The Collegian – Nov. 14, 2014

Let’s go back in time! p. 5

Friday, November 14, 2014

Collegian

The

Est. 1891

Vol. 101, No. 4

The Grove City College Student Newspaper

Sounds and grounds Alum convicted

of trading fraud

Brooke Dymski Contributing Writer

CAMERON HOLLOWAY/THE COLLEGIAN

Juniors Colin Hooper and Justin Pennypacker perform for the November Coffee House, sponsored by the Student Government Association

Vemma’s victims

A student’s struggle with a questionable company Maegan Faistch Contributing Writer

A Grove City College student, Payton Carlucci, has had a recent rise to fame.

Carlucci, a junior at the College, was featured in a variety of interviews with prominent media outlets including “Good Morning America” and “Rolling Stone Magazine.” His subject matter was Vemma.

Also called Vemma Nutrition Company, Vemma is a multilevel marketing business based in Tempe, Arizona. The company boasts a variety of health formulas ranging from supplements to energy drinks. While this is not revolutionary, their marketing program is attempting to shake up the sales process

of normal companies by harnessing a new market, namely college students.

Carlucci, one of the students recruited by Vemma, said “I don’t know if it’s a legitimate company … I know some people who made money in it, but I know a longer list of people who lost money in it,” adding that the energy drink itself “tastes like acid.”

Truth in Advertising, a nonprofit whose mission is to promote honest advertising, defines a multilevel marketing system as a way of distributing products or services in which the distributors earn income from their own retail sales and from the retail sales made by their direct and indirect recruits.

By harnessing the power of social college students,

Vemma can get more people recruited into their business.

Vemma has been surrounded by controversy for much of its time in the limelight. According to Truth in Advertising, over 140 complaints against the company have been filed with the Federal Trade Commission.

With many questions regarding the legitimacy of the program, its affiliates –those who sell the product – have often responded in outrage.

Through the use of flashy videos and the promise of new BMW’s, many college students were lining up to be a part of the party that would in turn put cash in their pockets. However, for some things didn’t turn out this VEMMA 2

Debate team holds own at Wheaton tournament Grayson Quay News Editor The Grove City College Debate Team battled stiff competition this weekend at a tournament at Wheaton College.

Two two-man varsity teams, partnering senior Scott Alford with junior Ryan Brown and senior Mark Mariani with junior Andrew Brackbill, and one novice team—composed of sophomore Jon Matt and freshman Calvin Kuntz – represented the College at the tournament.

The tournament featured teams from schools including the University of Notre Dame, Cedarville University and Loyola University.

It so large that there was an octo-final round preceding

COURTESY SCOTT ALFORD

Senior Scott Alford and junior Ryan Brown prepare to make their arguments. the quarter finals. Alford and quarter-finals where they deBrown debated a team from bated a team from Northern Cedarville in their octo-final Illinois University on a resodebate, arguing that mid- lution concerning the recent term elections should be cancellation of an Italian abolished because their voter humanitarian naval venture turnout is so low that it actu- known as Mare Nostrum. ally undermines democracy. When asked if he and Brown Alford and Brown adDEBATE 2 vanced from there to the

Grove City College alumnus Robert A. Christy has been sentenced to four years and nine months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $1,148,234.

Christy pled guilty on July 24, 2014 to stealing investor funds in a currency trading fraud scheme.

According to U.S. Attorney records: From 2008 until April 2012, Christy’s firm, Crabapple Capital Group LLC, was presented as a trustworthy and wellestablished investment firm, claiming that it has traded profitable currency since 2006.

As a graduate of Grove City College, Christy marketed himself as a Christian investor and petitioned for funds from Grove City College students, students’ families, and a faculty member.

Christy recruited many investors through the College

and also through t r a d e shows in Las Vegas and Orlando.

C h r i s ty’s trading records indicate consistent and weighty loss-es between 2006 and 2011. Christy claimed that his firm was affiliated with a larger investment firm that had $50 million in assets, was proved to be false. Christy prepared and distributed monthly account statements that illegally showed investors earning monthly profits on their investments, even in months when Christy’s firm was losing money in every account.

Christy defrauded 20 investors who had invested over $1.4 million. Instead of using investors’ money to trade currency, Christy used it to pay for personal expenses, including travel, jewelry, restaurant meals and more.

Christy even made payments to members of his own family. In total, Christy stole more than $1 million.

Set sail on the intern-ship

Fair provides connections Grayson Quay News Editor

Cathy J. Lueers’ title at the College’s Career Services Office is Assistant Director for Employer Relations & Internship Development.

This position is relatively new and was created “because the college holds high regard for students getting good internships as a natural part of their professional development,” Lueers said.

This increased emphasis on internships is not without reason.

According to Lueers, 77.6 percent of employers now say that recruiting new hires is their primary objective with internships. Lueers pointed out that this makes sense from an employer perspective, a ten-week internship does much more to show whether or not someone is a good fit for the company than an impression based solely on a résumé and a two-hour interview.

This year’s internship fair was the largest in College history, drawing over 50 student representatives who had interned with over 44 different organizations.

Organizations represented included Bayer, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, CBS News and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

In preparation for the fair, students received an over40-page book which listed the various organizations represented and also included feature stories written by

Grove City College interns describing their experiences as well as tips for getting internships.

Each intern was given a brief entry in the book explaining what the organization does, what his or her specific duties were and how he or she heard about and got the internship. Lueers considers this last piece of information to be especially crucial.

“For me, the big gold nugget is, ‘How did they get that job?’” she said, adding that students could benefit from each other’s connections and experience even if the former intern and the prospective intern were from totally different majors, pointing to junior Zachary Nafziger, a computer science major who interned with Hershey and was able to provide helpful advice to students from a variety of majors who were interested in interning with Hershey.

Responding to what she called “a real hunger among liberal arts majors for more internships,” Lueers has launched the Internship Explosion Series, which continued this past Wednesday with a fair for careers in the arts, featuring representatives from the Pittsburgh Public Theater and Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, among others, as well as a Broadway actor.

This coming Wednesday, CSO will present another fair INTERNSHIP 2

Life

The Lens

E!

Perspectives

Sports

Flame Fractals exhibit fuses art and math.

Page 3

Grovers get grateful with #gratitudeGCC. Pages 6-7

For those of you geeking out, we have a shot-byshot analysis of the new Avengers trailer.

Page 8

Christmas? Already? For Josh Fried’s response, see page 9.

Men’s and women’s soccer fall to Thomas More.

Page 12

The Collegian

Page 2

Discourse series gives students a voice

Jonathan Powers Contributing Writer

Students have been seeing posters for the Student Discourse Series for the better part of a year, but many are still unfamiliar with what it actually is.

Senior Mark Mariani, the series’ founder, started the series last year as an outlet for students who are particularly engaged in one subject to discuss what they have learned and to explain their positions. He said that he got the inspiration for the series from practices at Oxford and other British universities.

These universities often have students present research they have done for discussion among their peers. Mariani said he wanted the Student Discourse Series to contribute toward a culture of learning outside the classroom.

“I think having a student body that is willing to have discourse and consider different viewpoints is impor-

tant,” he said.

As the name implies, the Student Discourse Series is completely student-led. It is not sponsored by any campus organization. Mariani ran the program himself last year, and this year is co-running it with junior Elijah Coryell.

Each event features two speakers discussing a subject of their choice. If they choose different subjects, each speaker presents for twenty minutes and then has a 10 minute question-andanswer period. If the speakers choose the same topic, there is only one presentation, but the lengths for both the presentation and the discussion periods are doubled, allowing adequate time for each speaker to address the audience. Often, speakers will provide reading lists for students who want to take a more in-depth look at the topics discussed.

Mariani said that turnout for the events has been good this year. He mentioned dis-

cussions on things such as secular gender differences and the monastic lifestyle as particularly memorable.

“The presentations are based off of theory, but ask pertinent questions of every student,” he said, adding that the goal for the series is to get students thinking.

So what can be expected from the Student Discourse Series in the future? True to the cause, Mariani is leaving that up to the students. He said, however, that he personally would be interested in seeing more discussions from the sciences, such as discussions about the theory of evolution, adding that he would like to see the series continue every semester.

The program is open to student speakers regardless of their expertise on the subject. “It’s not designed for students to masquerade as scholars,” Mariani said.

“Relatively speaking, we’re amateurs.”

Try your luck Josh Evans Editor-in-Chief

BEKAH WHEAT

Last Friday the sisters of Sigma Delta Phi held their annual Monte Carlo Night, sponsored this year by SGA. The night featured mocktails and a variety of games such as roulette, blackjack, poker and go fish. The games rewarded winners with tickets that could be turned in for prizes.

Monte Carlo Night is organized each year to raise money for a charity chosen by the group. This year donations went to The Pittsburgh Project, a Christian nonprofit organization that provides summer and afterschool program for urban youth and free home repairs to many of the city’s elderly residents.

This year the D’Phis raised $54.65 for The Pittsburgh Project

Mind control for profit?

