstract art style in the Early Education Center’s Art Exhibit.
Community
Engineers’ magnum opuses
Seniors wrap up capstone projects this spring
Emma Rossi Editor-in-Chief
Hidden in the halls of Hoyt and STEM are eight teams of seniors designing, building and perfecting their capstone projects. The process stretches across two semesters and involves extensive research and collaboration.
This year, teams have designed a wide range of mechanisms with sponsors like NASA, Westinghouse and our own Biology Department. The teams will present their designs on Friday, April 25 to their project sponsors.
Seniors Chris Frederick, Josh Gregory, Will Sterrett, Jay Colville, Sam Dutton, Trisaia Legere and Nathan Slack developed a robotic assistant for manufacturing Tesla’s Power Cable Interface Boards. Their work is sponsored by Allegheny Performance Plastics.
The robot uses a hand-like mechanism called a gripper to precisely place bushings, a rubber cushion mounted on steering joints and vehicle suspensions. The gripper picks up bushings, transports them along the assembly path and accurately fastens them into the corresponding bushing slots on the Interface Board.
“During the year, the scope of our project changed multiple times. If I could go back to the initial design stage of the project, I wouldn’t have designed anything the same way. I think that shows just how much we’ve learned from this experience,” Legere said.
Seniors Dylan Anema, Wyatt Baird, Shane Blanchflower, Brad Butorac, Braeden Harvey, Isaac Herrenbruck, Eliza Rine, Monty Walker and Ben Watling designed and manufactured a new SAE BAJA Car for the College’s SAE BAJA Club. Through their design, the team reduced the overall weight of the car and increased the efficiency of the drivetrain. The team optimized and improved the four-wheel drive mechanism and installed a new steering system. The car, which will be maintained and raced for the next four years, will be raced for the first time in June of this year.
ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT
The Vita in Vitro team, made up of seniors Noah Adams, Miller Berge, Abigail Brown, Nathaniel Brown, Allison Dieter, AK Hughes, Rafe McIlwain, Micah Ramseyer and Julia Pratt, created a microscope incubator for professor of Biology Dr. Kristina O. Pazehoski’s ’01 organ-ona-chip research group. The incubator allows researchers to culture cells on a chip that is housed on a microscope with extreme precision, all while maintaining an ideal cell environment. It also contains a robotic system that allows users to adjust the microscope without contaminating the environment.
Seniors Sean Malencia, Owen Schulze, Daniel Newcomb, Jonathan Witte, Aidan Montgomery, Evan Umland, Tyler Curry, Logan Pfeuffer, Caleb Pipes, Tyler Bailey and Andrew Coffee worked together on a team sponsored by Bechtel Plant Machinery Inc. The team developed a robot capable of navigating a pipe network to remove debris such as dust and metal chips, able to locate and verify retrieved particles.
The Underwater 3D Camera team, seniors Adam Banford, Nathan Duffy, Colin Gardner, Robert Lipnichan,
Maggie Marino and Andrew Sparks, designed and built a three-color time-of-flight (TOF) camera system, designed to be mounted on an underwater remotely operated vehicle. A TOF camera uses an intensity-modulated light source to illuminate a scene and measures the distance to objects in the scene by calculating the time it takes for reflected light to travel back to the camera.
Seniors Carter Deliere, Peter Reynolds, Adam Steinmetz and Christian Wiseman designed and built a digital-electronic simulator
to test the functionality of their sponsor FS-Elliott’s series of compressor controller systems (CCS). Testing CCS behavior is crucial to confirm that the CCS responds appropriately during both normal compressor operation and during simulated fault events.
The Heat Exchanger Team, comprised of seniors Nathan Blackburn, Madison Freeland, Abraham Gould, Aidan Mazzucco, Annika Rinehart, Kenny Schley, Christian Stoltzfus and Rachel Zona
Divided by distance...or in heart
My fiancé and I are graduating at the end of the semester. He recently got a job in D.C., but my job is in California. I’m afraid we won’t be able to handle the distance. What should I do?
I say if you two can get through long-distance over a long period of time, you two can get through anything. From what I’ve heard, no one stays in their first job forever. Most people only stay at their job for the first two to three years. Over those first few years, I would write out a general plan of how long-distance will work. How often will you guys see each other?
While some of us may yearn for our “Pride and Prejudice” romance, we do not have to ride a horse to see our significant other or dramatically walk across the moors. We’re in a wonderful world of technology, which means your communication is not going to be limited by writing each other a letter once every couple of weeks.
Since California is not in the same time zone as Washington D.C., setting up times to call each other that work for both of you (most of the time) should ease some of that worry. Date nights might look different for a while, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be fun! Movie nights and virtual dinner dates are two ideas that might be nice. After church at some point on Sundays might be a good time for the both of you to call each other and talk.
I know that these jobs are new, but I’m sure that you have a timeline in mind for when you will get married. Setting a date for your ultimate goal of getting married
and working near each other will give you something to look forward to. If it doesn’t seem like it will work, I think it’s worth calling each other and asking if it will be possible for one of you to move the timeline to earlier (or later) than intended. To me, the biggest factor here is trust. You have promised to spend your life with this guy. A few months apart over the course of a couple of years should not make or break a commitment this strong. This time is good for you both, I think. You get time to figure out who you are outside of college and solidify your priorities for your future. When the two of you finally reunite, I believe you
will have grown into who you are. For my Grovers that might have recently gotten engaged or are planning to soon, this is a talk that I think should be had. If it’s before you get engaged, make sure your significant other is on the same page about location before taking that step. If you have already said yes, this discussion can help smooth out any uncertainties before you begin your life together. Auspiciously,
Dr. Love Love M.D.
Seniors on teams APP (top), Heat Exchanger (middle) and STAR (bottom) are three of eight teams with capstone designs.
