The Collegian – Oct. 30, 2020

Still a mystery...

Vote vote vote!

COMMUNITY

PERSPECTIVES

A peek into the Penn-Grove Hotel

The

@Collegian_GCC @gcc.collegian The Collegian: The GCC Newspaper Friday, October 30, 2020

Running to win

Alum campaigns for congressional seat

Students state cases for their candidate

NEWS

Collegian The Award-Winning Grove City College Student Newspaper

Vol. 106, No. 8

Trump 66.94%

Biden 18.55% Other 7.74%

Jorgenson 6.13%

Hawkins 0.65%

Is anyone surprised?

Poll shows campus prefers Trump

Gabrielle Capaldo Staff Writer

Nearly 67 percent of Grove City College students are supporting Republican Donald Trump in this year’s presidential race, according to a poll conducted by The Collegian.

The survey also showed that almost 19 percent of students back Biden and 14 percent say they’re backing Libertarian, Green or some other candidate.

According to Dr. Michael Coulter ’91, chair and professor of political science, anyone outside of Grove City would find this shocking. “If anyone thought that Grove City College was representative of college students nationally, this would be

evidence to the contrary,” he said.

Most colleges have the complete opposite data, according to an August 2020 survey conducted by the Knight Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to quality journalism. Based on 4,000 undergraduates, the Knight Foundation found that 70 percent of students are voting Biden, 10 percent are voting Trump and 20 percent are voting independent.

Out of the college’s 2,300 students, 620 students responded to the survey.

The survey is likely an accurate reflection of the conservative campus. Dr. David Ayers, professor of sociology, said the sample size is sufficient for an accurate poll of the campus. “A properly

GCC graduates to new programs David Zimmermann News Editor

Beginning fall 2021, classes will start for the college’s first two graduate level programs, a Master of Science in Business Analytics and a Master of Engineering in Systems Engineering & Technology Management.

Both master’s degrees are 30 credit hour programs, which can be completed in as little as 12 months. The standard tuition for both degrees is $950 per credit hour, totaling to about $28,500 per grad student.

Professor of computer science Dr. Lory J. Al Moakar said, “Just like our undergraduate programs prepare students for a successful career with many open doors

and opportunities, I believe the grad programs will equip students with advanced skills that would allow them to not only excel but also to be leaders in their field.”

Al Moakar will be involved in both master’s programs as she teaches business analysis and engineering students the data management.

“The beautiful thing about these programs is that they are interdisciplinary in nature, so students will have the opportunity to learn and work with faculty across departments with different backgrounds and experiences,” she said.

Business Analytics will be 100 percent online, while GRAD 3

sampled 1,000 is common for national studies,” Ayers said, “so 620 is fine.”

The survey showed that 29 percent of students claim they vote based on party and 71 percent vote based on candidate. Coulter has his doubts.

“Many people may say they are voting based on candidate and not party, but political scientists tend to think that someone’s party identification is a lens through which we view candidates,” Coulter said. “Nearly everyone who identifies with a particular party, votes for the presidential candidate of that party.”

Junior Gabrielle Hickly is an example of this idea. She

HOW DO YOU VOTE?

By Candidate 71.13%

By Party 28.87%

DID YOU VOTE IN 2016?

Yes 9.68%

No 90.32%

POLL 5

Spring schedule shifts Clark Mummau Perspectives Editor

The college announced the spring semester’s schedule Oct. 20. It featured some changes from normal years, and Provost Peter M. Frank ’95 said, “The health and safety of our community continues to guide our decisions as we plan for the spring semester,” in the email.

Classes will begin in-person on Jan. 25. In the coming weeks, the college will be announcing a phased movein process similar to the fall move-in.

There will not be a break until Easter in order to help protect students from contracting COVID-19 in order to mitigate “the risk associated with student departure and return in the flu season,” Frank said.

The break begins on Mar. 27 and evening classes will begin on Apr. 5, with all classes starting the next day.

Classes will end normally on May 11, after finals beginning May 6.

Family Weekend is also scheduled to occur from Apr. 30 to May 2, and Baccalaureate and Commencement are scheduled in-person for May 14 and 15. These events could not occur last semester due to being sent home.

Because this change was announced Oct. 21 and is different than previous years, many groups and individuals are now unsure of how things will look.

Athletics Director Todd Gibson ’02 said basketball and swimming are still planning on returning right after Christmas to start their practices, and much long-dis-

tance travel for NCAA Division III is unlikely depending on the COVID-19 situation.

“All details for all sports (fall, winter and spring) are still being worked out. We will be competing in literally every sport that we have this spring semester, so as you can imagine, the amount of details required to be worked out are immense. Scheduling transportation, officiating crews, facility availability and required NCAA COVID testing are among the trickiest challenges this spring,” Gibson said.

Many student athletes are anxious to start practicing and competing.

“We can’t wait to play a full season together since we didn’t get to last year,” sophomore lacrosse player Brock SCHEDULE 3

Editorial

Page 2

The award-winning Grove City College student newspaper, Oct. 30, 2020

From the Tower

Honorable mentions

Instead of endorsing candidates in the presidential election, the editorial staff of The Collegian would like to name some honorable mentions – candidates who, in the staff’s humble opinion, had a real shot at winning this year.

The first of our honorable mentions is Grove City’s own Kitty Purry. Her small-town experience and assertive personality make her a true advocate for middle-class America.

Her mission is to provide Grove City a rodent-free campus and furry comfort.

Grovers may think she is missing, but the feline candidate is actually campaigning for this year’s election. She’ll be a been a shoo-in for the popular vote.

We also suggest the wolverine statue as a solid commander-in-chief. A stoic figure standing guard at the PLC, the wolverine statue has boosted morale and served as a role model for mask-wearing.

Dipping into fiction, our next honorable mention is Pedro—of “Napoleon Dynamite” fame—for his charisma and ability to inspire voters, years after his premiere on the silver screen. A unifying force, people of all races, genders and political affiliations can be found sporting “Vote for Pedro” T-shirts and planting his yard signs for all to view.

Appealing to traditional conservative values and Grove City College staples, we would also like to nominate one former president, Ronald Reagan, Christian scholar C.S. Lewis and Austrian-economic powerhouse Ludwig von Mises.

These men, although deceased and technically ineligible for the Oval Office, would all bring something to the table.

Reagan, a seasoned veteran, would dazzle us with his Hollywood smile and affinity for horses. Forty years after his first presidential election, Reagan is still bringing in the votes. Maryland Governor Larry Hogan wrote in the 40th president on his 2020 ballot.

Lewis, an erudite voice and man of pronounced Christian values, would be a clarifying voice in the midst of the pandemic, as evidenced in his sermon “Learning in Wartime.”

Perhaps his strong affiliation with Aslan would inspire confidence and instill a returned reverence to our lost nation.

Mises, whose papers are entrusted at the college, would apply his scholarship to 21st century America. Knowing very little about the specifics of his work related to Austrian economics, we editors can only assume that Mises would aid the hurting economy in some way.

Television screenwriter Shonda Rhimes, known for her work on TV shows such as “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Scandal,” would make a great first female president. Rather than engaging in conventional politics, she can write out the next four years of her term.

To round out our honorable mentions, we’d like to recognize the 2017-18 Grove City College football team who broke the three-year losing streak in that fateful night game. If anyone can turn 2020 around, it’s them. We recognize the presidency is one person and not a team, so we suggest that they fulfil all positions in the executive branch.

This list is not exhaustive, but the staff believes these honorable mentions should be considered for the role of the 46th U.S. President.

Collegian Staff Editor-in-Chief Paige Fay

Copy Chief Britney Lukasiewicz

Managing Editor Anna DiStefano

Business Manager Kathryn Miller

Section Editors News David Zimmermann

Copy Editors Jessica Hardman Ashley Ostrowski Claire Josey Lauren Ness Kylie Jasper Joanna Thorpe Elizabeth Schinkel

Community Fiona Lacey Perspectives Clark Mummau Sports Emily Rupczewski Photo Chief Wes Kinney Design Chief Caleb West

When the good leaves Fiona Lacey

Community Editor I can’t express how much I miss the things in my life that go away.

A good job, a wonderful friend, a beautiful vacationanything that kept you going in life, but never realized it until it was gone.

This happens to most.

Politics and health scares aside, the mundane everyday things, like loss and leaving, continue still.

Underneath the not-sosubtle headlines telling us that the world is going to end, best friends are moving away, family pets are passing away and employees are losing their jobs.

I hate this occurrence and the feeling it brings with it.

When the time comes for us to let go of something, what is there to do but wish for the world to stop?

The day I left to go to college, I sat down on the couch, devastated not for what was about to come, but what I was about to leave- my childhood, my relationships, my comfort. “If only I had appreciated this more,” I thought.

But I look back on that

moment now with a smile.

Of course I appreciated my childhood, relationships and those comfortable things in life. If I had “appreciated” it more, my childhood wouldn’t have been a childhood but a desperate attempt to remember everything, all because it was all going to go away someday.