New club applies psychology to the workplace Abigail Marsan Contributing Writer

New to Grove City College, The Industrial/Organizational Psychology Association has recently become a recognized campus group, and will be bringing their first speaker to Grove City College on Nov. 18.

Led by President, junior Megan Hurst, and Vice President, junior Jane Kunkel, and advised by Professor of Psychology Dr. Warren Throckmorton, the Industrial/Organization Psychology Association had a few meetings last semester and this semester before they became recognized.

What is Industrial/Organizational Psychology? According to Kunkel, “I/O Psych is a new, very concentrated, and rapidly growing field. Put simply, it is psychology applied to the workplace.

These psychologists study and teach people that by better understanding ourselves and each other, we can be happier and more successful employees.”

It is putting psychology into a very specific and practical use for the modern workplace.

One of the greatest draws of Industrial/Organizational Psychology is how applicable it is, with relevance to almost any workplace.

“Concepts can be applied in the areas of learning, leadership, personality styles, teamwork, diversity, organizational behavior, the selection process, etc.” Kunkel said.

This group seeks to further their knowledge of these programs and the benefits they can have for a business.

When asked why a group like this is important for the College, Kunkel explained that I/O Psychology is often either a new concept to people or misunderstood.

“The term ‘psychologist’ makes most people think of a therapist with a patient on a couch. The I/O psych field is much different … Our association gives students a chance to meet other people who share that interest and explore the field together,”

Kunkel said.

I/O psychology is also likely to become more prevalent as time goes on. “It is also important for the student body to begin to know who we are and what I/O Psych is, because there is a good chance that many will encounter I/O Psych programs and initiatives in the workplace—no matter what their profession,” said Kunkel.

Many students will come across these programs in their future careers, and students that intend to become leaders in their profession should consider furthering their understanding of I/O Psychology.

On Nov. 18 the Industrial/ Organizational Psychology Association will be having their first speakers. The speakers will be two GCC alums currently involved in I/O Psych graduate programs and will be coming to speak to the association about their experiences and to answer questions about the field.

Nov. 14, 2014

World News Roundup Compiled by Annabelle Rutledge

Merkel hopes fall of Berlin Wall will be a symbol of hope Sunday, Nov. 9, marked the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.

White balloons were stretched along the former death strip, which was filled with over 300,000 people celebrating this anniversary of freedom.

The celebration, complete with music and fireworks, took place at the Brandenburg gate.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel called the fall of the wall proof that “dreams can come true,” and said she hoped the collapse might offer hope to areas of the world where “freedom and human rights are threatened or even trampled on.”

1500 U.S. troops being sent to Iraq in response to ISIL threat President Obama has approved the placement of 1,500 more troops in Iraq.

This will roughly double U.S. ground troops with the goal being to aid the Iraqis in their stand against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

President Obama began sending troops back to Iraq this Summer, marking the first time U.S. non-combative troops were stationed on the ground in Iraq since 2011. The White House is asking Congress for $1.6 billion for a new “Iraq Train and Equip Fund.” This change in foreign and military policy shows the imminent threat of ISIL in the Middle East.

U.S. and E.U. troubled by Catalonian citizens vote for separatist reinforcements in independence from Spain Eastern Ukraine Russia is denying any connection with the building of separatist reinforcements in Eastern Ukraine.

A night of artillery bombardment was followed by shelling near the city of Donetsk on Sunday.

Both of these events are weakening the already fragile ceasefire currently in place between Russia and the Ukraine. The US and EU are concerned by these separatist reinforcements and the White House has warned pro-Russian rebels that the seizing of any territory would be a “blatant violation” of the Minsk ceasefire agreement signed in September.

80 percent of Catalan voters have backed the independence of Catalonia from Spain. Catalonia is categorized as an autonomous community within the nation of Spain. The vote was non-binding but was seen as a great success by Catalan leader, Artur Mas. “Once again Catalonia has shown that it wants to rule itself.” Mas jubilantly declared after the results were announced that “We have earned the right to a referendum.” Spain’s constitutional court has ruled that the vote does not hold any legal weight. This issue will be a topic of importance in Madrid as Catalans are determined to prove their independence.

VEMMA

DEBATE

way, which is what happened to Payton Carlucci.

Carlucci was featured in the news because his time spent with Vemma was not what he expected. Carlucci was introduced to Vemma at Grove City College as an opportunity to make money.

Carlucci attempted to rise in the ranks of Vemma by recruiting other students to be a part of the program. In the end he lost about fifteen hundred dollars. After going public with his story, Carlucci explains that several people associated with Vemma attacked his character through text and Facebook message.

Carlucci’s story was featured prominently as an example of someone speaking out against a company that had drawn much criticism for its questionable marketing tactics.

Carlucci told “Rolling Stone” that he regrets alienating his friends at school by aggressively attempting to recruit them for Vemma, saying that “Losing money was the easy part … It may take a lifetime to win back those friends.” Carlucci’s popularity as an interviewee and talk show guest seems to be receding, however. “I haven’t been contacted in a month…

I’m still the same kid I was before,” he said.

were blindsided by being given such an obscure topic, Alford responded “Oh, totally. I had no idea what it was.” He and Brown were able to construct two solid arguments, however, but lost the debate on a 2-1 split decision.

The novice team also performed solidly, racking up a 3-3 record.

Alford said that this tournament featured “a lot more fast debates and a lot more technical debates,” giving examples of some “really hilarious resolutions,” including one which involved a recent Apple Inc. policy which pays female engineers working for the company to freeze their eggs and have children later in life.

Alford attributes his and Brown’s success to their participation in debate during their high school years, claiming that this background helped equip them to handle the faster pace, the unusual topics and the obscure debate jargon.

INTERNSHIP highlighting career opportunities in marketing and communications, an event which will feature representatives from Highmark, the Pittsburgh Steelers, Pittsburgh advertising agency Mind Over Media and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Life

Nov. 14, 2014

Page 3

An experience in math and artistry Liesl McClintock Contributing Writer

Jim Anthony’s art exhibit, “Flame Fractals,” opened last Friday, Nov. 7 at the Grove City Artworks Gallery.

Anthony is a teacher of mathematics at Westminster College in New Wilmington, Pa. and enjoys exploring the intersection of math, computer science, and art.

All of Anthony’s art looks like an aurora borealis with different colors of “light” bending and swooping across the background. The most distinctive feature about the art is that it is all based on math. The flame fractals are all based on different functions and variations that one might learn in a linear algebra course.

Anthony had his computer set up at the opening to demonstrate how he creates his fractals. He starts by picking a predetermined function that will generate a certain shape.

Once he has done this he can assign a color to each function by varying the amount of red, green, and blue. Once the colors are assigned, he can then rotate the image until he gets an aesthetically pleasing result.

“The functions are assigned colors and then repeatedly selected at random to map the current point in the plane to a new point,” Anthony said.

“The color of the visited point is then altered based on the selected function.

Altering the parameters of the functions, using other variations, or increasing the number of functions or variations, can create more complicated fractals.”

Anthony originally encountered fractals in a geometry course as an undergraduate student at Lock Hav-

en University of Pennsylvania. A couple of years ago, he was doing some research and came across a Kickstarter program that could generate fractals. He thought they were interesting but noticed that the program had many limitations. This led him to make his own program to generate fractals. He started by displaying his work casually in his office at Westminster College, but was eventually chosen for an exhibit at the Artworks Gallery.

Anthony said that his inspiration is the fact that aesthetically pleasing images can be created using the principles of mathematics.

“I find it interesting that all objects in nature can be described by a set of mathematical equations. The mathematics that many students do not enjoy can produce beautiful works of art,” he said.

Anthony mentioned that his favorite part of selling his fractals has been all the high-school students who stop to talk with him about his images.

He says that the students often do not believe that the images are generated using math because they think math is too difficult.

Once he explains the process to them he often hears, “That’s not hard” or “I could do that.” This gives him hope and excitement that some of the students that he has talked with might become interested in math, due to his artwork.

When beginning the process Anthony says that he often has a preconceived notion of what he wants the piece to look like at the end, but that he sometimes generates random functions to see where they will lead and produce new, interesting designs.

ICOs changing lives Kelleigh Huber

Contributing Writer

As the semester comes to a close, a new selection of Inner-City Outreach trips are becoming available to students, including eight national trips and six international trips.

The expansion of the project to include 14 trips is exciting to students, leaders and the Campus Ministries Administration on campus.

“I would definitely recommend that every student go on at least one ICO trip during their time at Grove City College,” said Devayani Wintrode, Director of Campus Ministries.

Junior Mary McDonald, co-leader of the ICO Dominican Republic trip taking place during May Intersession, chose to go on an ICO trip because she “loved traveling, helping others, and wanted to grow more in my relationship with God.” Junior James McKay, coleader of the Providence, RI trip, ended up going to the meeting about the ICO through a friend. His decision to join stemmed from this friend. “The work seemed like something I could be good at,” he said.

Students join ICO trips for many reasons, and very few question their reasoning when they return. Both McDonald and McKay recommend their trips, as well as ICO trips in general, indicating that the great friendships they made, as well as the spiritual benefits, were remarkable.