A buzz in the ‘Burgh’
Emily Fox Community Editor
Grove City’s Biology Department is set to send three students off to Pittsburgh next Wednesday, April 9 to present their findings on deformed wing virus (DWV), a disease affecting honey bees, at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research.
Senior Moira Dieteman and juniors Julianna Jacobs and Luke Culbert hope to add to the scientific community’s basis of knowledge about honey bees and the viruses that affect them at next week’s conference. Their presentation is based on the research they’ve conducted as a part of Dr. Tracy Farone’s Bee Research Team in collaboration with Dr. Brian Yowler.
Last year, the team explored the prevalence of DWV in the bee population of Grove City’s own apiary. DWV is caused by a parasite called a varroa mite (Varroa destructor). These mites suck nutrients out of the bees and can transmit diseases to the bees in a similar way to how ticks can transfer Lyme disease.
“Varroa mites are analogous to ticks because they attach to honey bees and suck their hemolymph, which is a blood-like substance in insects. Similar to how ticks can transmit diseases to us such as Lyme disease, Varroa mites can transmit many diseases to honey bees such as DWV. Mites also weaken honey bees and are relatively large compared to the bee, so they leave gaping holes in the bee’s exoskeleton where more infectious agents can enter,” Jacobs said.
DWV causes the bees’ wings to become shriveled, making it impossible for them to fly. The virus is not only dangerous to the individual bees that contract it --
it is also harmful to the hive population as a whole. Sick bees are unable to leave the hive to bring back the pollen and nectar that they need for food. As more bees die from the virus, the entire hive becomes weaker.
Grove City’s apiary showed signs of high Varroa mite counts a few years ago. Farone and her team of students decided to study whether the higher mite levels caused a greater prevalence of the disease within the hives. To do this, they took samples of bees from each hive and homogenized them. They extracted the bees’ DNA and tested it with a replication cycler. The DNA was mixed with a DWV primer. A DWV primer replicates the virus only if there is already a gene for the virus present in the bee’s DNA. If the students observed viral replication, they knew that the bees had a gene for DWV.
The student researchers found that almost half the bees had genetic material for DWV despite not showing clinical signs of the disease. This means that the virus is more prevalent than beekeepers might anticipate.
Their findings are important because they could potentially explain the death of entire colonies of bees.
“This finding is important because it further contributes to the body of knowledge about bees, their interactions with Varroa and the level of disease that’s present in a hive. This knowledge can help beekeepers to understand that even if their bees appear healthy and have lower levels of mites in their hive, they may still be infected with various diseases -- especially DWV -- and these diseases can contribute to weakening of the hive and possibly overwinter loss -death – of the hive,” Jacobs said.
“Our research highlights the importance of continual monitoring and preventative treatment for Varroa mites so beekeepers can try to keep their bees as healthy as possible,” she added.
Bees affect daily life more than many may think. Much of the food we consume is dependent on pollinators to grow. Commercial beekeeping is a thriving industry, which is why it’s important to continue studying bees
and the factors in their environment that impact their health.
“Bees actually play a huge part in our agricultural system, especially in the U.S. Some people have careers in commercial beekeeping where they transport millions of their bees to farms growing crops like almonds, cherries and pumpkins. The beekeepers park their bees in the farmers’ fields and allow the bees to pollinate the crops for a few weeks. Thus, the honey bees are essential for the plants to be pollinated efficiently so they can produce high crop yields. About one in every three bites of food are brought to us through the help of pollinators, and honey bees are a dominant pollinator in the U.S. agricultural system,” Jacobs explained. Jacobs and the rest of her team aim to spread awareness about the prevalence of DWV in bee populations at next week’s undergraduate research conference. They hope to share their findings so that beekeepers and veterinarians are more prepared to face the challenges caused by these pests in the future.
Seven questions with…
Officer Jim Dickson Campus Safety Department Coordinator
Natalie Hanna Contributing Writer
What is your favorite thing about Grove City College?
The sense of community and how everyone supports each other.
If you could add a new building to campus, what would it be?
A large event center. Big enough to hold inside Graduation and large concerts.
If you could go back in time to see any band/ artist in concert, who would it be?
The man in black, Johnny Cash.
What’s an interesting fact that few people know about you?
I collect Coca-Cola advertising / memorabilia. What’s your favorite memory of being a campus safety officer?
Learning how I have made an impact on students and the lifelong friendships made.
What’s something you find overrated? Coffee.
What are you looking forward to doing this summer after the semester wraps up?
Visting my kids and doing some grilling.
The question: ‘To tee or not to tee?’
Emily Fox Community Editor
‘To tee or not to tee? That is the question.” While mini golf might not have been what Shakespeare had in mind, many Grovers responded with an enthusiastic “yes” to that question at Henry Buhl Library last weekend. The library hosted its first ever mini golf event on March 28, complete with literary obstacles, iconic Grove City references and even a black light course.
Buhl Library’s librarians and student workers put their creative skills to use designing a 9-hole mini golf course throughout the library commons, stacks and
reference rooms. The library thanked Eracers Butler for providing the clubs and golf balls for the event. When students arrived for tee time, they were greeted by a golf cart constructed from a book cart before picking up their clubs at the front desk.
“I’ve never seen the library so packed. It was neat to see how creative each hole was designed. The library staff did such a good job putting it together,” junior Julianna Marflak said.
Students’ first challenge was to navigate their golf ball through an obstacle course made from lost-and-found
WHAT’S FRESH AT THE GROVE
Henry Buhl Library student workers standing with the golf cart made
GCC
Grove City College houses its own population of honey bees at the College’s apiary.
An ugly story ‘Honk!’ puts a musical spin on a classic tale for kids Honk is presented as part of Hilda Adam Kring Children’s Theater.