No, I did appreciate these things, and further, because I did, do I have to be so sorrowful when I depart from them? Only a little.

Life is lived in every bit it comes to you. We have, in fact, done our part already when we encounter the good in life.

We have been around it, experienced it and are, sadly, called out of it sometimes.

This could be a wonderful friendship that lost touch, a two-minute breath-taking view somewhere off a road, a beautiful art exhibit you spent the day at or an amazing connection with someone who has passed away. These are all bits of heaven- snapshots of the life we’ll live someday. And thus, explains why we yearn so much when they depart from us. Its these “unsatisfiable desires” on which C.S. Lewis proves the existence of Heaven.

It’s a sad day when the good leaves. My sister, my

Dates, war and outdoors October 18, 1920 “Date Night at the Colonial” Many of us like to complain about the intervisitation rules, but hey—at least you don’t need two chaperones for date night anymore!

Green Eyeshade Award This week’s Green Eyeshade Award goes to Sports Editor Emily Rupczewski for proactive design, editorial tenacity and manning the aux cord.

Rupczewski

debt and opening American harbors to British ships.

Many believed that without these measures, Great Britain would lose her hold in the Mediterranean Sea, where the Axis had begun to make major moves (especially in the area of the Balkans). The main upthrust of the debate, however, concerned the commitment of the US to her present neutrality.

Many supported the idea of sending aid to England, but many others feared, and rightly so, that such action would drag America into a foreign war she had no desire to join.

October 31, 1980 “Do It Outdoors”

Staff Adviser Nick Hildebrand

the

best friend and, in my opinion, one of the best versions of “good” I’ve ever experienced, just got married.

Though it’s an overwhelmingly happy thing, I now have less of something good. And I have to be okay with this, because I know more good will come.

We have to be okay with departing, knowing that we lived those moments to the fullest. Knowing we experienced a good thing ensures that we appreciated it. When something is about to leave my life, its my job not to regret my “lack of valuing it” but remembering the moments when I did.

When I look at it now, my pre-college existential questioning couldn’t have been more off, because of the wonderful memories and good times I constantly thought of during my first month of being homesick. The very people and things that “I never truly appreciated.”

Whether we realize it in the moment or not, I think we all truly appreciate life, and it cannot be re-appreciated in a moment of crisis one has after the fact. The art of appreciation is pretty simple. Live your life, because the good will come, and it also will leave. But you are the better for it.

This week in Collegian history

Staff Writers Scott Amon Noel Elvin Connor Schlosser Gabrielle Capaldo Jules Wooldridge Ayden Gutierrez

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

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

LETTERS TO THE EXILES

October 23, 1940 “Aid to England; Plans Presented By the Intercollegiate Washington Press” Up for Congressional debate was the hotbutton issue of whether America ought to send aid to England, then in the throes of the Second World War. Propositions include modification of the Johnson Act (which prohibited loans to debtor nations, which applied to Britain as she at the time owed the US a whopping 4.3 billion dollars of World War I debt), permitting the sale of British war bonds in America, the general scaling down of Britain’s war

Did you know that one of the oldest standing groups on campus is our very own Outing Club? This 1980 article describes “one of the most unique organizations here on campus,” which is an entirely student-run organization dedicated to the outdoors. The club was founded in the 1940s by the college’s chaplain of the time, Dr. Case, who helped along with the club’s alumni to build their cabin, situated on the outskirts of Grove City, which is the setting for a great deal of their events. If a group of this nature sounds appealing to you, rest assured, the group is still active today.

Jules Wooldridge Staff Writer

News The Collegian,

Oct. 30, 2020

Page 3

Pittsburgh perseverance GCC alum runs for congressional seat

Sam Branthoover Contributing Writer

Luke Negron ’16 is no ordinary Grove City alum.

Just four years after graduation, Negron undertook the task of campaigning in a congressional election. But with this task comes more hurdles, such as his opponent, Mike Boyle, being an incumbent Democrat, in a district that includes Pittsburgh.

In past contested elections, Doyle won with 77 percent and 74 percent of the vote (2012 and 2018, respectively). Despite these strong figures, Negron remains confident and cites 2018 redistricting as a game changer.

“PA-18, in the past, essentially revolved around the city of Pittsburgh,” Negron said, “which, no surprise there, was dominated by Democrats.”

He explains that with new additions to the district such as South Hills, Plum and Elizabeth (among others), the district will likely lean much more conservative.

“This gives me a real shot for an awesome, dark horse, upset victory,” he said.

But this is not the only reasoning the alumnus cites in support of a possible victory.

It is no surprise that the last few years have been polarizing in terms of American politics, and PA-18 is no exception.

According to Negron, the center-left voters of Pennsylvania and unions that have historically leaned left (both being the traditional heart

TWITTER: @LUKEEDISON20

Luke Negron ’16 campaigns locally for a congressional seat in the federal government. and soul of the Democratic Party, he said) are increasingly supporting him and President Trump because of perceived radicalization of Democratic policies.

Such policies include defunding of police, restricted rights to firearms and limitations on local job development to agendas like the Green New Deal.

“Mike Doyle is a supporter of the Green New Deal. Joe Biden is an outspoken supporter of the Green New Deal, and these are things that local Democrats can’t sign off

on,” Negron said. “I’ve got local Democrat mayors, local Democrat committeemen and many local Democrat voters who come and say that stuff to me weekly, and who work closely with me.”

In recent news, a lawsuit filed jointly by Negron and candidate Sean Parnell ended on Oct. 26 after an agreement was reached between the aforementioned parties and Allegheny County. The lawsuit was regarding defective ballots that were sent out prior, with Parnell and Negron desiring a biparti-

In case of emergency Alex Anderson Contributing Writer

Because of the enormity of college loans, it might seem wise for students to use all the money they can get to pay for student loans as much as possible. However, it is more important for students to keep some money on-hand. This on-hand money should be placed in what is called an emergency fund. Maintaining an emergency fund should be your utmost financial priority.

What is an emergency fund? In the article, “A Quick Guide to Your Emergency Fund,” written by Ramsey personality Rachel Cruze, “An emergency fund is simply money you’ve set aside for life’s unexpected events.” As its name implies, the purpose of an emergency fund is to pay for one thing: an emergency. According to Cruze, an emergency is a monetary transaction that is unexpected, necessary and urgent.

Maintaining an emergency fund is so important that not having an emergency fund could constitute an emergency. Any number of unexpected events, from thefts to broken computers to hospitalizations, all require available funds to fix.

In the article, “Do College Students Really Need Emergency Funds Too?” Robert Farrington argues that having an emergency fund

reduces stress and helps you avoid more debt when encountering emergencies.

Farrington also notes that creating an emergency fund can motivate you to take more responsibility for your financial situation. You are a legally responsible adult, so you cannot rely on your family to bail you out of unforeseen financial difficulties.

How much should college students have in their emergency fund? Cruze suggests that maintaining $1,000 in your emergency fund is enough to pay for any emergency expenses that insurance does not cover.

It is important that the money in your emergency fund is protected and readily available. This means that your emergency fund should not be holed up inaccessibly in a retirement account, nor should it remain completely liquidated as cash-on-hand (which can be stolen or lost). Instead, Rachel Cruze recommends placing your money in a savings account (which is government-insured) or a money market account (which, although not government-insured, pays you a slightly better interest rate).

Both types of accounts are available at your local bank.

According to Edward Koch and Debra Johnson in their book “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Investing,” these accounts make your emergency fund secure and avail-

able within a day (and can even generate a little interest on the side).

Be sure to place your emergency fund money in a savings or money market account that is separate from all other accounts. Doing so, according to Farrington, will prevent you from using up your emergency fund on unnecessary purchases or regular expenses.

If you do not yet have $1,000 on-hand to place in your emergency fund, make saving up for one your current financial priority. Having an emergency fund is even more important than paying off a little more of your student loans, since having an emergency fund prevents you from garnering more debt and stress when you encounter emergencies.

The easiest way to get money for an emergency fund is to get a part-time job on-campus. Once you have a steady stream of income, Cruze and Farrington recommend setting a monthly savings goal and depositing your income directly into your emergency fund account until you have $1,000 in that account.

As a college student, you should set aside at least $1,000 in an emergency fund so that you can pay for emergency expenses. Doing so will bring you peace, assurance and protection in the face of life’s emergencies.

san group of poll-watchers to ensure said ballots were not counted along with their replacement ballots.

The agreement included the poll-watchers and settled the issue for now, but the possibility of a breach in election integrity is still a concern to Negron.

Negron commented on this in a hopeful tone.

“I do have concerns, but I have faith not only in our local citizens, who are going to be doing their absolute best to make sure that everybody acts with integrity. But I also

GRAD

continued from 1 Systems Engineering & Technology Management will have most of its classes on campus.

Full-time and part-time track options are available for both.