“I would recommend ICO trips because they are great places to make new friendships, and they can open your eyes a little bit to the difficulties of the world that you wouldn’t necessarily see every day. They are unbelievably fun, and they are also great times for personal

growth,” said Lauren Bimber, a sophomore and member of ICO Chicago.

ICO trips provide a break from the hectic schedules that are prevalent here on campus, and allow for a time of service as well as relaxation. They give students time to concentrate on the focus of the trip which is to glorify God. The service projects can often take students out of their comfort zone, and introduce them to students they normally would not have met otherwise.

Devayani Wintrode emphasizes the importance of national as well as international ICO trips, indicating that service is needed everywhere.

“Oftentimes, I find that students think they need to go on an international mission trip to see poverty or to feel as though they are truly making an impact. However, Christ calls us to serve our neighbors, and so often we overlook the hurting and the outcast right in our own communities or just a few states over,” Wintrode said.

Whether one travels to the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Honduras, or Guatemala this spring, do so with the purpose of promoting the name of God and glorifying Him through service.

However, one can glorify God in the United States as well, in states such as New York, Illinois, Rhode Island, California, Kentucky, Arizona and Ohio.

“It is important to test out the reasons why you want to be a part of such a trip, and the top reason should always be to glorify God and not ourselves. If you have a passion for serving others from impoverished environments, and a desire to strengthen and be challenged in your relationship with God, definitely consider an ICO trip,” McDonald said.

Often he starts with a color scheme that he believes will work well and catch the observer’s eye. He often picks colors that he said “produce vivid images and a decent amount of contrast.”

Anthony said that the names for the pieces are often assigned by the first person who saw the image and said what they thought it looked like.

The pieces have names like “Wormhole,” “Green Dragon,” “Arrow,” and “Infinity.”

Once Anthony has created an im-

GROVECITYARTS.COM

age that he think he will like, he lets the computer regenerate the image to prepare it for printing. He said that this can take two to three days.

At this point he said that he hopes he likes the result or he has wasted two to three days of work time.

Anthony’s work will be on display at the Grove City Artworks Gallery until Dec. 5. Gallery hours are Thursday and Friday from 12:00 - 6:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 12:00 to 4:00 p.m.

Transfers bring new dimension to campus

Ethan Paszko

Contributing Writer Fifty-one transfer students chose to attend Grove City College for the 2014-15 academic school year, bringing with them eclectic experiences and a positive involvement in campus life.

Transfer students receive little focus, but their prior experiences and skill sets substantially affect not only the campus as a whole, but also their peers. Justin Dueker, a transfer freshman, is a varsity football player, accounting major, and attends the Christian group “Men of God.” Transfer students like Dueker bring a positive element to the College through their involvement.

Sophomore Jon Matt transferred to the College from Los Medanos College in California. He is already a leading member of the Debate Team. He traveled to Illinois recently to compete in a tournament, aiding the team to receive an overall first place finish. “It’s a better education here, better community, and people actually care about learning,” Matt said.

The consensus among transfers is that the education at the College is topnotch, bolstered by a dedicated faculty and academic challenge. Freshman trans-

fer Andrew Messinger said that the “academics are more rigorous” at the College than his previous college, Roberts Wesleyan College in upstate New York. Sophomore Ethan Clark, a member of the honors college at Hofstra University before transferring to Grove City College said that “the academics here are much more difficult than at Hofstra, and they come at a cost-efficient price.”

Another attractive trait of transfer students is their view on learning and college life, having attended a previous school. Such students hold a broader perspective and appreciate more of what Grove City College has to offer than many freshmen do.

“Grove provides a strong education with an emphasis on Christian learning,” Clark said.

The consensus among Grove City College students is that they appreciate the Christian environment. The same holds true for those who transferred from secular colleges. Sophomore Derek Witmer, another transfer from Hofstra, relishes the Christian, conservative worldview predominant at the College.

“Hofstra was very liberal, very different from what I’m experiencing now,” Witmer said.

Danielle Bryan, head of transfer admissions at the

“It’s a better education here, better community, and people actually care about learning.”

Jon Matt College, noted that many students initially stay near home after graduating from high school, but then realize they should experience living away from home. Going away to college broadens their perspective of life.

Non-transfer Grove City College students appreciate the transfers. “The guys are really good-looking and so nice,” freshman Tori Graf said.

Whether involved in sports teams or clubs, transfer students enhance campus life due their unique perspectives. They bring an element of life and energy often lacking in regular freshman students.

In addition to rigorous academics and a tight-knit community, several transfers delight in the food options available at the cafeterias.

Sophomore Alec Liederbach and Messinger both emphasize the superiority of the food at the College compared to their previous schools, while hinting that they have already gained some weight.

Grove City College is bringing them a new dimension.

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

Email the Collegian at collegian@gcc.edu.

Life

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Nov. 14, 2014

The unsung heroes of Res Life Resident assistants dedicate time to serving the campus

Caroline Priestap Contributing Writer

They wear many hats: interior decorator, activity coordinator, mediator, confidant, and even best friend.

For a Resident Assistant, every day provides its share of new experiences and opportunities to minister to other Grove City College students.

Though the job proves to be challenging, its outcomes can be extremely rewarding.

The College places a high value on the role of the RAs. The job of an RA consists of the full-time responsibilities of living on a freshman or upperclassmen hall for two semesters and building community through the love of Christ among the residents through programs and other tasks.

RAs arrive on two weeks before the other students in order to attend several training sessions and leadership workshops. It is during these two weeks that the RAs decorate their halls according to the themes they’ve chosen.

This is also an important time of strengthening relationships between the RAs and their Residence Directors who serve to encourage the RAs in their personal growth. This time is also important to help them plan programs and resolve any issues that may occur among the residents.

Alaina Wheeler is spending her senior year as an RA on an upperclassmen hall. She comments that one of the best things about her RA experience has been her amazing relationship with the Residence Life staff.

Beginning with their prayers for her when she first started the rigorous application process to become an RA, she has felt a pouring out of wisdom and genuine care from her Residence Directors. They have given her godly advice for circumstances on her hall and have even helped her to further discover her personal identity in Christ.

Amy Rumbaugh, a junior and second year RA, agrees, calling her RD, Anne Pelchar, a “rockstar.” Rumbaugh values her genuine friendship with Pelchar, mentioning how she loves joking with her and having long talks over hot cups of chai tea.

“Out of this relationship, I am able to better respect and understand her expectations of me as my supervisor.

She is intentional to spend regular time hanging out with, encouraging, or advising all the RAs on her staff,” says Rumbaugh.

As a sophomore, Jordan Good is experiencing her first year as an RA. The duties of freshman RAs are different than the responsibilities of upperclassmen RAs in that there are usually around 50 residents living on the hall as compared to the 20-30 residents on upperclassmen halls.

Because of the increased number of residents, two RAs are assigned to each hall.

Good mentioned that having a co-RA is one of the reasons why she wanted to be a freshman RA. She and her co-RA were carefully matched because of their complementary personalities and ability to work as a team. Good mentions how they pray

together on a regular basis and always take the time to evaluate their leadership and talk through issues that may arise on the hall.

Having a good sense of humor, as well as building relationships and community among RAs is important for keeping things fresh and uplifting among the staff. Elliot Neff, a junior who is a second-year RA, remembers a specific prank that he and his fellow RAs played on their RD, Josh Hoey, last year. “We took a few fake cigarettes…as well as beer mugs filled with apple juice…and sat around a table in Ket Rec kitchen playing poker,” Neff says. “Josh walked in and was taken aback for a few seconds; it was great to see the look on his face.”

Along with the fun, however, comes a lot of dedication and hard work. Every RA holds regular daily, weekly and monthly responsibilities, including offering four programs for their hall each semester to encourage community and spiritual growth.

They also offer weekly hall dinners, movie nights, hall parties and other stress-relieving events for their residents.

Neff, who is spending this year as an RA in Alumni, says that he spends a little over five hours each week doing required tasks like attending a weekly staff meeting, making rounds on the hall on his assigned week night, and writing reflections for his RD about the progress of his hall. Besides that time, he dedicates countless hours to spending time with his residents, discipling and getting to know them, as well as addressing

A century of news

Giving voice to millennials

Standing strong

Breana Renkin Staff Writer

As college students, we find ourselves amidst constant conflict between what God wants us to do and what the world tells us we can do.

With pressures from our peers and society, the line between both can become increasingly blurred. However, our dilemma is not new.

Grove City College students in the 1960s also faced this same problem, as revealed in “Christ Confronts the Grover” in the Nov. 12, 1965 issue of the Collegian. As the article advises, we should remain strong in the face of conflict because God will judge and redeem the world.

Christ Confronts the Grover David Stadley

Many times today’s college student appears to be torn between two ends.

What the student feels within himself is not what he outwardly expresses. That is, what society impresses upon him outwardly conflicts with his internal thoughts. The result is the development of a two-sided individual—an internal being and an external being.