The Hilda Adam Kring Children’s Theater show “Honk!” stars sophomore Will Mueller as the ugly duckling, cruelly named Ugly, who is separated from his mother, played by sophomore Jesse Richardson.
The story follows Ugly as he ventures through the countryside, trying to find his mother and avoiding the canniving cat who wants to eat him for lunch.
All the while, his mother seeks him out the same. Song, dance, and quirky, quacking characters guide Ugly through his journey home.
Photos by Emma Rossi, Editor-in-Chief
‘In
Perspectives
the world, not of it’ is not what you think
Madelyn Braho Contributing Writer
“Beware of Worldly Things; do not allow yourself to be seduced by them.”
This may be a familiar refrain for those of us raised evangelical – a warning against everything from Ariana Grande to Disney movies. These “worldly things” are sinful and will lead us away from God. But despite how silly this seems to us now, there is some merit to the concept of avoiding worldly things. These are not physical things but mental. The trouble is not above-the-knee skirts or Marvel movies, but fear and hopelessness. These are the worldly things that are much more likely to lead us away from God. To be of the world means adopting the mindset that comes with it, and there are few things more “of this world” than despair.
The world is full of many reasons to be discouraged –rampant sickness, a changing climate and corruption in the government. But we of all people should know that just because the future looks uncertain and frightening does not mean we should despair. Not only do we have hope for a life beyond this one, but we have hope for this one as well. The world is not going to be a never-ending spiral of human aw -
fulness. Even in the darkest moments of human history, not the least of which being the death of Christ, it was not the end. Rejecting the attitude of the world means choosing hope. Giving up on people, on the country and on humanity is a profoundly useless choice. What good will pessimism do you?
Sitting around while other people are hurt won’t make you feel any better, and it certainly won’t do them any good. If we are told that we will be known by Christ at the judgment if we help those in trouble, in hunger or in jail, then we cannot sit in despair. Despair freezes us in place, and the way to counter that isn’t by gritting your teeth: it’s through hope.
It may be tempting to place all your hope for happiness in the afterlife
and to believe that only after Christ returns and heaven and earth are made new will anything good happen. That is a lie. The world may not reach perfection, but we are not helpless. It is because people have actively chosen hope that cancer can often be treated and HPV is no longer a death sentence. If you need proof that hope matters, look at every medical discovery of the past hundred years. Without a real belief that the world can be better, none of them would exist.
Hope is not flimsy, and it is not silly. Hope is an active rejection of the way the world seems to work. The world can change for the better, and it is not foolish to believe so. If you want to be in the world and not of the world, don’t slavishly inspect every piece of media for potential sins, but instead choose not to give up. Choose to look at the world, even in the absolute worst times, with hope. Nothing is beyond change.
HUMA is at our core
Sir Benajmin Treadwell Contributing Writer
A purely utilitarian education is a shallow and horrifying thing. We need something more. Some of you may agree. Some of you have felt your blood pressure rise. Some of you are confused and want to hear my reasons. First, allow me to define “utilitarian.” I use the term to mean “valuing only the practical, that is, concrete knowledge and skills.” From this, we can say a utilitarian education teaches only what makes people knowledgeable about the facts of the world and good at their professions. Now, what I do not claim
is that these practical things are useless. That would be an absurd position — by definition, they are useful. After all, this education creates an intelligent, clever and competent person. What I claim is practical subjects are not the most important things in the world.
Math and science teach us facts about the world and how it works. Business teaches us how to use whatever facts we have to make money. But none of these three disciplines gives us the faintest idea of what to do with ourselves once we have the facts and the money. For what purpose do we exist? And if we know the purpose for which we exist (our end), how shall we achieve that end (the means)? The utilitarian education, the school
of practicality, teaches neither.
It is shallow because it ignores everything that gives facts, money and life meaning. It is horrifying because it creates competent, smart and rich people who have no reason to live their lives in a way that the Bible would call “good” or “righteous.” After all, what do math and science have to say about righteous living? There is no formula for justice, no Newtonian principles of love. This is why we need the humanities. We must have some branch of education that can show us why life has meaning and what kind of life is best. STEM, at its best, can tell us there is a Creator. The humanities will teach us who He is and how to live considering that.
Only in the study of the source of Truth can we find the ultimate truths that science can never reach. Only from theology and philosophy can we get righteousness, goodness or morality. Only from God can we get value for beauty. This is where the arts enter – to propagate all three and to inspire us to love what is worth loving. Plato and Aristotle claim this the entire point of education, and St. Augustine, that brilliant theologian, said Christianity gives us the ultimate basis for that. We must learn to love things as God made them to be loved. The humanities teach us how to do that: they train the heart. If we do not have a heart, how can we love as we ought to? Can we obey God without
motivating love?
Only with an education that includes the humanities can we form a complete human, someone who has fully developed both heart and mind. The Grove City education is one that not only gives us job skills but tells us what is true, right and beautiful (worthy of love) and how to act in light of that knowledge. In case you were wondering, this is why we have the HUMA core. If you pay attention in those general required classes, you may find you are becoming a better person because you are learning to love what God loves and thereby do His will. Isn’t that the goal of Christian life?
All the internet’s a stage, all the users merely players
Grace Scheller Managing Editor
For those of you Grovers on TikTok, take a five-minute scroll through your feed. You will likely view a feed including videos similar to that of Emma Ledman’s, a popular influencer known for her perfect life and her “clean girl aesthetic.”
Ledman’s more recent video features a swift sequence of photos ranging from pictures of Pilates, high-end skin care and makeup, lemon water, satin pajamas, about four different versions of iced coffee, a candle, a MacBook and a bouquet of hydrangeas, all arranged under model lighting and curated to perfection.
The video has 38,800 views. Ledman’s is just one of millions using the hashtag “romanticizeyourlife.”