Sophomore business analysis major Matthew Williams is excited for the advanced Business Analytics degree. “As we strengthen our offerings within the business program through additions like this one, it has the potential to benefit students in a variety of business majors,” he said.

Interested in entering the workforce after graduation, senior mechanical engineering major Zachary Pe-

SCHEDULE

continued from 1

Simmons said. “Since we have been on campus this semester, we have been trying to make the most of our practices, get as good as we can and grow closer together.”

Unfortunately for lacrosse players like Simmons, “It is yet to be announced as to whether or not baseball, softball and lacrosse will be limited to PAC only competition or not. If that is the case (which, at this point, it is for all other sports), their schedules will be greatly impacted,” Gibson said.

Music students are also unsure of how the spring semester will look for them.

Dr. Jeffrey Tedford ’00 is in the process of figuring out the concert schedule and how the orchestra will have

have faith in the direction of the Lord that we’re doing the best we can, and what’s meant to happen will happen.”

Though his time at Grove City ended several years ago, Negron has not forgotten the fond memories and has maintained his connections to campus. Negron was a political science major (“surprise surprise,” he joked), with minors in communication studies and national security.

In recalling his time at Grove City, he had nothing but kind words for many professors such as Dr. Paul Kengor, Dr. Andrew Mitchell, Dr. Michael Coulter ’91 and the rest of the History and Political Science departments.

However, some professors are more than just memories to Negron.

“Kengor and I are good friends. We stay close. He’s been something of an advisor to me throughout this process; he’s helped me get plugged in with some great individuals and influencers.

And Coulter is a good friend, he’s someone who also advised me early on in the campaign,” he said.

Negron further cited Dr. Samuel Stanton as having a large influence on his foreign policy positions and promoted the college’s HUMA core as a means of gaining valuable understandings of faith and history.

“I look back at those days and smile, even though there were mornings I woke up and wished I didn’t have to go to HUMA 101,” he said. terman would consider the college’s new Engineering degree.

“I think that a grad program will be great for the school and allow for a lot more opportunities and options for students, building on an already great undergrad program for mechanical engineering,” Peterman said.

While the implementation of the Business Analytics and Systems Engineering & Technology Management degrees is a recently new addition, Al Moakar said that this may just be the beginning of the college’s online graduate programs.

“I foresee that the college will offer more graduate degrees in the future across different majors and departments,” she said. enough time to learn their music.

Katelyn Dauer’s senior recital was planned for Mar. 27, but that now has been changed to Mar. 13 because of the break changes.

“It just took me by surprise when I saw the dates for Easter break. I was worried about the music department’s schedule and if there would be another date that worked for everyone involved. It is just stressful not knowing what is going to happen next semester,” Dauer said.

While the college has released a plan, many details of how groups will adapt to the schedule have yet to be figured out. With less than four weeks left on campus this semester, the new schedule promptly approaches.

Community The Collegian, Oct. 30, 2020

Page 4

Mystery of Penn-Grove Investigating Grove City’s iconic landmark Fiona Lacey

Community Editor

Matthew Lamberson Contributing Writer

Off Pine Street in Downtown Grove City, there’s an abandoned-looking building called Penn-Grove Hotel.

With its ivy-covered bricks and lack of upkeep, most have assumed the PennGrove Hotel to be shut down.

Though this is not the case, very little information can be found on its status.

“There’s not much I can share on the Penn-Grove Hotel,” Beth Black, Director of the Grove City Borough said. “It is privately owned, and the owner has always been very private with information.”

A Grove City family by the name of Shannon has owned the hotel since 1975. Their son, Stewart, runs the place now. And the status is still unclear, even to him.

“I don’t know what I’m gonna do with the place,” Shannon said. “I was hoping the economy would pick up.”

Though the building is listed as a retirement community, Shannon no longer houses senior citizens.

Shannon’s facility, which closed down as the official Penn-Grove Hotel in 2008, now rents out limited apartment space.

“Four people are living here, and have been for a couple years,” Shannon said.

The rest of the old hotel rooms remain unused.

With its boarded-up look to it now, it’s hard to imagine it as the lofty first-class hotel it once was.

Before its shutdown in 2008, Penn-Grove Hotel had been a flourishing downtown hub since its grand opening in 1924.

Marketed for its resort-

FIONA LACEY

Once the hub of downton Grove City, the Penn-Grove Hotel overlooks Pine Street. Today, the ivy-covered hotel leaves many passersby with questions of its interior and history. like atmosphere, the hotel was known for its banquets.

According to the Grove City Historical Society, it “became the social center of Grove City.”

“Oh yeah it was a big deal,” Shannon said. “Back when the interstate highway was the railroad tracks.”

The main tracks running through Grove City brought its attraction. Prior to the building of the interstate highway, the Premium Outlets and Grove City College, Penn-Grove Hotel received any and all attraction in Grove City.

Now, after decades of vitality, the building stands empty and barely used, with most people not knowing its grand history.

“Times change. There’s nothing you can do about it,” Shannon said.

Shannon, though, seems hesitant in his motivation.

According to Black, several have approached the owner of Penn-Grove in hopes of buying it out, but never heard back.

“There have been interested parties who have tried to purchase it over years to turn it back into a functioning hotel,” Black said. “But Mr. Shannon was never interested in selling.”

Black added that when he did negotiate, Shannon only offered very high dollar amounts. “No one was interested in entertaining [that],” Black said.

“For now, I’m just seeing

The Penn-Grove hotel as advertised in a postcard during the height of its popularity. what happens,” Shannon said. Though Shannon mentioned the pandemic as his cause for hesitation, he noted that he had no plans for ren-

ovation or selling before the outbreak either.

“We’ll see what happens after this pandemic,” Shannon said.

Buhl tackles COVID changes Scott Amon Staff Writer

Albert Einstein once said, “The only thing that you absolutely have to know is the location of the library.”

But, back in late March, the problem was not knowing where Henry Buhl Library was but how to access its resources.

Students still had papers to research and write from home, while the faculty had to cope with more limited resources. The staff at Buhl Library have handled the constantly changing COVID-19 procedures and continue to do so.

While most students were unable to access physical library books from March until May, the Buhl staff remained busy.

“The library remained open Monday–Friday every day from March through the end of finals,” Kim Marks, assistant director of the Henry Buhl Library, said.

The library continued to serve its students and the faculty by creating virtual newsletters that highlighted vir-

tual resources. Additionally, Marks shared, the librarians answered over 200 questions from students through email.

Now that students are back on campus, Buhl continues to adapt its procedures to provide resources to students, while minimizing the spread of germs. Students who frequent the library–typically eager freshmen and stressed out seniors–will doubtlessly notice the rearranged furniture, which creates more distance between students, according to Megan Babal, public service and outreach librarian. Student workers are an important part of the cleaning process too, Barbara Munnell, director of library services, said.

“The library’s wonderful and dedicated cleaning associates work hard to clean and disinfect all areas of the library daily in addition to routine cleaning,” Munnell said.

Library materials are also quarantined before returning to shelves.

“All returned materials are quarantined for 72 hours before reshelving,” Babal said.

The quarantine is “based on studies showing how long the virus remains on different types of materials.”

But these precautions have some consequences, like the cancellation of the Annual Book Sale.

“Because of the need to social distance, we decided […] to cancel our largest event this year, our annual book sale,” Babal said Many students, faculty and nearby residents look forward to browsing through the various books each year.

The book sale will return soon.

“We look forward to having it as soon as it is safe to do so,” Babal said.

The fast-paced changes of COVID-19 procedures were challenging for the staff to keep up with.

“Communicating new procedures and subsequent changes quickly to all staff members proved to be challenging at times,” Munnell said.

COVID-19 is causing everyone to think more creatively, for example, technology use increased with

student TEAMS meeting and providing other online resources.

“When you can’t do things the way you’ve done them before, you have to make a change and I think COVID-19 has pushed everyone to make changes,” Marks said.

A familiar challenge faces the campus in November. In a little over a month, Thanksgiving break begins, and classes move online. Unless you are trying to graduate summa cum laude, you are probably procrastinating a few papers. Do not fret, Buhl is here to help.

“Just like last spring, we will be here even when students are at home, ready and able to answer questions and making sure the digital resources you need are running smoothly,” Marks said.

March through May was a test run for the Buhl Staff.

Now procedures are in place to assist students online.

Marks reminds students that they can check books out before Thanksgiving break and keep them until the spring semester.

“Students can also bor-

row materials over the break to help them complete any late semester assignments,” Marks said.

Though the TLC can help students online with technical difficulties, students should make sure they have the library VPN already installed on their computers.

“Students are encouraged to make sure the library VPN is loaded on their computers and activated when using library resources from home,” Babal said. If you need to type in a username or password when accessing a website, then your VPN is not active.

The Buhl Library continues to be a model for obeying campus regulations while creating opportunities to connect with the community.