Whether or not an individual excels academically or athletically, he does not want to be considered a “good guy” by his friends. And yet, doesn’t the individual refute what he knows to be right in an effort to become a “good guy”? There is a definite separation between the desires of the mind and the desires of the body. Paul states this in his letter to the Romans, “The good which I want to do, I fail to do; but what I do is the wrong which is against my will: and if what I do is against my will, clearly it is no longer I who am the agent, but sin has its lodging in me.” (Rom. 7:19-20) We are brought up today

to follow outdated Puritan ethics. We don’t follow them.

Yet, we are seemingly unaware of this split within us.

Outwardly we live the “new morality” and yet inwardly we must rationalize our actions to our inherited code of ethics. Such rationalization may very well satisfy us as to the righteousness of our actions, but does it satisfy God? Can the “good guy” face up to Christ? Is the “incrowd” in with God? College confronts the individual with many challenges and, as Christians, these challenges are great.

The challenge of academics today seems to be secondary to the social challenge.

Can Christians accept this without a careful scrutiny of their values? Certainly Christ showed what it really is to be human. He lived a fuller life than man has known. Suppose we compare the complete human life of Christ with that of the college student. Can the student sincerely say that he is living a life as full as that which Christ taught his followers?

Probably not. But aren’t we all seeking to live a rich and full life? If Christ showed us the way, why don’t we follow him? Although within ourselves we may wish to follow one path, external pressures of the surrounding society urge us to follow one path… the path leading to the status symbol of the “good guy.”

Those who are dedicated to education are often puzzled at the number of students who do not get their money’s worth from tuition.

Anti-intellectualism is a common student trait.

Those who are dedicated to Christ and his truth are puzzled at the number of students who worship idols and cover up emptiness with bravado. Secularism is a prevailing ethos.

But such negative analysis and criticism is not balanced, and is therefore distorted. Imagery and first

problems that may arise on the hall.

Neff really appreciates meeting new people on the hall each year and finds himself growing through his interactions with them. “You do meet some pretty amazing individuals throughout the course of each semester; it’s pretty humbling at times,” Neff says.

The job of an RA is tough; every day they are faced with the task of uplifting, giving advice, counseling, and building relationships, supplemented by their regular schoolwork.

Wheeler says “Being an RA is pretty much an impossible job; ideally you could reach everyone on your hall and have great mentoring relationships with everyone and always have time for people, but you can’t be perfect.” However, even when people fail to show up at hall programs or the stress of school and relationships becomes hard to handle, the job is very rewarding.

Wheeler, Good, and Neff all express how they have grown in their faith in God, giving several examples of how He has worked through even the hardest situations to bring about his perfect will. An RA has the amazing opportunity to grow in their love for God while mentoring their peers in the same path. As Rumbaugh says, “I feel like this opportunity for service is directly in line with my passions and my strengths. It just fits.

And I can’t imagine having chosen to invest my college career anywhere else.”

impressions are not always reliable. There is also a great deal of intellectual joy and passion on campus. It is increasing. Don’t look for it on weekends, although there is more of it around, even then, than the pessimist might think.

Likewise, there is an undisplayed and unguessed body of faith, morality, Christian growth, spiritual insight, commitment to Christ, and rugged integrity. These have never been majority virtues. Why in this tough, plush, “age without standards” should we give away to negative, if the whole campus doesn’t join the Church? Or if the Church itself is partially secularized and too bland?

The evidence, present not only on this campus but many others, should encourage those who wish the college to be solemnly an institution for positive intellectual and social growth.

It should fortify the moralist who fears the right and wrong are hopelessly blurred, and should remind the man of faith that the eternal Christ confronts, both with judgment and rescue, the good guy, the sad sack, the church, the fraternity, and indeed the “world.”

Perhaps it comes down to the fact that you can’t be an ultimate pessimist under any circumstances if you are a Christian. And more important, is the fact that our generation has the responsibility of shaping the future of the Christian Church in this country.

CHRISTIANNEWSWIRE.COM

Scott Alford

Perspectives Editor From FreedomWorks’ president Matt Kibbe to the Foundation for Economic Education’s president Larry Reed, Grove City College has educated Washington’s libertarian heavy-weights in our nation’s capital. A 2006 Grove City College graduate of political science, Evan Feinberg, has taken on a role in leadership for the millennial generation through becoming the president of Generation Opportunity.

Through this fledgling organization often known as Gen Opp, Feinberg has provided a voice to the millennial generation. Feinberg explained that, “Generation Opportunity works with college students and young professionals to provide the information and opportunities to impact the political process in a way that improves the lives of our generation.”

This past week, Feinberg spoke for the Center for Vision and Values about how to best deal with address the issues of cronyism. Evan recognizes that high rates of unemployment, student debt and lack of new business opportunities have left young people disenfranchised with the crony’s in Washington and Wall Street.

“Essentially, big government helps big business keep their market share without innovating and growing,” Feinberg said. In his view, this economic cronyism is not a positive environment from entrepreneurship and

“There could be no better preparation for a career in ideas than attending Grove City College.” economic growth. Citing a Brookings report, he said that, “It’s hard for young people to break into an economy that the authors describe as “getting ‘old and fat.’”

Evan Feinberg credits his education at Grove City College as laying a good foundation for leading at Generation Opportunity saying, “There could be no better preparation for a career in ideas than attending Grove City College.

I learned about the Index of Economic Freedom from Dr. Kengor, and I studied entrepreneurship and human action from the best Austrian economics department in the country. I developed a deep appreciation for – and ability to persuade others of – the value of a free society.”

Feinberg has used his education to build an organization through Gen Opp that “interact[s] with millions of young Americans every day on social media and have thousands of activists across the country using cuttingedge technology and tools to build a network of our peers that can truly make a difference.”

Nov. 14, 2014

Entertainment

Page 5

Time travel troubles

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Marty McFly’s journey relies on conflicting theories

Colin Combs Staff Writer

“Back to the Future” is one of my favorite movies of all time. It is sci-fi action adventure that remains fun no matter how many times I watch it. The movie is careful to have plenty of running jokes that foreshadow future events. These little subtleties add a lot to the film, making it just as fun to experience the fifth time as it is the first time. This is not to say, however, that the movie is perfect. Unfortunately, time travel is one of the things Hollywood rarely gets right.

A fair warning to those who haven’t seen the movie yet: this will contain spoilers.

Without getting too deep into it, fiction stories usually use one of two different theories of time travel: linear and alternate timeline. In linear theory, the past is fixed. Everything that happened must happen. Nothing can be changed about the past, and everything must play out as if it has been written by destiny. When this gets portrayed in media, it will usually have some kind of ironic twist to it. For example, if someone

goes back in time to try to assassinate Hitler, they may attempt to do so, but accidentally shoot someone else who was going to kill Hitler, thereby guaranteeing his rise to power. Every step the time traveler makes only guarantees the very thing he is trying to prevent.

If the time traveler were able to actually change something, the writer now has to deal with something known as the “Grandfather paradox”. The idea goes like this. Suppose that someone went back in time and then, for whatever reason, killed their own grandfather. What would happen? The answer is we do not know because it results in a contradiction.

If you kill your grandfather, you could never be born, which means you could nev-

er go back in time to kill your grandfather in the first place.

To get around this problem, some stories decide to add in an “alternate world theory”. By this idea, when you go back in time, you actually create a “parallel timeline.” Your timeline still exists, but you have just entered a different timeline that is like your own, but can be changed however you want without causing any kind of time paradox.

Time travel stories can either be set in one consistent timeline, or it can be changeable in a different timeline.

One allows changes, the other does not. The problem with “Back to the Future” is that it tries to combine both of these theories.

In the plot of “Back to the Future,” Marty McFly gets

stuck in the past and accidentally keeps his parents from meeting and falling in love. He has one week to make sure they get together again, or he will cease to exist since he’ll never be born. In the end, he almost does not succeed but eventually pulls through. But when he gets back to the future he notices a few changes. Since he made his father more self-confident when he was in the past, his family is now wealthier, his parents are much happier together, his father is no longer a pushover, and he has the car he always wanted.

The problem with this is that it implies both kinds of time travel. Marty needing to fight for his own existence implies that he is in a linear timeline – and has actually caused his own “grandfather paradox” – and if he is not born in this timeline, he is not born at all. This is contradicted by the ending of the movie, however, and is actually explicitly denied in its sequel when the mad scientist who invented the time machine explains the idea of multiple timelines. If Marty were indeed in an alternate timeline, his parents not dating should not be a threat to

his existence since, after all, what happens in this timeline doesn’t matter. It tries to claim that time is fixed while still leaving it variable.

The movie switches between these theories constantly. In one scene in which Marty plays “Johnny B. Goode,” it is implied that it was Marty playing the song in the past that inspired Chuck Berry to write the song in the first place. In another moment, his mother reflects upon how nice the name “Marty” is, implying that his actions in the past also are what caused his own name. This all implies a linear timeline, but everything else in the movie screams against it. Suspension of disbelief is always needed for these kinds of movies where time machines can be built out of a DeLorean, but these inconsistencies unfortunately cannot be worked around.