The act of romanticizing has risen to dramatic heights over the last four years, as an overwhelming demographic
has taken to social media to post handpicked photos of their made-from-scratch croissants, the flowers they bought and the eucalyptus they hung in their showers. Romanticizing is the widespread phenomenon of living with intention by beautifying your day-to-day life and making choices to enjoy the mundane.
And it’s not a bad idea. In theory, the simple concept of enjoying the little things in life is one we could all benefit from. But in practice, the act of “romanticizing your life” has quickly formed a direct pipeline to something much more performative in nature.
But how did it gain traction? The idea of romanticism in the age of technology dates back as far as the ’80s and ’90s. A study conducted in 1998 proved a correlation between the use of the portable audio player, the Walkman, and the impact on the nature of the listener.
“The sensations evoked by the use of the Walkman are an enrichment of the experi-
ence of the self rather than a disease … Students reported that the narcissistic sensations helped task performance, provided emotional conditioning and companionship, supplied emotional energy and created social segregation from undesirable environments,” according to an article on the study.
The simple act of putting on your headphones to enrich your daily commute has been around for a while; it was an early act of romanticism that may have been harmless at the time. But the rise of technology and the recent COVID-19 pandemic created the perfect storm, allowing the trend to take off.
It’s simple “tipping point” logic. A small number of people (in this instance, influencers) created a chain reaction of social persuasion (romanticism) during just the right place and the right time. The challenges of COVID-19 demanded that we shift our outlook on life. We were forced to find a way to both enjoy our time
in quarantine and connect online with those otherwise unreachable. How better to fight the cocooned chaos than by adding a few edible flowers to your avocado toast and incorporating gua-sha into your skincare routine?
In the right climate and with the right spokespeople, romanticism became a hit.
But what began as an innocent way to beat the cabin fever quickly morphed into an unyielding lifestyle.
It becomes a performance when we add the weight of social media. We are now going deeper, fulfilling fantasy. We stop doing it for ourselves and instead do it for an audience.
The idea of romanticism says that putting on makeup is a small effort that makes you look good and feel good. But what if it doesn’t? What if it only reinforces the idea that you need to do your makeup in order to have a good day? Without your makeup, your day might as well be wasted. And what if your avocado toast isn’t worth eating
without the flowers? What if your commute isn’t worth walking without the Walkman? The extreme heights to which romanticizing your life has reached show that they aren’t.
The challenge is preventing romanticism from reaching this point. Moderation and intention are the key to winning this trend.
Reflect on what the intention behind these choices are. Are you buying your eightdollar latte once in a while when you’ve had a hard day? Or has it become a necessary expense in your daily routine that you can’t live without? And who is your makeup for? Why does it make you feel good? Does it benefit you as a person or the version of you that you’ve curated for your audience?
It’s a balancing act that’s difficult to master, but it keeps you from performing and allows you to truly enjoy the mundane. Once you’ve learned that, feel free to add whatever you want to your avocado toast.
The danger of the digital age
Lydia Bennett Contributing Writer
Proverbs 22:6 tells us to “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Part of this is because a child’s brain is extremely formative –for better or worse – and in this digital age with increased accessibility and devices all around, it is becoming increasingly difficult to control the information our kids are exposed to.
As our world grows progressively divisive, protecting our children’s developing minds is more important now than ever before. We need to captivate their thoughts with that which is true, noble, right, pure, lovely and admirable. Electronic devices, however, make this almost
impossible. The destructive potential of electronic devices on young children is both startling and backed by research. These are not exaggerated claims from dramatic, helicopter parents. Current research shows that screen time adversely affects children’s development of empathy and social skills, sleep patterns, mental health, outdoor play, physical activity levels, family bonding and communication. Instead of playing outside creating imaginative games, children sit passively with their devices or in front of TVs. Common Sense Media reported that children ages eight to 10 use about five and a half hours of screen time daily, while thirteen to eighteen-year-olds average eight and a half hours. Even more concerning, the American Academy of Pediatrics declares that 35 percent of
children ages three to five have their own devices and spend nearly two hours on them daily.
The Centers for Disease Control found that childhood obesity rates have more than tripled in the past 50 years, with screen time identified as a major factor. Their findings revealed a direct relationship between increased screen time and greater obesity rates.
While many are aware of the negative physical impacts of screen time on children, few are aware of the negative academic impacts. Following a large meta-analysis of almost 60 cross-sectional studies, the Journal of the American Medical Association discovered that “television viewing and video game playing … were inversely associated with the academic performance of children and adolescents.”
As parents, we want our
kids to thrive and succeed in all areas of life. These discoveries should then stir in us an unstoppable will to work to supervise and reduce our children’s screen time to help improve both their minds and bodies so they can achieve physical and academic success.
God designed children to learn and grow through face-to-face interactions and physical play directly in His creation rather than through electronic devices. Community is an integral part of our Christian calling. Learning about the importance of community and living it out ought to begin at an early age. So, let’s set an example and teach our children. Instead of dinners where everyone is glued to their devices, let’s get back to having family meals around the table, talking together without devices. Let’s teach children to
learn about catching butterflies by going outside versus watching a YouTube video. Let’s spend time with our kids in activities that align with our Christian family values: outdoor games in God’s creation, physical books read together, family worship time and shared meals with neighbors.
Let’s remember that device limitation is protection, not restriction, in the same way God protects His children and does what is best for us. Even when other families choose not to, let’s be courageously counter-cultural in establishing clear device boundaries. Let’s set an example for our children and other families to follow. Let’s train up our children in the right way so when they are old, they will not depart from it.
Minecraft Live
Mojang announces ‘Spring to Life’ update
Mallory Campbell
Contributing Writer
Minecraft Live recently dropped, and fans are ecstatic. The event announced the release date of the 1.21.5 update along with its contents.