The Buhl Staff want to particularly thank the student workers, “They deserve a huge shoutout and a heartfelt thank you from librarians for their handwork,” Babal said.

The Collegian, Oct. 30, 2020

Page 5

There’s room in the inn

7 Questions with…

Fiona Lacey

Community Editor Oct. 21 marked the first round of COVID-exposed students released from quarantine at the Holiday Inn. Due to an unexpected influx of quarantined students, Student Life and Learning officials faced the problem of limited campus quarantine space, which lead them to purchase the entire third floor of rooms at the Holiday Inn located near the Grove City Premium Outlets.

Newly exposed students are now sent to the Holiday Inn, instead of moving their things to the extra rooms in MEP or MAP. Though annoying, it’s apparently not the worst thing in the world to be quarantined, according to several quarantined students: Logan Fuss, Tirzah Llyod and Katherine Goetz – all of whom tested negative.

“It’s okay,” Lloyd said. “It’s not that bad. We get meals dropped off at our door and time outside.”

Lloyd, Fuss and her roommate, Goetz were interviewed during their “yard time.”

“My roommate and I had a dance party and watched a movie last night,” Fuss said.

Junior and second-time quarantine-er, Alejandra Flores, enjoyed being at Holiday Inn, mostly because it wasn’t the windowless basement of MAP. “The only annoying thing was having to eat whatever they gave us for meals,”

FIONA LACEY

Sophomore Logan Fuss, junior Tirzah Lloyd and freshman Katherine Goetz enjoy their yard time while quarantining at the Holiday Inn. All three students tested negative for COVID-19 after their contact with a confirmed case.

Flores said.

While being hosted at the Holiday Inn, students are not allowed to go to the lobby downstairs, leave their room or leave the premises of the hotel, except between the times of 1-3 p.m.

Some use their “yard time” to jog and workout, while others sit sprawled on the lawn talking to other quarantine-ers.

“I’m getting a little stircrazy,” Lloyd said. “I’m an athlete, so I feel like I’m not moving enough.”

Fuss, Lloyd and Goetz are all student athletes involved in soccer, basketball and swimming.

The three tried their best to keep active, even though restrictions limit them.

These student athletes are

now back on campus, happy to be active once again. But they don’t look back on their quarantine time as being completely awful.

“It wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be,” Fuss said. “It did feel like a prison, but I had a lot of fun.

I was rooming with a friend and we made the most of an unwanted situation.”

Fuss and her roommate even received noise complaints from the staff.

Most who stayed at the Holiday Inn look forward to being outside and seeing their neighbors. Some like to explore the grounds or exercise.

Vice President of Student Life and Learning, Larry Hardesty, says the college’s interactions with the staff at

Holiday Inn have been nothing but extremely helpful and professional.

“Staci, the general manager, has been nothing but attentive to the needs of the students,” Hardesty said.

“She has been so helpful and cooperative.”

In their effort to help quarantined students have the best experience possible, Hardesty would like to thank the countless hours put in by Athletics Coach Cathy Jacobs and Resident Director Katie Olmkes.

Hardesty also appreciates the cooperation of students who are going into quarantine and sees their effort playing a big part in limiting the spread of COVID-19.

“They are champions,” Hardesty said.

Collage, Coffaro’s and corona Clark Mummau Perspectives Editor

The COVID-19 outbreak hasn’t been easy for anyone, but local restaurants have had to deal with an especially large part of the regulations and changes.

“I think it’s really important to support local businesses during this time because many are struggling financially, and many are, or have been, forced to shut down. It’s important for them to stay open so we can keep our family-run businesses,” junior Olivia Kane said.

The Broad Street Grille was one of many businesses that decided to shut down.

The restaurant began offering delivery options, and then closed shortly after. On their website they have written that they are hoping to

POLL

continued from 1

states that she does not like President Donald Trump as a person but supports the Republican Party. “I am extremely pro-life and want to keep the anti-abortion things going,” she said.

On the other hand, some students truly are voting based on candidate. Senior Caroline Wehmeyer, a selfproclaimed conservative, states she is voting for Biden this election.

“The candidate and what he stands for is more impor-

open again when things return to normal.

“As you know, the constant changing regulations for the restaurant industry have been difficult to navigate.

The most recent restrictions have made it even more difficult. It is with great regret that we have chosen to close our doors for the time-being,” a notice on the Broad Street Grille website said.

In an effort to avoid temporarily closing, quickly finalized their online menu in order to cope with the changing business environment.

And despite all the hectic changes, Collage is on track for their most profitable year yet, co-owner Emily Funte said.

“Pandemic or not, this is a service we planned to offer but never prioritized until COVID,” she said.

“Additionally, we created

a bean subscription service during this time. Customers choose how much and how often they would like to receive whole bean coffee, and we ship it or deliver it to their doorstep. Again, innovation made necessary for this season,” Funte continued.

Coffaro’s Pizza also saw an increase in sales due to their delivery business, owner Clay Kolonowski said. However, as students came back to both Grove City College and Slippery Rock University this fall, their sales did not match previous years.

“We’re down a little bit from last year. I attribute a lot of it to them [students] not leaving campus,” Kolonowski said.

The changing market situation has also affected the availability of ingredients.

Kolonowski noted that pepperoni was rationed for a

time, and the price of cheese increased substantially.

On behalf of Collage, Funte said, “We are thankful to have patrons be able to sit in our space again. Coffee is a relational experience, and we want to foster that and are so excited to see it happening in our community in a safe, healthy way.”

While businesses continue to hope that circumstances will soon improve, they have learned to creatively adapt to the shifting landscape of business management during these odd times.

“2020 has been quite a year, but miraculously we made it through and are stronger than ever,” Funte said. “We are grateful for the outpouring of support we felt from every single person who honored us with an order during the strictest stretch of COVID.”

tant to me than his political party,” she said. “I chose to vote against my usual party in this election because my party didn’t present a candidate with values that align with my conscience.”

Junior Libby Krieger also voted based on candidate saying, “I voted for Trump not simply because he was the Republican candidate but because I believe he is best suited to defend conservative values and foster economic growth after the coronavirus lockdowns.”

Although Grove City is majority conservative, there are

students who do not identify as Republican on campus.

Senior Matthew Fuguet is a registered independent and has always planned to vote for Biden this election.

“I voted Biden because I don’t believe Trump’s policies justify tolerating his personality. I don’t want Trump to be the face of America or the face of Christians, as many of my non-Christian friends see him,” Fuguet said.

A similar Collegian poll in 2016 found 52.33 percent of students backing Trump in his first run for the presi-

dency, with Democrat Hillary Clinton drawing 13.62 percent, and other and not voting taking the rest. The difference this year seems to be that fewer people are now voting third party and more people are taking a side.

According to Ayers, this exemplifies our current political climate.

“We are horribly divided,” he said. “Violent talk is everywhere; cities are in turmoil. Dysfunctional politics reflect a dysfunctional culture, and no election will fix that.”

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Dr. Shawn Ritenour Professor of Economics What do you listen to on your ride home?

This semester I have been listening to opera: Mozart – Marriage of Figaro and The Magic Flute; Rossini – The Barber of Seville; Beethoven – Fidelio; Excerpts from Wager and a compilation album with Italian arias

by Anna Moffo.

What are you currently reading?

Too many things: “Cynical Theories” by Helen Pluckrose and James Lindsay; “Christian Worldview” by Herman Bavink; “Thoughts on Religious Experience”

by Archibald Alexander; and “Civilization and Capitalism 15th18th Century, Vol. 1: The Structures of Everyday Life” by Fernand Braudel.

What’s something you’ve been pondering lately?

How easy it is for people to respond to social problems by barking up the wrong tree (i.e. focusing on the wrong thing in a way that will not provide any real solution).

Favorite restaurant right now?

Main Street Diner Name the one movie that makes you tear up.

I don’t know. Rumor has it that I teared up at the end of “A Little Romance” directed by George Roy Hill, but I’m not sure I believe it.

What are you looking forward to today?

Eating dinner with my family.

What is this rumored recipe of flourless chocolate cake that you have?

It is probably too long to include here but it is the “Ultimate Flourless Chocolate Cake” March / April 1998 issue of Cook’s Illustrated magazine and included in several of their cookbooks.

It has only three ingredients: 1 pound of semi-sweet chocolate, ½ pound of butter, and 8 eggs.

Through the lens,

Oct. 30, 2020

Page 6

Gourd-geous This year has not been all it was carved out to be.

The leaves begin to lose their luster as the campus falls into colder weather. As Grove City prepares for Halloween, bright pumpkins pop up as splashes of color amid a dying autumn season. The idea of “Jack-o-Lanterns” originated from an old Irish folk story by the name “Stingy Jack.” As the story goes, Jack wanted to get away with a free drink, so he tricked the Devil into paying for his bar tab.