In the end though, the movie is still a fun adventure and a few inconsistencies can be forgiven in the name of good storytelling.

A book worth stealing

Hunter Francis

Contributing Writer

A fair warning about Markus Zusak’s “The Book Thief”: only start reading it when you have nothing planned for the next week, because you will not be able to put it down. “The Book Thief” follows the fictional story of Liesel Meminger, a young girl facing the struggles of living in Germany during World War II. If you love a book that is written from a unique perspective, this might be a book for you. The narrator opens by talking about death, but readers will quickly realize that Death is in fact the one narrating this story. It is rare, to say the least, that you’ll find a book about Nazi Germany told in the first person through the perspective of death following a preteenage girl.

Zusak is able to artfully give two very different and useful perspectives on a tragic time in Earth’s history.

Because the story follows the experiences of Liesel, readers can understand what a normal child’s life would have looked like at the time.

Death gives a very detailed outside perspective that paints a painfully clear picture of the hard times that Nazi Germany faces.

Liesel’s story begins for readers as she travels to meet her foster parents for the first time. Her story is not one that leaves us coveting her life, as it is full of trials and tribulations. But despite the hardships that readers watch Liesel experience, she is able to find joys in life through the adventures she has and relationships she makes.

Rudy is Liesel’s next-door neighbor, and together they give readers a fun reminder of childhood friendships.

There are imaginary adventures taken together, the transitions from cooties to crushes, and the thrill of breaking the rules with a partner-in-crime.

Liesel’s foster parents lovingly master the “good cop,

bad cop” routine. Her mother is harsh and uses her colorful vocabulary to make sure that Liesel becomes a disciplined girl. Her father helps Liesel learn how to read, so that she can fully appreciate the books that she enjoys stealing.

The most moving and influential relationship readers watch Liesel form throughout the book, however, is her friendship with Max, a Jew simply trying to survive in Nazi Germany. Liesel relates to Max’s feeling of separation, but she struggles to understand why Max should be treated differently than all the other men. It is a sweet, sad friendship that forces readers to pause and think.

“The Book Thief” may make readers laugh. It may make them tear up. It may make them consider a wellknown time period from a fresh angle. It may cause all of these emotions and more.

For those of you who like a powerful and influential story, “The Book Thief” is a must-read.

EMPIREONLINE.COM

Page 6

Through the Lens

#gratitudegcc

Nov. 14, 2014

RACHEL FOX

Students were challenged to spend the month reflecting on and photographing the things they are most grateful for. The photos were then shared through #gccgratitude and posted to the official Facebook page.

JOSHUA TAM

KARLI FEASTER

ZOE SMITH

JOSHUA TAM

Nov. 14, 2014

Through the Lens

Page 7

JESSICA LUNN

ZOE SMITH ANNA SCOFIELD

SARAH L. MAGUIRE

LAURA GRACE

ANNA SCOFIELD

ALINA SANTIAGO

Page 8

Entertainment

‘In Bruges’ delivers wit and redemption

Caleb Harshberger Contributing Writer

The film “In Bruges” was director and screenwriter Martin MacDonagh’s first major film, and it is truly a masterpiece. In it he examines the way contemporary man works out his beliefs on morality, honor and salvation.

The film revolves around Ray and Ken, two hitmen from London who are hiding in Bruges, Belgium after a job gone wrong. The city of Bruges is the most preserved medieval city in Europe and certainly one of the most beautiful. As the two men tour through the city, Ken, played by Brendan Gleeson, is ecstatic. The old medieval buildings, the museums; all of it is eaten up by middleaged Ken. Ray, played by Colin Farrell, could not be more disheartened at the prospects of being stuck in such a tedious and ancient place.

In London, it had been Ray’s first job. He was sent to kill a priest for their boss, Harry, played by Ralph Fiennes. While Ray succeeded in whacking the old priest, he inadvertently murdered a small boy when one of his bullets passed through their intended target. Ken, a veteran in Harry’s employ, pulled him out of the church and the two made their way to Bruges.

Ray comes alive when he stumbles upon a film being shot, and with it a beautiful woman named Chloe, as well as a dwarf actor whom he finds thoroughly delightful. His relationships with

Everyone has come to expect great things from Marvel Entertainment movies, and Marvel’s “Avengers: Age of Ultron” appears as if it will live up to the mythical levels of its predecessors based on the recently released trailer.

The trailer begins with a jump into an open landscape, with a city in the distance. An ominous voice says, “I’m going to show you something beautiful.”

The viewer is then shown a plethora of chaotic citizens in a mob, as destruction and explosions happen within arm’s reach of the people.

In Roses

WSAJ Contributor

http://cinephilefix.files.wordpress.com/

them progress until he becomes romantically involved with Chloe, and at one point in the film finds himself doing drugs with the dwarf and prostitutes in their hotel.

These foibles as well as the unavoidable religious imagery throughout the town serve to accentuate his emotional turmoil.

Ray is wracked with guilt over the death of the little boy and is suicidal throughout the film. He is forced to wrestle with the concept of sin and salvation. Ray represents many people who have yet to learn what it is they believe about life’s choices and consequences. Ken is older and has encountered this before. He tells Ray that the an-

swer is to make the most of his life, to “save the next little boy.” Ken believes morality is found in acts that benefit mankind and that therein lies salvation.

Their boss disagrees. Harry lives by a code of strict, unbending and all-powerful rules. The contrast between Ken and Harry is sharp and unavoidable, and when Harry materializes in Bruges their worldviews inevitably collide. The struggle for Ray’s life calls viewers to investigate just what it is that defines the morality of actions.

The execution of this film is flawless. Major and minor characters alike were wellchosen and show consider-

able acting prowess. Both the camerawork and the setting are excellent, making this an extraordinarily beautiful film. Still, the true greatness of this story lies in the screenwriting. The story is entertaining and easy to follow, but it also contains considerable depth. The dialogue, while strewn with all manner of expletives, is written with great wit, emotional depth, and extraordinary subtlety. Overall, “In Bruges” is an excellent movie that will not only serve to entertain but also to ask the hard questions and call the viewer to a greater sense of self consciousness and thoughtfulness.

‘Ultron’ trailer raises questions

Contributing Writer

Pick of the Week Nic Giorgi

STATIC.SQUARESPACE.COM

Zach Ferguson

Nov. 14, 2014

The next scene involves separate shots of each member of the Avengers, all weary and looking hopeless. There is then a limping, dismembered robot walking into frame, while the Avengers look on. This is Ultron.

Later on in the trailer, Ultron is shown in a new body, and with him are none other than Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver. These two were introduced in the post-credits scene of “Captain America: The Winter Soldier.”

Quicksilver possesses superhuman speed, and Scarlet Witch has telekinetic powers.

The overall themes evidenced in the trailer are carnage and hopelessness. It is

as if the Avengers are giving up their hope in humanity and their ability to protect the world. There is one particular scene that is especially curious. There is a quick shot of an Iron Man Hulkbuster suit, and the Hulk himself, both engaged in combat. The question is whether it is Ultron controlling the suit, or Iron Man himself.

If it is the latter, then that could be reshaping the whole dynamic and direction in which Marvel is moving. There is an additional scene in which Thor walks up to Tony Stark, and in a fit of rage picks him up by his throat. This furthers the evidence of changing dynamics, showing that the Avengers

are turning on each other.

Near the end of the trailer, both Thor and Captain America are lying on the ground next to their iconic items – Thor next to his hammer, and Captain America next to his completely shattered shield. This shot gives the trailer a sense of completion and finality.

The final shot is that of Ultron, saying dramatically, “There are no strings on me.”

This is an obvious reflection on the fact that he is not controlled by anyone, but that he himself is his own being.

Marvel’s “Avengers: Age of Ultron” comes to theaters on May 1, 2015.

Daylight savings is always an unpleasant obstacle after the first week or so; having fallen back an hour makes the day seem incredibly short as dusk arrives with extreme haste, smothering a significant portion of the day with prodigious silence.

This feeling, this inexorable atmosphere, perfectly suits the latter half of fall; likewise it suits the immediate feel of “In Roses”, the latest album released

by Gem Club.

“In Roses” feels like the desire to stay indoors on a cold, rainy, fall afternoon, inevitably inviting one to retreat to the safety of a warm fireplace on a nearby armchair as a means of actively evading the elements outside. As a whole, it presents itself as a confined yet comfortable space as sounds and feelings envelope the listener in a particular yet variable emotion. Gem Club effectively invokes this sensation by incorporating two key elements.

The first of those is their use of instrumentals. Whenever one thinks of dream pop, one typically gravitates towards pumping synthesizers and heavy bass, but, quite frankly, that’s a faulty assumption. Through the use of low-key synthesizer and various strings, Gem Club binds the listener in a rich, atmospheric experience. For example, through the use of cello, they can effectively capture the essence of melancholy, or inversely, through the use of piano, they can depict innocent hope. The trio produces an interesting dichotomy between happiness and sorrow simply by varying instrument choice.