Since I wasn’t able to watch the event live (I have a social life), I’ve done my best to research the new additions via Reddit and Google searches. If any fellow Minecrafters notice incorrect facts or misinterpreted lore and want to reach out to explain, please go touch grass.
What did Minecraft actually add? The first is the Bedrock addition of Vibrant Visuals, which is similar to a shader pack and will decrease Minecraft’s “vanilla” look. This update is gorgeous.
Minecraft also announced the Locator Bar, which you can use in multiplayer scenarios to easily find your friends without the hassle of coordinates. Lastly – yet first and foremost in the hearts of fans – is the addition of the happy Ghast.
Most players have (or have had) an avid hatred of Ghasts. The new lore changes this. In the new update, you can find dried Ghasts (small baby Ghasts) near bones in
soul sand valleys.
Originally, Ghasts were never meant to be in the Nether; they suffer in the harsh, fiery terrain, leading to their aggression and status as a hostile mob.
Parent Ghasts try to shield their young from drying out (which may be why they drop tears when killed) but eventually die due to the conditions.
While exploring in the Nether, you can find these small dried Ghasts, pick them up, take them back to the
Overworld and place them in water. Eventually, the Ghast will “grow up” into a happy, docile mob. Plus, you can saddle a happy Ghast and fly around the world with other players (if you have friends, that is).
At this point, I’m used to characters in media getting sad backstories, but Minecraft did NOT have to go this hard. The internet has already produced several fan-made animations of the Ghasts’ story, and they bring a tear to the eye of even the
hardest-hearted players.
From what I’ve observed, the story of the Ghast has truly touched the hearts of Minecraft players. I certainly look forward to seeing more art and animations from fans who delve into this lore.
From an outside perspective, the Minecraft community’s heartbreak over the Ghast lore is a little ironic.
Even for those who don’t play Minecraft, it isn’t hard to imagine what a player, armed with a lava bucket and stack of TNT, can do to a village, not to mention various common farming and trading practices which would probably violate the Geneva Convention.
In short, I am more than excited for this update to be released. I can’t wait to see how biomes will look with Vibrant Visuals, and I am excited to play with friends (once they finish mercilessly bullying me for writing an article about Minecraft). If you haven’t played the game in a while, I’d recommend logging back on and seeing how much the game has improved. This update certainly hasn’t disappointed, and I can’t wait to see what Minecraft includes in the future!
Doctors Rawl rank games
Dr. Michael Rawl, Dr. Virginia Rawl
Contributing Writers/ English Professors
Video games offer more than a chance to “pwn noobs” and wallow in gratuitous violence. We turn to games because of their richly imagined characters and worlds and for the ways that games push the aesthetic and formal boundaries of narrative (also, because they’re awesome and fun).
Here are a range of our favorite games:
Mass Effect Trilogy (BioWare, 2007, 2010, 2012) Humanity has recently joined an intergalactic UN of alien races working to counter an existential threat to the galaxy. The stakes feel real and earned, and the characters are so well-drawn and complex that by the end of the series you truly know and care for them. Seriously, play the games and tell me that alien bird-man Garrus Vakarian isn’t your new best friend!
Dragon Age Origins (BioWare, 2009) The high fantasy setting of Thedas has become one of our favorite fantasy worlds across any medium. The cultures, politics and conflicts of the world feel lived-in and real. But this updated take on the classic computer role-playing game (RPG) really shines in the relationships that develop between the player and the companions.
Witcher 3 (CD Projekt Red, 2015) This is the third of a series of games based on a popular Polish fantasy series. The game centers on Geralt of Rivia – a laconic mercenary monster hunter –as he wanders across a land torn apart by war and mythic beasts to find the protégé he loves as a daughter. RPGs are often known for their chore-
heavy side quests that only serve to level up a character. But here, every story you come across (and there are many – the game is huge!) tells a unique and often heartbreaking story about living through a time of war and change.
Skyrim More than the sum of its (often clunky) parts, this might be the quintessential single-player RPG. The world of the game is lush, full of sun-bathed fields, snowy mountains and grand ruins of races long dead. Wandering around this vast, lonely world is simply magical. The game also boasts one of the most gorgeous soundtracks in video game history.
The Last of Us This game about a zombie apocalypse achieves in 30 hours of gameplay what “The Walking Dead” spent a decade attempting and failing to achieve. This is the game we always recommend to demonstrate how the formal conventions of video games (player choice and interactivity, combat, etc.) can be central to the development of the story itself. Skip the subpar HBO show and play the game instead.
Red Dead Redemption 2
Set in a fictional American West that is rapidly being overtaken by industry and civilization, the protagonist, Arthur Morgan, is an aging outlaw who, much like the frontier itself, is quickly becoming obsolete. As he witnesses the death of the myth of the West, he must confront other myths he’s believed about himself and those he’s trusted. The world of this game is gorgeously rendered, and the writing and voice acting are superb.
Fallout: New Vegas This game takes place in the wake of a nuclear apocalypse. The irradiated wasteland is frozen in its 1950s nuclear-age
aesthetic, but now populated with outlaw gangs and mutated monsters. The wasteland of the “Fallout” series is simply one of the most interesting and indelible settings in video games.
The Banner Saga This is a trilogy of games that follows a community of Viking-like people as they try to escape the end of the world. The art style is simply stunning; the games are made to look like the beautiful, color-saturated animated films of the 1970s (think the animated “Lord of the Rings” movies). Austin Wintory’s soundtrack also may be one of the most evocative and accomplished in gaming. To our mind, this is the closest to a pen and paper RPG that a video game can get. The decisions the player must make and their often unforeseen consequences add a layer of complexity to the story, and the turn-based combat is nuanced and endlessly engaging.