Thus, he was cursed to roam the earth with only a burning ember to light his way. Nowadays, many families carve pumpkins as a way to ward off Mr. Jack as he wanders...or maybe they just carve them for fun! Legend has it on campus that the lights placed within the gourds may light the way for Kitty Purry to return to our beloved arms.

Through the lens,

Oct. 30, 2020

Page 7

Photos and text by Wes Kinney

The Collegian,

Oct. 30, 2020

Page 8

Opening the hours all week Noel Elvin Staff Writer

Many engaged couples were caught off guard in March when COVID-19 threw a major curveball into their wedding plans.

Large gatherings were called to a sudden halt, making weddings seem like a completely unrealistic concept. A few seniors experienced this firsthand.

Senior Matthew Bennett proposed to senior Kaitlyn (Butts) Bennett in August 2019 when they began planning their wedding for the following June.

Initially the ceremony and reception were intended to take place at Rolling Hill Farms, a venue in North Carolina, Kaitlyn’s home state.

With a guest list of 230 people, they anticipated having 200 guests attend.

Those 200 guests were cut to 37 as the COVID-19 pandemic became more severe and rules and regulations persisted in North Carolina.

The two months prior to the wedding were full of uncertainties with new rules and regulations coming and going every few weeks. It wasn’t until two weeks prior that the wedding was solidified.

Now a guestlist of 37, the wedding was held in Kaitlyn’s backyard, but the overall theme remained the same: colors, music, decorations, but most importantly their wedding party and family.

While some may see this drastic change as a disappointment, Kaitlyn and Mat-

MATTHEW BENNETT

Seniors Matthew and Kaitlyn (Butts) Bennett married this summer in North Carolina. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, their June wedding looked drastically different than the one they had orginially planned, staying small with close friends and family. thew saw it as a blessing. ception, and having volley- stories for around 2 hours With such a small guestlist ball and spike ball games, a and the dinner lingered on they were able to create a brunch, the rehearsal dinner, for a while. wedding weekend. and, of course, a wedding When comparing their The bridesmaids stayed ceremony in between. wedding to more standard at Kaitlyn’s house with her Matthew explained how weddings they realized how for the weekend while the the rehearsal dinner was his grateful they are for their groomsmen stayed next door favorite part of the weekend small wedding because of with Matthew for the week- saying, “The entire group the deep conversations they end. that was going to be at the were able to have with all the Kaitlyn described the wedding was present and we people there. weekend as having “a natu- got to just spend the whole “We were…with the peoral, relaxed pace.” The week- evening together and talk ple and having such rich end was full of events start- and hear stories shared.” conversations the whole ing with a bachelorette party, Kaitlyn continued explain- afternoon and evening. It ending with a wedding re- ing how their friends told [was] really special,” Kai-

Collegian Crossword Across 2. new womens varsity sport 3. Collegian data collection method 6. holiday the week of spring break 2021 8. Collegian historian 9. world series losers 11. 1920 republican nominee 12. 1920 democratic nominee 13. both a political party and a color 14. representative for Pa.’s 16th congressional district 15. convocations typically have this kind of chapel credit 17. 2020 republican nominee 20. percent of Grovers voting for Trump 22. mysterious hotel 25. number of days left in October 26. scannable code 27. this week’s issue number 29. world series champs

Down 1. tomorrow’s holiday 4. Collegian’s Community editor 5. ACB’s new title 7. libertarian presidential candidate 10. Giannetti’s sport 13. The Collegian’s text font 16. wears white to wedding

23. alum running for congress

18. 2020 democratic nominee

24. editorial; when this leaves

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28. The Color of Compromise

21. 1820 incumbent

tlyn said. “In hindsight, I wouldn’t have wanted to do it any other way … it was perfect.”

Senior Rachael Schmouder also experienced uncertainties due to COVID-19. Her high school sweetheart, Steven Schmouder, proposed to her on Aug. 17, 2019 and they, like the Bennetts, began planning their wedding for the following June.

The biggest difference between the two weddings came down to state they were in because, by June, Pennsylvania, where Rachael and Steven got married, was in the green zone.

Although the Schmouders needed to change their plans numerous times due to the constantly changing regulations, by the time their wedding came around they were able to have all their guests attend if the wedding was moved outside.

Approximately 150 guests came. The only major change was the venue as well as added precautions such as spacing between guests, seating families together and having sanitizer everywhere.

Similarly, Rachael does not regret getting married during quarantine saying, “It happened for a reason … and the 150 people that came were my closest family and friends.”

While many quarantine weddings were very different, both the Bennett’s wedding and Schmouder’s wedding were centered around the same thing – having the people they loved there to support them.

Perspectives The Collegian,

Page 9

Oct. 30, 2020

Clash on Campus

Half-truths fail More devoted to to prove his point order than justice David Ake

Contributing Writer

Opposing viewpoints on Jemar Tisby’s talk

Historian and writer Jemar Tisby’s chapel sermons last Tuesday were based on the half-truths of the left-wing agenda in the United States regarding race. He promoted the notion of white guilt, and he insultingly blamed white evangelical Christians for promoting racism both intentionally and through complacency.

I find it quite questionable that Grove City College, a high ranking conservative Christian institution, would invite a man with such views to speak in our chapel, on our dollar and for a total of 3 chapel credits. Why is a Marxist political agenda being preached in a church setting?

I write my as someone who can identify as both a white evangelical and a member of the Black community, and I must mention I have never experienced racism by a church.

Tisby claimed that the shootings of African Americans by whites are part of a modern-day Civil Rights Movement addressing white racism against blacks.

This was the basis for his morning sermon, tied in with the story of Esther.

However, an overwhelming majority of blacks in the United States are murdered by other blacks, 90 percent in 2016, according to the FBI. Fewer than 10 percent of blacks are murdered by whites because other races are involved. This is not an issue of racism. In most cases of whites shooting blacks that are portrayed in the media, those shot at were dangerous criminals threatening the lives of others. However, left-wing media portrays all these cases as acts of white supremacy.

Tisby used these half-truths to form his conclusion: Christians have come for such a time to fight in the modern Civil Rights Movement. He claimed that the way people respond to the so-called civil rights movement of today is the way they would have responded in the 1960s, when Jim Crow laws ensured blacks were separated from and inferior to whites, and treating blacks as inferior was typical.

Senior John Kalajian stated, “I find it ridiculous that he would say that BLM protestors have the same amount of courage as Esther speaking up to Xerxes.

Mainstream society is on the side of the protesters... Esther could have been legally executed just for appearing to the king without an invitation. There is no comparison. BLM protesters know that society won’t chastise them, that’s why they post images and videos of themselves protesting.”

Tisby suggested many of us are “white moderates” who are afraid to speak up against racism because they fear the kings in charge, the Xerxes, whom he claims are white supremacist conservatives. However, the kings in charge in America are the left-wing authoritarians who censor opinions and facts they find offensive.

Tisby boldly attacked Republicans and capitalism for promoting racism. He even suggested to whites that their black friends may not actually see them as friends because of their ignorance of the burdens black Americans face.

Unfortunately, some white people I spoke to about Tisby’s sermons said they felt they were being condemned without hearing ways to help the black community. My advice is to follow the Golden Rule as Christ commands. Perhaps we have come for such a time to fight for conservative values.

Mallory Jones

Contributing Writer

Jemar Tisby’s chapel service last week was a powerful call to arms. Especially in this season of election, our student body would benefit more than ever from dwelling on the wisdom he brought to our campus.

Tisby hit on several profound points we can break down and apply to our lives today. Firstly, he explored MLK’s famous phrase, “the DAVID ZIMMERMANN fierce urgency of now.” In commending MLK’s dream that people not be “judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character,” Tisby urged us to not skip to the end.

We don’t live in an age where King’s dream has been fulfilled and shouldn’t delude ourselves in thinking otherwise. Rather, the “fierce urgency of now” applies to us 57 years later in 2020, as we experience the latest iteration of civil rights: Black Lives Matter. He explained that the way we respond to BLM is the same way we would have responded to the Civil Rights Movement in the ‘60s.

Racism, he explained, is just like any other sin in that it never goes away; it just evolves. Whereas racism used to take the form of lynching and Jim Crow laws, it now lives on in systemic brokenness and police brutality. As we claim we would have in the ‘60s, we must now stand up for what is right.

Next, Tisby explored the concept of the “white moderate.” A term used by Dr. King himself, this refers to white individuals who do not openly practice racism but are passive on the topic at best. White moderates don’t wear the robes of the KKK, he explained, but look the other way when racial injustices take place.

Such people, unfortunately, are often those that widely represent the American church today. This concept ties into another idea Tisby raised: the state of being more devoted to order than justice and subscribing to Christian nationalism.

This is an especially important idea for us to wrestle with in this time of election. Do we, as professing believers, value our American identity and the facade of order more than the very lives of our brothers and sisters and the justice they aren’t receiving? If so, we do not represent Christ.

Tisby concluded his talk with a call to action: use this era of unprecedented access to knowledge to truly educate ourselves on this topic and pursue justice in Christ’s name. Read books, watch documentaries, listen to podcasts, have conversations— engage.