Although fairly cliché, the second element that provides an inimitable quality, is the tactful song writing. As passive listeners, we, sadly, have been diluted by mindless choruses to give a notable “excellence” to a song; fortunately, Gem Club has deviated from this suitable norm by writing in prose, eliminating choruses nearly completely.

Additionally cautious repetition moves the tracks from poetry reminiscent of EE Cummings to palatable music. “Polly” is perfectly exemplifies this: “we were lost / I felt us drifting from our nature / towards that place / half nothing / I see you letting go / Polly I need you now that you’re gone.” The slow repetition of certain lines perfectly captures the morose intended by the writing.

Gem Club does possess a distinct flaw. On this album especially, their sound and feel are down-tempo and downhearted, making them unapproachable to the inexperienced listener. On the contrary, becoming invested in Gem Club is a decision well worth making.

Perspectives

Nov. 14, 2014

Page 9

Letter to the Editor

You will know when you find it What is true love? True love is the love that is supposed to be, perhaps even must be. It is not based on exterior appearances or even actions. True love is based in the “true self” of the object of your affection. Loving is the never-ending endeavor to know who your true love is, not simply in appearance or externalities, but in truth.

It is something that can only come about through intimate spiritual experience. The mysterious nature of love is something that must be lived and then reflected back upon. It is not something that can be understood from the outside or in a lab. Meno asks Plato, “How do we know when we have found what it is we are looking for?” The answer Plato gives is “You will know it when you find it.

You must trust your spiritual sensibilities.”

I agree with the writer wholeheartedly that we need to stop looking for the perfect person who has all the things we are looking for, but this is because love is not found in the qualities we are seeking.

Attraction is merely the tool to motivate us to get close enough. True love is found in the surprising idiosyncrasies of the person you love.

It is in both the things they “lack” and in the things you never would have thought to look for. It is found in the way that each unique facet of their personality comes together to make something profoundly new and matchless. And it is this unique orchestral identity with which we fall in love. We are not merely the sum of our actions and attributes. True love is the interaction between two compatible identities.

I believe the only way to make these hard choices, to overcome doubt and egotism, is to have deeper connection than one of willpower. A person’s very identity must intertwine with his beloved.

For someone to be “willing to sacrifice the world,” it must be based on something more than choice. There must be something deeper to explain why such a choice is not only possible but wonderful. This is true love.

100 Campus Drive Grove City, Pa. 16127 collegian@gcc.edu gcc.collegian@gmail.com IMGION.COM

Our corporate Savior?

Josh Fried Staff Writer

Editor’s note: The following articles is a work of satire.

Christmas time is nearly upon us, at least according to corporate America. Even before celebrating Thanksgiving with family, Americans are prompted to look forward to “the most wonderful time of the year.”

The Christmas season is a time of good cheer, generosity and relaxation. At the same time, Christmas is becoming increasingly more commercialized. This statement is a widely-acknowledged fact. Stores advertise for Christmas shopping earlier each year.

Traditionally, Christmas shopping would not begin until Black Friday, but this year the Black Friday sales

began the day after Halloween. The season of Christmas shopping is slowly pushing its way into October. At this rate we would not be surprised to find Santa Claus sitting on the beach in the heat of summer, lathered in tanning oil and asking children and surfers what they want for Christmas.

One might wonder what is wrong with keeping up the Christmas spirit all year round. Corporate America cannot be blamed for selflessly assisting Americans to be giving and cheerful beyond Christmas. To add to their noble achievements they aim to decrease the stress of Christmas shopping by increasing the span of time that one can shop for presents for their children.

Like in physics, pressure equals force multiplied by area, and increasing the

area to invest in Christmas presents will decrease the pressure on a family forced to spend all their money on presents to create Christmas joy.

For this reason, increasing the commercialization of Christmas will help families who otherwise could not afford to buy a lot of presents at one time: now they can disperse the purchase of presents throughout the year, ensuring a greater number of presents come Christmas.

After all, Christmas joy is directly related to the number of quality gifts.

Americans should be thankful for the corporate world so selflessly decreasing the stress of their daily lives to look out for those who need assistance in keeping their giving spirit alive.

Marissa Candiloro

Section Editors News Grayson Quay Life Stephanie Pitman Entertainment Jacob Sziráky Perspectives Scott Alford Sports Joe Setyon Photography Caroline Bennett

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Business Manager BRANDON FERRIS

How the Ex-Im Bank is a let-down for business Over the past few years, the Export-Import Bank of the United States has increasingly become a subject of contention and debate.

This relatively small part of the federal government has increasingly come under attack by critics who see it as little more than a form of corporate welfare and crony capitalism, issuing cheap government loans for the benefit of large corporations, such as Boeing. These complaints are quite justified.

The goal of the bank is to try to increase US exports.

It claims that doing this will help promote US competitors in a world market, as well as to increase employment overall. One way it does this is by finding businesses that

Managing Editor

Emily Bartlow Stephen Dennis Thomas Kutz Liesl McClintock Kayla Murrish Breanna Renkin Samantha VanSlyke Annabelle Rutledge Bradley Warmhold Tim Hanna Meg VanTil Colin Combs Elizabeth Broderick Jon Matt Josh Fried

A bank known to fail

Staff Writer

Josh Evans

Staff Writers

Caleb Harshberger

Colin Combs

Editor-in-Chief

want to export their goods to other countries, then giving cheap government loans to support them.

Alternatively, the Ex-Im Bank might just guarantee loans to foreign business that want to buy US products.

The way this works is that some foreign company wants to buy a US product, so they go to a private bank to get a loan.

These banks normally would not give this loan because there is a lot of risk involved, but the Ex-Im Bank says “If they fail, I will pay off their debt.” Thus the bank gives the company a loan, and if they fail the Export-Import Bank pays the debt. This all amounts to certain businesses getting government handouts at the expense of everyone else in society.

While the Export-Import

Bank is far from the largest government organization to give subsidies to businesses, it is one of the more blatant with a very clear favored class. Like all government organizations, the ExportImport Bank gets its money from taxpayers. When it loans out money, it is loaning out citizens’ money. The government steals money from taxpayers so that it can hand it away to Boeing.

Instead of everyone being equal before the law, there is a privileged class which gets free money because the government arbitrarily decided to increase exports.

Not only is it an affront to justice and a clear case of governmental favoritism, but the Export-Import Bank does not even do what it purports to do. The Bank claims that by subsidizing American ex-

porters, it helps to promote American jobs. It is certainly true that the businesses that get free taxpayer money do benefit, but this argument completely ignores that the Ex-Im Bank destroys jobs when it taxes people in the first place. The Export-Import Bank hurts employment far more than it helps it.

The Export-Import Bank has been in operation for over 80 years now, which is 80 years too long. The good news is that unlike many other government organizations, the Export-Import Bank needs to be continually renewed by Congress to stay in operation. This makes it especially easy to shut down with plenty of opportunities to do so, and as it has become a larger issue in recent years, this is looking more and more likely. Here’s hoping.

Becky Torre

Distribution Emily Hicks

Staff Adviser Nick Hildebrand

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

GREEN EYESHADE AWARD

Tim Hanna This week’s award goes to sophomore Tim Hanna for his consistent coverage of Grove City football The Collegian Green Eyeshade Award honors student contributors who have demonstrated consistency and excellence in their work.

Perspectives Reflections on elections

Nov. 14, 2014

Page 10

Jon Matt Staff Writer

The 2014 midterm elections are behind us, as well as the constant barrage of political ads. The Republicans won a fairly decisive victory in Congress, maintaining their majority in the House of Representatives and gaining enough seats to have a majority in the Senate. Now that it is over, we ought to reflect on the election and what it means for us and the future of our country. Regardless of where you fall on the political spectrum, there are some noticeable – and worrying – trends that will have serious consequences in the years to come.

First of all, every American should be concerned about the fact that so many special interest groups are spending extravagant amounts of money on elections. The Center for Responsive Poli-

tics estimated that a total of $3.67 billion were spent on this election, an extraordinary amount for a midterm election. Campaign contributions and special interest groups are not inherently bad, but campaign contributions become harmful when they allow certain groups to gain special favors or drown out the voices of other groups.

Of the total money spent on this election, nearly $700 million came from outside groups such as Super PACs and other advocacy groups.

This money undoubtedly has had a corrupting effect on our government.

Secondly, it seems that the American people’s power to choose who they send to Washington is inherently very limited. In other words, there is very little difference between the Democrats and the Republicans. There is little reason to believe much in the government will change

now that the Republicans control Congress. On many of the most important issues, there is not much difference between the two sides. Both parties are responsible for getting the country entangled in war overseas. Both parties have spent well beyond our nation’s means, albeit on different things.

Both parties were supportive of corporatist policies that subsidized and bailed out the richest and most powerful

Coming up in Chapel Tuesday, November 18th Grove City College Glee Club Thursday, November 20th Grove City College Fellowship of Christian Athletes

posed to have a system of representative government.

Yet, for far too many people, the two parties in power do not provide actual representation and drown out the voices of individuals. Many citizens rightfully disgruntled with the current political arrangement were excited to see a different party in control of Congress. It is unfortunate that this shift in power will not bring about much change.