Bloodborne As far as the story goes, it is safe to say that “Bloodborne” is...bewildering. Nevertheless, its setting, atmosphere and gameplay more than make up for the confusion caused by the elliptical storytelling. Taking place in the nightmarish Yharnam, “Bloodborne” creates a Lovecraftian and gothic Victorian atmosphere that leaves a haunting and indelible impression. Like other Souls-likes, “Bloodborne” is also an education in virtue: you will learn patience and humility as you die. Over, and over and over again.
Ghost of Tsushima“Ghost of Tsushima” is a gorgeous game inspired by the samurai films of Akira Kurosawa. Expansive and lyrical, “Ghost of Tsushima” lovingly renders its varied Japanese landscapes while telling a compelling and moving story.
Bloodborne’s 10 year anniversary
Andrew Hoover Contributing Writer
“Dear, oh dear. What was it? The Hunt? The Blood? Or the terrible dream?”
On March 24th, 2015, gaming legend FromSoftware released the Souls-like action role-playing game “Bloodborne” to incredible success, sparking widespread discussion and high-praise awards regarding this instant classic title.
From the beginning of its career, FromSoftware has achieved immeasurable success, crafting utterly iconic works of art such as the “Dark Souls” trilogy, “Elden Ring” and many other titles that have completely changed the gaming landscape. FromSoftware is arguably the single most reputable and inspiring company in gaming history, and “Bloodborne” only adds to this ever-growing list of complete commercial success.
“Bloodborne” is a game about the complete suffocation of the fear and insignificance of humanity. In typical FromSoftware fashion, the story is dark, cryptic and hopeless, giving its audience hours’ worth of lore to delve into in order to uncover the mysteries of the story themselves.
The lore and story of this game pull no punches. It offers players true horror and brutal beasts, terrible cosmic horrors and former men who turn into creatures completely controlled by their bloodlust. The audience witnesses firsthand the pure evil that humanity – and that which lies beyond – is capable of. You play as the Hunter, someone who is tasked with eliminating these monsters, all the while fighting off the temptation to become one yourself. “Bloodborne” is heavily inspired by all things gothic, Victorian and horrific, offering a gruesome world that seldom gives happy endings.
One of the most compelling pieces of the game is this idea revolving around humanity’s struggle with inferiority. Faced with a world of such unimaginable horrors, it is no wonder that there are many who try to force humanity to evolve in a direction that they might one day rival cosmic gods.
This human experimentation, spurred by the feelings of inadequacy, transforms the world further, sending it spiraling down a path unable to be stopped. As humanity strives to be greater than the gods, they strip themselves of the very humanity that made them special. These manmade monstrosities perfectly juxtapose the already existing eldritch monstrosities and add to the wider narrative of a world completely wrapped in chaos and insanity.
Since its release, “Bloodborne” has sold millions of copies, with many users around the world hailing it as one of the best games ever made. However, it could easily have sold millions more copies if it was made available on more devices than just the PlayStation 4 and 5. For years now, fans of the
WINDOWS CENTRAL
Sports
The Collegian, April 4, 2025
Water Polo celebrates four seniors
Emma Rossi Editor-in-Chief
Last weekend, the College hosted the Collegiate Water Polo Association’s Division III Weekend.
The Wolverines faced opponents from Texas’ Austin College, Minnesota’s Macalester College, Augustana College of Illinois and Wisconsin’s Carthage College.
Friday’s first game against Austin served as the Wolverines’ home opener, and the weekend’s final game against Carthage was their last stint at home.
In the tournament’s first game on Friday, the Wolverines fell 22-8 to Austin. Sophomore Shastyn Tihansky and freshman Frances Baksa collected hattricks against Austin while seniors Kamryn Kerr and Riley McCullough added one goal apiece.
Junior goalie Lea Steen had six saves.
In Friday’s second game, an afternoon match-up against Macalester, the Wolverines rallied to only a twogoal deficit by the half, making the score 9-7, but a 6-1 run by the Minnesotans took the game out of Grove City’s reach. The Wolverines lost 20-10.
Baksa led the offense with four goals for Grove City. The freshman also notched
MEN’S TENNIS
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sets over his Bobcat competitor.
Following Morris were classmates Ryan Kirkpatrick and Kiser Swain, who each cashed in a 6-0 set in their wins from the third and fourth singles positions. Sophomore Eric Jordan add-
ST. FRANCIS
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lieve the PAC has never been stronger at any point in its 70-year history,” Onderko stated.
While the news has delighted PAC member schools and pleased the leaders of Saint Francis University, it blindsided student-athletes, who were as surprised as anyone. Red Flash studentathletes received an email letting them know of the university’s decision less than an hour before the news broke.
BLOODBORNE
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game have begged Sony to bring “Bloodborne” to other devices,and to give it a sequel. The outcry has even evolved into a kind of internet meme with fans berating irrelevant parties
ATHLETICS
scored against Carthage, led by a five-goal outing from Baksa, who finished the weekend with 16 goals. Tihansky scored four goals, while Kerr and Riley McCullough fired in a pair of goals each.
Logue and Luttrell also scored for the Wolverines.
Baksa and Kerr both recorded four steals, and Steen had three steals. Baksa and Tihansky both blocked two shots, while Steen stopped eight shots.
“Celebrating my senior day with my teammates was a wonderful occasion. Regardless of the game itself, I was honored to be recognized and honored to play with my team at their best. The team is excited to compete in championships, but the end of the season is always bittersweet, especially so for the seniors,” McCullough said.
two assists and four steals. Tihansky earned her second hat trick of the day, followed by Kerr, who had a pair of goals, and freshman Zoe Luttrell, who added one to the Wolverine’s tally.
Steen stopped four shots.