There are countless resources for us on campus alone: professors, book clubs, people with whom to have conversation. Let’s be intentional and start doing the work. If we can humble ourselves enough to learn and listen more than we speak, reconciliation may be soon on the horizon.

At the end of his lecture, Tisby prayed over the student body and asked the Lord on our behalf for strength, courage and boldness. In light of all the wisdom he offered us that day, I cannot think of anything greater for us to seek.

A nuanced response to Jemar Tisby Brian Dellinger

Professor of Computer Science

Glenn Marsch

Professor of Physics

Jan Dudt

Professor of Biology There is much to acclaim in the work of Jemar Tisby, the focus of substantial activity on campus of late.

His presentation in “The Color of Compromise” of the persecution of Blacks – particularly by Christians – is harrowing, and it should be.

The grisly accounts of kidnapping, torture, and murder should cause us to weep, and the self-justifications offered

by Christian perpetrators should drive us to search our own souls.

A repeated theme of Mr. Tisby’s addresses is that white supremacy is the most pressing threat to Christianity in America; with him, we condemn white nationalism, and any doctrine that assigns one race greater worth or dignity.

These are monstrous evils,

and a fundamental denial of the common blood of Christ shed for all Christians.

We also join in Mr. Tisby’s call for reform, particularly regarding police violence.

There are deep corruptions in our justice system, including qualified immunity, civil asset forfeiture, the proliferation of no-knock raids, and the outsized power of police unions.

Traditional conservative principles strongly suggest that any portion of the government authorized to deal violent force will risk corruption.

Such corruption will naturally be felt most by the most vulnerable portion of our nation – and that portion is disproportionately black.

The choice to bring Mr. Tisby to campus is praiseworthy.

The college years are an important time to hear a breadth of ideas and weigh conflicting perspectives.

In that same spirit, we must add a word of caution.

There are critiques that should be made of Mr. Tisby’s work. We reject his redefini-

tion of the word “whiteness” as a synonym for “white supremacy.” Such language confuses an already fraught conversation, and by its framing suggests that whites have an automatic or default participation in white supremacist thought. We hope that Mr. Tisby would reject a redefinition of “blackness” as “black liberation theology”; this usage is no more acceptable.

We offer historical critique, as well. Mr. Tisby’s book is a valuable corrective to the temptation to see American Christians as a source of unalloyed righteousness, but it errs by flattening disparate historical events.

Mr. Tisby writes, “Christian complicity with racism in the 21st century looks… like Christians responding to “black lives matter” with the phrase “all lives matter.” It looks like Christians consistently supporting a president whose racism has been on display for decades… Christian complicity in racism has not changed much after all.”

This claim does not stand.

Voting for flawed candidates, or countenancing conversational crudity, is not the moral equivalent of engaging in chattel slavery.

Likewise, Mr. Tisby repeatedly argued that the Black Lives Matter organization is the moral equivalent of the 60s civil rights movement, but one can reject forced segregation as a betrayal of America’s founding ideals without also supporting the political objectives of the modern BLM movement.

Our most serious criticism, however, is theological. In the final chapters of his book, Mr. Tisby makes three claims.

First, he states that “there can be no reconciliation without repentance;” in context, the church cannot be unified until white Christians confess their sin against their black brothers. Second, repentance requires restitution, following the pattern of Zacchaeus.

Third, a person bears moral guilt not only for his own sins, but for the sins of his commu-

nity; again, in context, a white Christian must repent not of his own actions alone, but for actions committed by other white Christians – by modern racists, by segregationists, and, yes, by slaveowners.

Here the use of “whiteness” bears full fruit: by default, whites are participants in what Mr. Tisby terms our “white supremacist system.”

Indeed, in a recent New York Times article titled “Is the White Church Inherently Racist?”, Mr. Tisby writes: “White Christians have to face the possibility that everything they have learned about how to practice their faith has been designed to explicitly or implicitly reinforce a racist structure.”

This is an astounding claim, and we reject it as ahistorical and simply untrue. We further reject the idea that Christians of any race are guilty of sin committed by people who happen to look like them. Scripture itself denies NUANCED 11

The Collegian,

Oct. 30, 2020

Page 10

Give him another chance Why we should reelect President Trump to office

Aaron Riggleman

College Republicans President As you all know, we are amidst one of the most consequential elections in our nation’s history. The campus College Republicans strongly urge you to cast your vote to re-elect President Trump. Regardless of any reservations about President Trump’s personality, there is no denying that his administration has been successful at implementing the agenda of the Republican Party.

Throughout his first term, the President has worked to re-establish religious liberty, free speech and the sanctity of life, all of which were threatened under the Obama-Biden administration.

President Trump ended taxpayer money being allocated to international organizations that perform abortions and also ended the Obama HHS mandate that forced religious organizations to cover insurances that provide contraceptives and abortion-causing drugs.

President Trump also signed an executive order prohibiting the U.S government from discriminating against Christians and punishing expressions of faith.

Appointing over 100 textualist judges to the federal bench, including 3 Supreme Court Justices, President Trump has ensured that future administrations will be held accountable when they attempt to infringe on our most basic liberties.

The President’s success does not end at social issues, as he was also able to lead the country to the greatest economy in our nation’s history.

The Trump Tax Reform Act, passed in 2017, marked the largest overhaul in the tax code in nearly 40 years. As a result, an analysis by H&R

THE ATLANTIC

Block found 82% of Americans saw an average $1200 savings in their federal taxes.

The new tax code also lowered the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%, allowing more businesses to flourish in the United States.

Spurred by tax cuts and historic deregulation by President Trump, the United States saw the lowest unemployment rate in 49 years, including record lows for women, African Americans, Latinos and Asian Americans. Trump’s economic success is undeniable and achieved what Vice President Biden and President Obama failed to in eight years of office.

When it comes to foreign conflict, Donald Trump is a proven peacemaker. During his first year in office, he fulfilled a campaign promise to move the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusa-

lem. The political establishment warned that this move would cause major division in the Middle East, but once again Donald Trump defied tradition.

President Trump’s deal making resulted in the signing of the Abraham Accords¬¬–a deal where the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain agreed to normalize relations with Israel. The Abraham Accords, orchestrated by President Trump, marked the largest Middle Eastern peace agreement in recent history.

Furthermore, President Trump has heavily prioritized justice for victims of terrorism. In October 2019, the White House announced the successful assassination of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the founder and leader of ISIS. Baghdadi is responsiblefor the deaths of Americans James Foley, Steven Sotl-

off, Peter Kassig, and Kayla Mueller. Because of President Trump’s aggression, the families of these victims finally received the justice they desired and deserved.

Donald Trump continued his aggressive attack on terrorists in January 2020 when, at his orders, the United States military killed the world’s most wanted terrorist, Iranian general Qasem Soleimani. After eight years of a timid Obama Administration, the United States, led by President Trump, has finally reigned in the world’s most deadly terrorists.

Some have claimed that Trump’s attentiveness and responsiveness to COVID-19 has been lacking, but empirically this could not be further from fact. President Trump has successfully fought against the COVID-19 spread and, more impressively, has done so without curbing per-

sonal freedoms. The President’s agenda, as compared to that of Biden and Governors Cuomo and Newsom, has been proven statistically and morally superior in every way. Furthermore, Biden’s abstract plan of reopening the economy is illdefined and hopeful at best and is in complete and utter disregard of reality and any form of economic laws and/ or reasoning.

No candidate is perfect, and indeed it is cumbersome to seek one that is such; however, President Trump’s performance and vision for the next four years are undeniably most aligned with a prospering America, not just economically, but morally and culturally. Joe Biden may have experience, but President Trump has shown us that experience is far from what is necessary to get the job done.

A failure of two parties: vote third

Benjamin Seevers

County Coordinator Jorgensen Campaign The options many feel restricted to this election have been utter failures. If one were to investigate the history and policies of the duopoly candidates, they will quickly become disappointed with how much they flagrantly attack liberty and property in their rhetoric and actions.

As much as I would love to write in excruciating detail about the betrayal that President Trump and Vice President Biden have perpetrated against their supporters and the country, it is not my place to do so at length. Instead, I plan to give you an alternative, an escape from the duopoly. The escape I mention is Jo Jorgensen, the Libertarian Party’s candidate.

Jorgensen enthusiastically supports personal freedom in both the economic and personal spheres. While Biden caves to progressive policies and Trump pushes for economic policies mirroring that of Nazi Germany, Jo Jorgensen paints a positive image of free enterprise and pushes for free trade, dra-

WIKIPEDIA

matically decreasing taxes, slashing regulations, and auditing and eventually ending the Federal Reserve Bank, the most dangerous economic and financial institution in the U.S. Regarding personal freedom, the LP along with Jo Jorgensen has always supported removing government from the personal lives of Americans much longer than the Democrats have and way longer than Republicans have. What you get with Jorgensen is principle and consistency on economic and social issues, not the consistent lying and betrayal delivered by the status quo.