In her shoes

Letters to the Editor policy Letters to the Editor should be sent to collegian@gcc.edu. They must be received by midnight on Sunday and must not exceed 300 words. The Collegian reserves the right to edit or hold any letter. Anonymous letters will not be printed.

members of society at the expense of the average American citizen. The Republicans are fond of using words like “freedom” and “liberty,” but they rarely seem to stay true to such values when it comes to economic issues. Even more, many of them support social policies that are laughably outdated and completely oppose any idea of freedom.

Is it any wonder that Americans are apathetic about politics? We are sup-

Thoughts on respecting the irreligious Evlyn Roper

Contributing Writer (For the purposes of this article, this student wishes to remain anonymous. This student will be referred to as Amber).

Like many students at Grove City College, Amber grew up in a Christian family. She attended church for years and identified herself as a Christian. At the age of 14, she visited her oldest sister at Grove City College and fell in love with the campus.

As the years passed, it came time for her to begin thinking about college. At the same time, she also began to reconsider her faith. In her junior year, Amber chose to identify herself as an agnostic.

Due to her family’s conservative views, Amber chose not to tell them about her new ideology until senior year. In her own words, “They did not take it well.

But I realized that I don’t need an old book telling me things like ‘Murder is wrong’. I just know it is”. At that point, Amber had also decided against attending Grove City College, choosing a public school closer to home.

After a year at that school, Amber decided that the envi-

ronment at the public school did not reflect her morals, and chose to transfer out.

“My parent’s kind of pushed GCC the whole time, so it was no surprise when I ended up here,” said Amber.

On move-in day, Amber could already tell that this school was going to be completely different. “I felt like a fish out water,” remembered Amber, “It was a very different experience from my first visits.” As time goes on, Amber feels more and more different. “It’s hard to connect with people. Their faith is ingrained and it’s hard for them to see things from other’s perspectives.”

When asked about her own beliefs, Amber explains, “I have to be careful not to tell people I’m agnostic. And that’s difficult, because it’s part of who I am.” For Amber, the frustration with being non-Christian spans beyond social settings.

“As a science major, I don’t experience a whole lot of difficulty. Many of the teachers are very open minded. But in classes like Biblical Revelations, I find myself disagreeing but I can’t say anything.”

She adds, “For me, reading the Bible is like validating ‘Alice in Wonderland’ as fact; but if I disagree on a test, I’ll fail.”

Although the culture

shock of a Christian campus is still new to Amber, it is not the emphasis on Christian themes that is the biggest change for her. “At my old school, no one really cared what you believed.

They were willing to accept you and respect you whatever your faith. Here, I find myself seeing the opposite.

People would find out I am agnostic, and they would get really quiet and treat me differently. Some people even tried to convert me, or just straight up ignored me,” she said.

Though this was not always the case, Amber was surprised how common this reaction was. “If I could address those students, I would tell them to try to be as accepting as their faith tells them to be.” Amber continued, “God says to love everyone in spite of their differences, but in practice, it isn’t always true.”

At a school like Grove City College, it is not common to find a student like Amber who maintains a belief contrary to Christianity, but students like Amber do exist.

Expecting a norm does not justify having a lackluster approach to interacting with others. Regardless of a person’s faith, Christians are called to show love and respect.

Sports

Nov. 14, 2014

The field of grace

Thomas Kutz

Page 11

Chronicles of a soccer referee

Staff Writer

I stood there face to face with a giant. I did not waver in my decision, just prayed for safety.

I took a step back and as expletives were directed my way, I reached into my left pocket for my yellow card. I displayed it high above my head.

The separation I had created with the player quickly dissipated and another expletive about my personal life came immediately. By this point, I had pulled down my yellow card, but it did not stay down for long. I knew I had no choice. He had crossed the line. I reached into my back pocket and displayed a red card.

My safety felt threatened as I stood pointing to the penalty spot, 100 percent confident in my decision.

This is the true story of my encounter with a player who charged at me after I awarded a penalty kick for a strong tackle in the box with just over two minutes to play in a tie game.

These are the chronicles of a soccer referee.

I have been refereeing soccer since I was nine years old. I always volunteered to run up and down the sidelines with a flag, standing there feeling as official as a nine year old could

feel. I dreamed of refereeing a World Cup match as I paraded around my basement showing cards to the imaginary players competing at the world’s highest level.

As I reflect on some of my experiences in my time as a soccer referee since then, I realize just how dangerous some of my experiences have been.

Sure enough, though, God tests my faith by presenting me challenging circumstances and helping me to try to deal with them with grace.

In the middle of the field, you’re the one with the whistle. You’re the one responsible for ensuring the protection of the players and the other referees.

You’re there to make sure that the game is fair and the players are safe.

The job of officiating soccer is often the job of being a “game manager.”

In the refereeing world, we refer to game and man management as how we keep things under control.

We do this through talking and interacting with players, using different intensities of whistle tone, motioning with our hands to convey stern messages to players, and even taking them aside and talking with them person to person.

These are the important and often

overlooked aspects of being a soccer referee. How we manage games determines how the players respond in gameplay.

Keeping a player calm by using man management techniques may prevent an incident from escalating into mass confrontation. The way we are able to keep the game under control affects everything. Sometimes that means using cards as means of discipline.

Keeping all of that in mind, I endeavor to bring my Christian faith with me on the field of play. That doesn’t necessarily mean asking players if they know Jesus while running alongside them in the middle of the game.

Nevertheless, there is a way to display Christian behavior on the field. I try to do so by displaying grace when possible. In relation to the Christian faith, grace refers to free and unmerited favor of God. So, how do I show players on the field favor of God? It is through showing players grace that the overall experience of sports can be enhanced so that players might act in a more loving way toward one another.

Let’s get back to my story, though.

The player left the field upset with himself as much as he was with me.

Spotlight on Pittsburgh: Clunker in the Meadowlands Key errors cost Steelers in loss to lowly Jets

Aaron Lundmark Contributing Writer

Very few would have thought that the struggling New York Jets could upset the red hot Pittsburgh Steelers, but they did just that by pulling out a convincing 2013 victory on the afternoon of Sunday, Nov. 9.

Coming into the game, the Steelers (6-4) were riding a three-game winning streak after big victories against the Texans, Colts, and their division foe, the Ravens.

On the other hand, the Jets (2-8) brought in an ugly eight-game losing streak after dropping their most recent contests to the Chiefs and Bills.

Those stories contradicted themselves, however, and the Steelers committed four very costly turnovers which helped the Jets run away with the game early.

New York took the opening kickoff and chewed nearly eight minutes off the clock in a 14-play, 72 yard drive before settling for a Nick Folk field goal to take a 3-0 lead.

After the Steelers were forced to punt, Jets quarterback Michael Vick threw a 67-yard bomb to wide receiver T.J. Graham on the first play of the drive for a touchdown. This gave New York a quick 10-0 in the first quarter.

It did not get any better from there for the Steelers.

The first play of the next drive, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger threw a screen pass to top wide out Antonio Brown, who fumbled and set the Jets up deep

NFL.COM

Steeler’s wide receiver Martavis Bryant (10) reels in the football while being chased down by Jets cornerback Phillip Adams. in Steeler territory.

Vick made quick work after the turnover as he found tight end Jace Amaro in the back of the end-zone for a five-yard touchdown pass to open up a 17-point lead.

The Steelers got the ball back and finally started moving down the field, but their drive would end when Roethlisberger threw his first interception of the game to Jets safety Jaiquawn Jarrett.

New York, who came into the season with only three takeaways all year, got their third turnover as Antonio Brown muffled a punt for his second fumble of the game.

The Steelers would put points on the board right before halftime. After Folk missed a 45-yard field goal, Steelers kicker Shaun Suisham was able to convert on a 53-yard field goal to cut it to a 14-point deficit.

Jarrett would get his second interception of the game early in the third quarter,

which set up Folk for a 30yard field goal, which made it 20-3 in favor of New York.

The Steelers would continue to struggle offensively, as Suisham missed an easy 23yard field goal attempt, but then came back later to hit one from 27 yards.

The Steelers would get their lone touchdown on a Martavis Bryant 80-yard touchdown catch from Roethlisberger with just 1:16 left. This made it a one possession game, 20-13, but the Steelers were unable to recover the onside kick, and the Jets ran out the clock on the game.

Roethlisberger finished 30/43 with 343 yards, one touchdown, and two picks, while Bryant had four catches for 143 yards and one touchdown.

The Steelers return to action on Monday Night Football against the Tennessee Titans Nov. 17.

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But I did what I knew I had to do. So how did I show grace to this player?

Earlier in the game there was a similar incident with the captain of the other team.

I cautioned him and that was all.

He later apologized and we shook hands at the end of the game. He realized that the card could have (and should have) been red, not yellow, but I had shown him grace by keeping him in the game rather than kicking him out altogether.

It seems that is similar to what God does in life. He doesn’t kick us out of the game because we mess up or get mad at him. Instead, he shows us grace and lets us keep playing in hopes that we will learn something more from it.