On Saturday, the Wolverine’s celebrated their seniors, with Kerr, Sam Logue, McCullough and Mikayla Zablocki all being recognized before the game.
“Being able to spend my senior night with the rest of
ed his own fifth singles victory to the Wolverines’ total with another two-set win.
Rounding out singles action for the team was senior Wesley Kiehl, who completed the Wolverines’ singles sweep with two 6-0 sets against his Bobcat opponent.
Adding to Jones and Morris’s success in the doubles round were second doubles upperclassmen pair Nathan
“I found out by some people posting on their stor(ies), and then I looked at my email from the president of the school, and he said we were moving to D-III and I was in complete shock. I started thinking about what I was going to do and everything and got very overwhelmed,” Saint Francis freshman men’s golf player Joey Miller said.
Miller emphasized that Saint Francis’ move to Division III has pressured some student-athletes to perform at their best, hoping they
such as Nintendo, begging them to release the fictional “Bloodborne”-themed racing game: “Bloodborne Kart.”
my teammates means everything to me. Water polo has been a huge part of my life at GCC, and the fact that everyone was there made me feel loved and supported,” Logue said.
“It felt amazing that we have all made it this far in our career but also very sad because I know it’s coming to an end very soon. I know the team is sad but also hopeful for the next class coming in,” Zablocki said.
In Saturday’s first game,
Clark and Isaac DeMan. The senior/junior duo swept their Bobcat opponents 6-0, ensuring Grove City’s victory on the day. Third doubles duo freshman Luke Huber and junior Wesley Morgan chipped in an insurance sweep in the final match of the afternoon.
Entering this spring season ranked second in the PAC Preseason Poll, the Wol-
can enter the transfer portal and find another Division I school to continue competing at the highest level.
“A lot of my teammates are thinking of transferring this year and seeing what they can get, but most teams have to cut rosters, so the portal is going to be flooded with people this year,” Miller said.
This move dampened the spirit of the campus, especially considering the recent success of the university’s men’s basketball team, which reached the 2025 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball
the Wolverines fell to Augustana 23-8. Baksa racked up another four goals, followed by Tihansky, who added two more notches. Kerr and Luttrell scored a goal apiece. McCullough finished with three assists. On defense, Baksa led the team with five steals. Steen stopped two shots.
In the final game of the weekend, the Wolverines fell only one goal short of victory over Carthage. Six Grove City players
verines have a target on their back and a standard of excellence to uphold. In looking ahead to their upcoming PAC matchups, Jones believes the key to the team’s success is the underclassmen who have already made an impact up and down the lineup.
“Our team hopes to find continued success with the talents of our new freshmen who have a great impact on
Tournament. Following its loss to Alabama State, 14 Red Flash players have entered the portal as of March 27, according to verbalcommits.com.
The university’s website also stated that the team’s head coach, Bob Krimmel, has retired.
Even the football team’s first win over NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision opponent Kent State was not enough to convince the university to stay in Division I.
“Because I redshirted last year, I don’t have much film
“As we approach the end of the season, I feel that our team is as strong and close as ever before. We all get along very well and have learned how to play off of each other’s strengths. We have so much fun with each other in and out of the water, and it makes me sad that it is coming to a close,” Logue reflected.
The Wolverines will play a pair of matches tomorrow at Washington & Jefferson. Grove City faces W&J at 11 a.m. before meeting Penn State Behrend at 2 p.m.
our doubles lineup and singles positions,” Jones said. After two back-to-back PAC matchups against Geneva and the top-seeded Allegheny Gators on Wednesday and Thursday, the Wolverines return for home action today, April 4 with a non-conference match-up against the Alfred Saxons.
right now,” Saint Francis freshman tight end Brandon London said.
“So, I’m going to see what kind of game film I’m going to get out of next season, and obviously, I’ll go back to the coaches that offered me a scholarship before I committed here … Really, it’s just going to be how my coaches can help me, what schools can my coaches help find me to go to and see where that can take me,” London added.
This meme actually inspired one fan to create this fabricated “Bloodborne Kart,” combining the Lovecraftian horrors of “Bloodborne” with the upbeat, cheerful racing mechanics of “Mario Kart.” Furthermore, a few years ago, an individual developed a PlayStation 1 style “demake” of “Bloodborne,” giving it a unique retro style that ended up achieving over 100,000 downloads.
While funny, instances like this demonstrate the community’s clear love and re-
spect for “Bloodborne.”
Since its release, the game’s owner Sony has not acknowledged this community, completely ignoring the millions of fans that would gladly play “Bloodborne” if only it were available on anything other than a PS4 (also accessible on PS5 due to backwards compatibility).
WOLVERINE WEEKLY HONORS
Since “Bloodborne,” FromSoftware has moved on to other titles – most notably “Elden Ring” – though it is certain that they would love to return to the Lovecraftian hellscape of Yharnam if Sony ever gave them an opportunity.
Elyse Kiggins Women’s Lacrosse Defensive Player of the Week
Sam Bevin Baseball Hitter of the Week
Tieg Malcolm Men’s Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week
David Leslie Baseball Pitcher of the Week
Danny Stone Men’s Lacrosse Defensive Player of the Week
Ryan Lenhart Track and Field Field Athlete of the Week
Kiara White Track and Field Newcomer of the Week
Lydia Bennett Track and Field Track Athlete of the Week
GCC
Seniors Mikayla Zablocki, Sam Logue, Riley McCullough and Kamryn Kerr were honored before the Wolverines’ final home game last Saturday, March 29. The Wolverines competed in a two-day, four game tournament that served as their home games for the season.
Sports
The Collegian, April 4, 2025
A Wolverine winstreak
Softball makes program history with 11 straight Ws
Mia Gallagher Sports Editor
With a commanding doubleheader sweep of the Waynesburg University Yellow Jackets this past Saturday, March 29, the Grove City women’s softball team tallied their 11th straight victory – the longest active streak in the program’s 45year history.