Furthermore, as presidents enter and exit the

White House, moods toward foreign policy shift, but the policies scarcely change.

Conflict prevails as the industrial war complex lines its pockets with money, American soldiers and foreigners die for monied interests, and the foreigners who do not perish fester in hatred and become terrorists who eventually drum up further support for conflict.

This vicious circle perpetuates with the policies of almost every duopoly politician. For example, Biden continually supported foreign conflict throughout his tenure as a United States senator and Vice President by supporting the War in Iraq and Obama’s violent

policies in the Middle East, and President Trump has increased drone strikes, intensified tensions with China, Iran and Russia, and cloaked the official statistics in Afghanistan in a veil of secrecy.

The duopoly has clearly not worked. There needs to be a change, and Jo Jorgensen is that change. She wishes to dramatically change the method of supplying national defense, converting it from national offense into national defense by withdrawing all troops from the world stage and focusing on stronger defense measures at home.

Unlike her opponents, she has maintained her view on war, having consistently fought for this policy her entire political career stretching back to her stint as the LP’s VP candidate in 90’s, while Trump and Biden have only come to propose minor changes recently. As Christians, we must oppose war, and Jorgensen will help deliver peace.

We clearly cannot trust the duopoly candidates. Of course, this does not make Jorgensen trustworthy. To defend her trustworthiness, I must say that her odds of winning are low, so she most likely does not believe she can win, yet she still campaigns. She still travels

across the country on a bus, wasting time that she could spend making money in the private sector. She still enthusiastically pushes for libertarian principles throughout her tours.

Someone who does not believe in what they espouse will not run a costly presidential campaign that they know that they will lose. She is bearing a huge cost, and for this reason, I have faith that she believes in what she is saying, or else she would be singing an entirely different tune.

You may respond, “Okay, but Libertarians have no chance of winning; I should vote for the lesser of two evils.” If everyone who thought this were to vote for Libertarians, maybe Libertarians would win. Furthermore, your individual vote statistically has no effect on the outcome of presidential elections.

The cost of you voting for one candidate over another is not sacrificing the chances of winning. The cost is sacrificing what you think is good for something that is admittedly evil. So, I implore you to choose principle over evil this election, and if enough people do the same, we might just get our first Libertarian president.

The Collegian,

Oct. 30, 2020

Page 11

He deserves a promotion Why we should elect former Vice President Biden

Rebekah Scharfenkamp College Democrats President

I doubt many voters see one option as ideal. Joe Biden was not my first, second or even third choice. For this reason, I evaluate primarily based on the practical effects of each administration. Areas of contrast between the two contenders include COVID-19 response, healthcare, climate and police brutality.

A new Columbia study claims that at least 130,000 of the COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. were preventable. The administration’s 2018 dismantling of the pandemic response team, delayed and insufficient reaction, minimizing tone and refusal to fully endorse masking endangers hun-

dreds of thousands of lives.

Biden warned of the danger of dismantling this task force back in 2018 and promotes safe social distancing and masking practices. Moving forward it is in the best interest of all Americans to have a leader who listens to expert advice and finds a safe yet balanced approach in dealing with a national emergency.

This health crisis brings even more attention to our disastrous healthcare industry. While the President cries, “Venezuela,” many good examples of universal health care in European mixedmarket economies like ours show that people should not have to go bankrupt from urgent healthcare needs.

Biden’s plan involves a public option for those who want it but allows those content with their insurance to keep their plans. It would also include substantial tax

credits for the middle-class shopping in the private healthcare marketplace while not increasing income taxes at all for anyone making less than $400k a year. His plan helps retain the choice some citizens value while helping to lift the overwhelming financial burden.

I personally know people who have avoided important health assistance because they knew it could put them in great amounts of debt, even with insurance.

I’ve known a friend who was forced to put themselves in danger by staying in contact with physically and emotionally abusive family because they would be risking their life without the medical care they needed under the family’s insurance, which they could not hope to afford on their own, despite working more than full time.

Another area where Biden

There are bigger issues than voting

Joshua Schubert Contributing Writer

It is okay not to vote. In fact, for some it is a moral duty not to. U.S. citizens have the right to vote, but if this right is to be exercised, it must be exercised responsibly. This requires understanding of policy and of a candidate’s character. If one lacks sufficient understanding, then it would be more responsible to not vote.

Voting, and the understanding necessary to do so ethically, comes with an opportunity cost. The time spent going to the polls, which is extremely unlikely to make a difference on the outcome, especially in nonswing states, could instead be spent promoting the common good in other ways.

What if the 15-plus minutes some people spend going to the polls was instead used to clean up litter off the side of the road, or was used by parents to buy their kids ice cream? The promotion of good character by one person leading a good life will do more for the social good

on this earth than 100 people going to the polls every election.

Now I, for one, will be voting, but I have no reason to castigate those who choose not to do so. I am sympathetic to those voting for third party candidates as well, especially Libertarian Candidate Dr. Jo Jorgensen.

I am somewhat of an idealist and understand refusing the lesser of two evils and instead choosing the least of three, even if we know ahead of time that she will not win.

However, on a pragmatic level, either Joe Biden or Donald Trump will win the election. Both have significant flaws, but they have some redeeming qualities.

President Trump has been influential in the recent peace agreements in the Middle East between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

He has also signaled opposition to the lockdowns in the last presidential debate. On the negative, he supported the CARES act which further puts us and our children into debt slavery via taxation and the debasement of the currency.

Former Vice President Biden has signaled he will

continue the lockdowns as well as sponsor another stimulus bill if he is elected. Some see this as a good thing, but I see this as antithetical to human flourishing and the long-term survival of our society. Empirically, Democrats have increased the national debt less than Republicans have.

With this in mind I am unsure how or whether to exercise my voting rights. If I vote for Trump it will be with the reservations that even if he wins, his policies and character will still be way off the mark.

If I vote for Jorgensen, I will have stuck true to some of my principles but will have supported a party which has serious libertine cultural issues. If I am to vote based on ideals, why would I vote for Jorgensen when she has flaws as well?

Regardless of who you vote for, keep in mind that what is really important is moral growth through loving God with your being and loving your neighbor as yourself.

Voting and political action should not overtake other parts of your moral character such that it becomes an idol, although perhaps I ought to follow my own advice.

TIME

shows much more proficiency is when dealing with the climate crisis. Climate change is only treated as a “debate” in politics because of the substantial financial influence of fossil-fuel companies. It is understandable for people to become afraid of the loss of jobs in long standing industries like coal and oil, but the estimated costs of not seriously addressing climate change far outweigh the changes required to avoid some of those costs – both in human lives and economic consequences.

A recent study from the National Bureau of Economic Research predicts that the continuation of this warming pattern would lead to about a 10.5 percent cut in real income in the United States and a worldwide GDP cut of 7.4 percent by 2100. While implementing major energy

NUANCED

continued from 9 this possibility; in passages like Ezekiel 18 and Jeremiah 31:29-30, God flatly denies that the moral guilt or righteousness of fathers is credited to their sons. Racism is a sin before God – but a person must commit that sin before becoming guilty of it.

Indeed, we note that Christ is Jewish, and during his earthly ministry the Jews were ethnically advantaged over their Samaritan kin.

This advantaging was unjust, and doubtless contemporary Jews sinned in support of it; does it follow that Christ partook of these sins, by participation in the community?

Surely not!

The apostle Paul – himself a Roman citizen, and so the beneficiary of unjust actions – likewise denies this view. In Ephesians 2, Paul speaks directly to ethnic reconciliation within the church.

Writing of Jews and Gentiles, he says, “For [Christ] himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility… His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.”

This, for the Christian, is the only ground of reconciliation: that Christ has reconciled us to God, and in doing

changes may be difficult at first, making these changes is critical not only for health and safety (which should be enough) but also for economic prosperity. Biden’s initiatives would help create solid jobs for the working class who could otherwise be left behind in this progress.

Finally, one very relevant topic is police brutality and abuse of power. Biden proposes basic, common sense reforms like chokehold bans and more independent accountability. Protecting citizens’ constitutional rights to due process, protection against unlawful search and seizure and discrimination based on race (which is widespread and demonstrable despite being no longer explicit in the law) is critical in creating a justice system that lives up to the name.

In contrast, President Trump calls for the frequently violent white nationalist group Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by” and minimizes or denies the many documented cases of police brutality and corruption, especially against black citizens.

While Trump’s campaign tries to portray Biden as a servant of the “radical left,” his proposals lean toward moderation and compromise. A president who denies basic scientific truth and frequently categorizes objective fact as “fake news” endangers our country.

Ultimately, despite his flaws, Joe Biden would be a significantly more competent and responsible leader who accepts the facts instead of obscuring them and has reasonable, actionable plans in many areas that concern American citizens. so has reconciled us to one another.