By showing grace to others on the field, I hope that the players may learn from their mistakes and be grateful to have a referee who did not kick them out of the game.

My hope is to point to the ultimate referee, our Lord Jesus Christ, who himself holds the whistle and has the power to show us all red cards deservingly. Yet his grace teaches us a greater lesson than a red card ever could.

Brains and brawn Dedication helps underdog linebacker Connor Lowe

Contributing Writer He is too strong and he is too fast. He knows every single play we run. How can we focus plays away from him?

How do we stop number 55?

That is the common discussion on the opponents’ sideline every Saturday when they take on the Grove City College Wolverine football team. Brandon Berringer, affectionately known as Berry, is a junior linebacker who has been a perennial underdog all his life. It has never slowed him down in the slightest. Berringer’s unique personality and obsessive habits have made him into who he is: one heck of a football player.

Berringer is a man of fixed routine. Every morning at 7 a.m., he wakes up to either review film or study for class.

When he is not in class he can be found either watching game film or studying. Berringer is so committed to his craft that he often has a difficult time making room in his schedule to eat. Despite devoting numerous hours of his day to football, he is able to keep a 3.79 grade point average as an electrical engineering major with a computer concentration. After class, it’s more film reviewing, a couple hours of homework, then football practice.

As coaches review film for the Wolverines’ upcoming opponents, Berringer whispers each play before they even run it. For example, he says, “whenever their guards have an off balance stance, it will be a pass. I deduced that because I assume that they have a hard time getting out of their stance and into a pass set.”

After practice Berringer goes to the trainer to ice down his many bumps and bruises. While getting iced down he reviews his Electronics 1 homework.

“I take the same approach to a football as I would to anything in life, including school: you prepare to the best of your ability and let God take care of the rest,” he

“You prepare to the best of your ability and let God take care of the rest,” explains.

Berringer’s hard work and attitude has brought him the respect and admiration of all his teammates. Teammate junior Josh Peach maintains that “when Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone, he already had three missed calls from Berry.” Be it in the classroom or on the football field, Berringer’s inspirational hard work has inspired and will continue to inspire many at Grove City College.

All of Berringer’s preparation and studying has paid dividends for him and the team throughout the season. Despite missing Week 7 against the Bethany Bison due to a neck injury, Berringer still leads the team in tackles (76) as well as forced fumbles (3). Despite being frustrated about the Wolverines less than successful season, Berringer believes thoroughly that, “You can’t point fingers at others for the mistakes going on, because if everyone is pointing fingers at everyone else nothing can get accomplished. All I can do is make sure I execute my responsibilities to the best of my ability and I encourage others to do the same.”

Making all-district or the Dean’s List are not that much different in Berringer’s mind.

“I don’t take much stock in personal accolades, I’m just worried about whether or not I’m doing the best work I can do.” The ultimate mix of Grove City College student and athlete, Berringer works extremely hard to accomplish his goals. “If you’re not going to try your hardest and put your best foot forward, then what’s the point of putting your foot forward at all, you can’t get caught up in going through the motions in life.”

The Collegian

Page 12

Nov. 14, 2014

Fate falls short

The Grove City and Thomas Moore women’s soccer teams line up their starters prior to the PAC Final on Nov. 8 at Highmark Stadium.

GROVE CITY COLLEGE

Men’s and women’s soccer teams lose to Thomas More in PAC finals Thomas Kutz Staff Writer

It was a spectacular view on the riverfront, right near The Point, where three rivers meet in Pittsburgh, Pa. On Nov. 8, the Grove City College men and women’s soccer teams each traveled to face their PAC-foe, Thomas More College, in the PAC Tournament Finals for the rights to a conference championship and an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament.

The teams went in with wide-eyed hopes, enjoying every moment in Highmark Stadium. The players and the 200-plus Grove City College students who traveled to see the games were enthusiastic and hopeful in battling the heavily-favored Saints. Both teams posted unbeaten records in conference play in the regular season.

The results were not as promising as the Wolverines had hoped, as both the men and women fell victims to single second-half decisive goals in matching 1-0 defeats. The results handed the Saints their sixth consecutive men’s soccer and fourth consecutive women’s soccer PAC Championships.

The men were first to play kicking off at noon in front of hundreds of eager fans who made the journey down to the city. The Wolverines came out with a spark of energy, evident as they earned an early corner inside the first five minutes. After a beautiful cross found the head of junior midfielder Justin Phillips, the header was blocked and sent back in the air, where it met the head of junior forward Seth Loew.

Loew’s header was goalbound before it found the outstretched arm of Thomas More’s Jake Plummer.

The problem was that Plummer was not Thomas More’s goalkeeper. Plummer was a defender and denying an obvious goal scoring opportunity by handling is a send-off offense. Eventually, the referees sorted this all out, and showed Plummer a red card, ending his day early. The Saints would play the rest of the game down a man.

The sure-goal instead left a penalty kick for Seth Loew.

Loew stepped up to take the penalty, but Thomas More keeper Matt Kees got a good jump and Loew’s attempt trickled wide left of the target. The score would remain locked up at 0-0 for the rest of the half.

Grove City College seemed to control the run of play and have the edge in possession in the half, as the Wolverines outshot the Saints 10-6.

It was a promising start for the Wolverines, despite the missed penalty early, as they held level with the Saints team who defeated them 4-1 in Crestview Hills, Ky., just a week earlier. The Wolver-

ines were right where they wanted to be, level with the favorites and playing with a one-man advantage for most of the game.

The second half began with an equally high level of intensity that the first half presented. Thomas More carried the ball down the right side of the field in the 59th minute, when senior defender Pat Jacobson launched an audacious attempt from distance.

The shot, officially from 22 yards out, was rocketed high and over the outstretched arm of diving Wolverine freshman keeper Malcom Blake before finding its way into the upper left corner of the net, giving the Saints a 1-0 advantage.

The Wolverines were far from defeated, however, as they came roaring back to find several attempts at goal.

Grove City College had 11 shots in the second half. The Wolverines had a promising look from inside of the penalty mark, but a timely block off of a Thomas More defender – this one not from a defender’s arm on the goal line – cleared the danger from the area. The Wolverines pressed the rest of the game, but they ultimately fell just short of the PAC title as time ran out on their upset hopes. The 1-0 mark held as the final result, and the Wolverines watched as the Saints hoisted their sixth consecutive PAC Men’s Soccer Championship trophy and grabbed the glory from the claws of the Wolverines, who left every ounce of energy and effort on the field.

The Wolverine women watched from above the end line as they prepared to take the field in their own championship match. The Thomas More women’s team (20-1, 9-0 PAC) had allowed just two goals all season coming into the game, and the Wolverines (9-10-2, 8-1 PAC) were their toughest PAC challenger during the season, holding the Saints to two goals in Crestview Hills, Ky. On Nov. 1, Grove City came out with a great deal of energy, showing promise in their attack early. Grove City had five shots on goal in the first half and battled the Saints if not besting them in possession for the first 45 minutes.

The game went to the halftime break level at 0-0.

The breakthrough would not come much later, though.

Just over two minutes into the second half, Thomas More’s Oliver Huber found freshman forward Julia Flagge-Echols, who slotted the ball into the left side of the net to give the Saints a 1-0 advantage. The Wolverines hoped to get back the goal, but the Saints proved too tough a task and held on to the lead. The Saints showed just why they had only given up two goals all season, not allowing a corner and holding the Wolverines

to just seven total shots, two of which came in the second half. The disciplined play of the defense combined with an exceptional play in the midfield with an explosive attack was the difference in the game for Thomas More, who captured their fourth consecutive PAC Women’s Soccer Championship with the win.

Though the men and women’s soccer teams left without any hardware in hand, they should keep their heads high because they faced a daunting task with poise and diligence. Both teams fought hard and represented their school with class and integrity. They also showed that despite the roaring crowd and trophies at stake, they were playing for an even greater

glory and an audience of one as both teams invited their opponents and victors to join them in prayer following the game.

Congratulations are in order to both the men and women’s teams on successful seasons. The season yielded matching runner-up finishes in the PAC Tournament and second-best regular season records within the PAC as well. For the men, forward Seth Loew twice earned PAC Offensive Player of the Week honors and senior defender George DeAugustino likewise was a two-time recipient of PAC Defensive Player/Goalkeeper of the Week honors. Meanwhile, junior goalkeeper Ben Weaver was named PAC Defensive Player/Goalkeeper of the week

once. For the women, freshman defender Emily Flenniken and senior goalkeeper Kristi Lathrop earned PAC Player of the Week honors.

Both teams will hope to qualify for the ECAC tournament to finish out their seasons. Congratulations and best of luck are in order to seniors George DeAugustino, Jordan Carmichael, Kyle Richert, Mike Shupp, and Jonathan Rothgeb for the men’s team, as well as to seniors Kristi Lathrop, Molly Weitzel, Sarah Flenniken, Holly Spofford, Micah Richardson, and Julie Eckendorf on the women’s side. Both the men and women’s team hope to make another run at the PAC Championship when they return to the field in the Fall 2015 season.