“Breaking the win streak this early in the season makes me feel excited for what else we can achieve throughout the season, but also feels like we are putting the rest of the conference on high alert,” junior catcher Jonalyn Wharry said.
“In other sports, it can be easy to assume what games will be won or close, but the PAC softball conference is completely unpredictable. I feel like I can speak for the team in that it gives us the drive to keep it rolling into the bulk of our season when we face tougher competition,” Wharry added.
This victory also marks the program’s sixth PAC win of the season. For a team that was ranked fifth in the PAC Preseason Poll and held a 0-6 conference record this time last season, such success bodes well for their standings going forward.
“Being 6-0 in the PAC has truly been a testament to our ability to work as a cohesive team for Christ and giving our best for each other and our opponents. I have never been on a team where everyone has embraced their role, whether it be on the starting nine, helping out with charts/stats or catching bullpens,” Wharry said.
“Our team chaplain, Noel Anthony, has been emphasizing the importance of giving our best at each and every opportunity to showcase our gifts from God to make each
Sophomore Emma Covert readies at bat in this file photo. The Wolverines beat Waynesburg
“ Breaking the win streak this early in the season makes me feel excited for what else we can achieve throughout the season but also feels like we are putting the rest of the conference on high alert,”
other better and make our opponents better. If we can give our best in all we do, I don’t see anything that can stop us from maintaining our success,” he said.
Game one’s 4-2 decision came down to the wire, as Waynesburg had the bases loaded in the top of the seventh with two outs.
Junior pitcher/shortstop Kyla Campbell relieved
- Jonalyn Wharry
sophomore pitcher Abigail Meadors on the mound and produced a game-ending pop out, sealing the Wolverines’ first victory of the day.
The Wolverines’ offensive effort came alive in the fifth inning and was headlined by sophomore Emma Covert, who produced a solo home run to shorten the score to 1-2. Sophomore Evelyn Montone then tied the match by batting in classmate Abby
Men’s tennis best Bobcats in home opener
Mia Gallagher Sports Editor
After serving up a key 5-2 win against Franciscan last Tuesday, March 25, the Grove City men’s tennis team opened its home schedule last Thursday, March 27 with a commanding sweep of Thiel.
The 7-0 victory over the Bobcats helped the Wolverines earn a current record of 2-0 in the conference, setting them up for success in their upcoming PAC matchups.
“Our team feels confident about our PAC schedule, even with most of the team being freshmen. Everyone played really well in our home opener and away match against Franciscan last week,” junior Benjamin Jones said.
“We hope to keep our momentum going into a long April of plenty of matches. Everyone has worked very hard over the offseason and in the fall, even with the transition from our old coach to our new coach, Michael Frey,” he said.
Leading the way for the
Wolverines from the first singles position was Jones, who picked up a default win in his singles match and a key 6-1 decision in his doubles match alongside teammate
freshman Allen Morris. Morris made swift work of his second singles opponent, securing victory with two 6-1
Stouffer.
to extend their winstreak to 11.
Campbell and Covert both contributed run-scoring groundouts to push the match’s final to 4-2.
Game Two’s 6-2 decision saw a pack of Wolverines get in on the scoring action, capitalizing on the Yellow Jackets’ errors.
Freshman Sydney McBride opened the scoring when Wharry walked with bases loaded. Anthony then made it back to home plate twice –first on a wild pitch, then on a groundout by Montone.
Rounding out the scoring effort was senior Maci Linhart, whose two-run double brought senior Annika Rinehart and Montone home.
“I think it is best to just take it one game at a time.
We’re excited about how well we’ve started, but we know we need to stay hungry and keep improving each day,” Campbell said.
“We have been consistent in matching energy with each other and beating our opponent’s energy, so as long as we continue to support each other on the field and with our energy, we will continue to extend our win streak and ultimately (be carried) farther into the season,” Wharry added.
After traveling to Meadville, Pa. to take on the Allegheny Gators on Tuesday, April 1, the Wolverines will travel to Pittsburgh, Pa. for a doubleheader against the Chatham Cougars.
Game One action will kick off at 11 a.m.
Saint Francis to join the PAC
Matthew Purucker Staff Writer
Saint Francis University recently revealed its plan to transition its athletic programs to NCAA Division III and join the Presidents’ Athletic conference, shocking many in the collegiate sports world.
Saint Francis, which currently competing as a member of the Northeast Conference in NCAA Division I, will begin its first season of PAC play in fall 2026, meaning the 2025-26 academic year will be its last as a Division I program. Saint Francis will become a full member of the PAC with voting and other membership rights on July 1.
“This was not an easy nor a quick decision for the (Saint Francis University) Board of Trustees,” Rev. Joseph Lehman, the university’s chairman, said in a March 25 press release.
“The governance associated with intercollegiate athletics has always been complicated and is only growing in complexity based on reali-
ties like the transfer portal, pay-for-play and other shifts that move athletics away from love of the game. For that reason, as a board, we aim to best provide resources and support to our studentathletes in this changing environment that aligns with our mission, Catholic institution and our community’s expectations,” Lehman said.
The arrival of Saint Francis will mark the PAC’s 13th full-time member, which is up from nine in 2019. Since then, Franciscan University joined the conference, Allegheny College came back in 2022 and Hiram College is set to return in fall 2025.
“This is another key step towards our vision of the PAC continuing to build its foundation as one of the elite NCAA Division III conferences in the nation,” PAC Commissioner Joe Onderko said in a PAC press release the same day. “With the addition of four new full members in the past six years, as well as recent additional varsity sport offerings, I be-
FRANCIS 12
MARA BRAK
Senior Nathan Clark readies at the net.