It is on this ground that Paul writes in Colossians 3: “Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.”

The Roman nation oppressed its Scythian neighbors as a matter of public policy, and yet Paul commands Roman and Scythian Christians that these injustices must not alienate brothers. Is the American pattern of sin, grievous though it is, so different that these passages do not apply to us?

There may be understandable concern that critique of Mr. Tisby’s work provides cover for the white nationalism he opposes.

For Christians, however, even the noblest aim must be assessed by Scripture, which commands us both to hear the grievances of our brothers and to challenge each other “as iron sharpens iron.”

We share Mr. Tisby’s concern for racial reconciliation, and we join him in his condemnation of both modern and historical prejudice. However, his claim that inherent racial guilt must be worked off before true fellowship is possible cuts to the heart of Christ’s reconciling work.

It is our hope that, in seeking to address racial disharmony within the church, we do not fall into other errors that deny the power of the gospel.

Sports The Collegian, Oct. 30, 2020

Page 12

New team on the block Building a varsity team from scratch

Emily Rupczewski Sports Editor

As many varsity teams have continued to practice in preparation for the spring 2021 sports season, one Grove City team has begun to prepare for an even bigger season: their first.

Women’s lacrosse, a former club team, was named as Grove City’s 23rd varsity team last November.

So how does a small club team make the transition to a strong Division III varsity team?

The answer is to start building as soon as possible.

Since her hiring in August, Coach Jackowski has been working with the team of club returners and new freshman faces to form a solid practice team in effort to build a strong foundation.

Though their varsity season does not officially begin until the 2021-2022 school year, this current team practices three times a week and has already begun hitting the weight room.

“What we JACKOWSKI put into this year matters greatly, and we must prepare efficiently as we look onward to officially starting our varsity season in 2021,” Jackowski said.

Currently, the team is comprised of 18 players, all from different graduation years.

“Our goal is to make a smooth and realistic transition into next season,” Jackowski said.

“As a team we are starting to connect and gain an understanding of what it means to start a program, and our players are here for the journey and plan on making the transition with us as we move towards an official NCAA DIII season in 2022.”

“I have been energized and so excited for the transition of the team and the opportunity to be a part of the team during this time,” said junior Grace Dymski.

Christian Giannetti Contributing Writer

INSTAGRAM: @GCITY_LAX

Sophomore Madison Nazigian during the first week of lacrosse practice. The team has begun to practice in preparation for the 2021-2022 season when they will officially compete as a varsity team.

“This is our first time having a coach and I have really appreciated the organization, experience and passion that Coach Jackowski has brought to our team.”

DYMSKI “Coach J has a real passion for the game,” said sophomore Madison Nazigian.

“She makes practice rewarding which allows us to get excited about being out on the field again.”

Nazigian is not only new to the program, but also new to Grove City this year.

“I think I could not have transferred at a better time.

As a transfer student, you can feel as if you’re ‘late to the program’ in many different ways. But with the lacrosse team I’m on time to the program. I can jump right in alongside the girls that have played club lacrosse at GCC and not feel like I’m new. We’re all new to the program,” she said.

From here, these 18 pro-

vide a solid start to a growing team, but the team will also be looking to add more depth to its roster.

Like many other teams, recruiting for the incoming freshman class will be NAZIGIAN key.

Part of building a team up from scratch is seeking out even more athletic talent and bringing it to Grove City, and Jackowski is focused on finding and bringing that talent to the team.

Following suit with the vision of Grove City athletics, Jackowski believes that a solid foundation is built on a Christ-centered team.

“Our goals for building this team are to establish a strong team foundation that is built on the Lord and to start the process of learning how to love well, serve well and compete well,” Jackowski said.

Leading a Christ-centered team culture is not something new to Jackows-

ki.

As a graduate of Roberts Wesleyan College and former Houghton College coach, Jackowski is well-equipped to lead the team in the right direction.

“I am extremely excited to create a competitive, Christcentered culture where we look to strive for excellence spiritually, academically and athletically,” Jackowski said.

“We will be a program that loves well, serves well and competes well. I feel grateful for the opportunity to instill faith and integrity in student athletes while directing their talents and hard work toward a greater purpose,” she said.

“Coach J has also made a point to emphasize a culture that focuses on God and I think that will play a huge influence on the culture of our team as we continue to build the program,” Dymski said.

This is a team working tirelessly, ready to make a fierce entrance come the 2021-2022 season.

National Sports Column Connor Schlosser

Dodgers win in 6

Staff Writer

Another championship is back in Los Angeles. The Dodgers downed the Tampa Bay Rays in the World Series Tuesday, winning four games to two. The loaded Dodgers roster were the favorites going into the series and came through to collect their first championship in 32 years.

The World Series was not a new platform for this Dodgers squad, seeing that they played and lost against the Boston Red Sox only two years ago in 2018. This year’s Dodger’s squad retained 15 players from that same World Series team, including the notable pitcher Clayton Kershaw, shortstop Corey Seager and baseman and outfielder Cody Bellinger among other key pieces.

Perhaps the most impor-

Pressing towards the goal

tant piece missing in the Dodgers roster was filled this season with the addition of former Red Sox champion and 2018 American League MVP Mookie Betts.

The regular season Betts was ranked seventh in home runs with 16 in all. Mookie was right at home joining a championship roster.

The Dodgers got off to a red-hot start in game one, winning 8-3. It was a great pitcher’s duel between Kershaw and Tampa Bay’s Tyler Glasnow for the opening innings, until Bellinger sent one over the fence to open up the night. Betts also contributed a homer in the sixth inning.

Tampa Bay returned the favor in the second matchup to win 6-4. It was Brandon Lowe who sent two over the fence in the Rays offense.

LA reasserted their dominance in the third game in a 6-2 difference. Justin Turn-

er and Austin Barnes got into the home run mix each contributing one to put the Dodgers up on top.

In a slug fest Game four, the Rays made a crucial run in the last inning for an 8-7 victory. Rays rookie Randy Arozarena made MLB history this game by hitting his ninth (and eventually tenth) homer setting a record for most home runs in a single post season. With two outs, bottom of the ninth, runners on first and second, down 6-7, Rays centerfielder Brett Phillips struck a base hit to centerfield. Dodgers fielder Joc Pederson made a critical error, losing control of the ball on his wind up throw to home plate. Dodgers catcher Will Smith was unable to keep control of the throw from centerfield, resulting in another error; this gave the Rays enough time to seal the game and bring two runners home for the victory.

The Dodgers would go on to defeat the Rays in the following two games 4-2 and 3-1 respectively. Mookie Betts made his second and final postseason home run in Game six to give the Dodgers the advantage.

It has been a banner year for Los Angeles sports with now both the Lakers and Dodgers winning championships during this 2020 season. Dodgers co-owner and Lakers legend, Magic Johnson said on Twitter that Lakers Lebron James and Betts are the best players in the world in their respective sports.

LA athletes like James himself and countless fans have been pushing for a championship parade for both teams, although the pandemic will make those plans difficult.

Los Angeles is the city of champions for now in this roller coaster of a year.

Coming into this season as a junior on the men’s soccer team, I was expecting to begin school and the fall season with the intent to grow as a player and a student.

I live in Wexford, Pa., 45 minutes south of Grove City College with parents and younger brother, a freshman this year at GCC, also a player on the men’s soccer team.

Soccer has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. My father’s side of the family is from Argentina, and we often joke around that playing soccer is a rite of passage.

Everyone from the family has played at some level ranging from middle school to college and even at the professional level. This legacy my family has built is an awesome thing for me and my brother to take part in.

Recently, I have felt challenged by the normal struggles of being a college student amidst COVID-19 restrictions. Offseason training is important for keeping a routine, and it allows you to grow as a player in and out of season.

The hardest part is the loss of community and accountability. At school, we are surrounded by teammates, classmates and others who we work alongside to accomplish a goal. Whether that goal is to learn, to win games or to obtain PAC titles, we have a goal to accomplish something together. When we go home, that community is gone and the drive to keep accomplishing those goals now must come from yourself.

I knew I was still working to achieve the goals of my team; however, I still find it difficult to work on my own.

This became even harder when the pandemic hit and the possibility of returning to campus and having a season was uncertain. All summer long, we had countless Zoom meetings to learn what the fall would look like with masks, temperature checks and the threat of self-isolation. The list seemed never to end.

After we finally got back on campus and were able to train together as a team, I asked myself two questions: why do I play soccer and who do I play soccer for?

I play soccer to glorify God with the ability he has given me and to demonstrate his love to my teammates and opponents on and off the field.

I challenge you to ask yourself those questions but also to choose joy. Despite all the bitterness in the world today, it is easy to focus on yourself and your circumstances. It is important to remember God is sovereign, he reigns and we have no need to fear; he is in control.

(Christian Giannetti is a junior defender who holds PAC defensive player honors and was a PAC rookie of the week honors his freshman season.)