The GēDUNK March 2020

March 2020

MARCH 2020

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE

Grove City College educates the mind, heart, and hands

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Grove City College

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CAMPUS VIEW

The 20-inch Cassegrain telescope at Grove City College’s observatory is a key part of astronomy research conducted by the Department of Physics. The observatory outside of Edinboro, Pa., is equipped with modern, research-grade instrumentation to conduct a wide variety of investigations.

March 2020

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M E Grove City College

SSAGE

F ROM

THE

PRES ID EN T

BEYOND MARKETING MATERIALS: THE TRUE MEASURES OF ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE

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obody wants “just OK.” That’s the message from AT&T in a recent series of funny commercials – “Just OK is not OK.” If that’s true about wireless networks, it’s certainly the case with higher education. Everyone wants academic excellence, especially because of the high cost of a college education. Families are increasingly concerned about the return on investment (ROI), so a “just OK” education is not OK. In response to this reasonable consumer demand, virtually every college and university describes themselves as academically excellent. All it appears to take is a brochure with a few photographs of professors engaging with students, an impressive number of academic majors, and the magic words – “academic excellence.” But do these marketing materials mask a mediocre reality? College applicants should ask if there are any objective measures to back up such a claim, or is this a common assertion like grade inflation with everyone getting an A? Fortunately, there are criteria that back up this description, and Grove City College scores a high grade by these measures of success. First, a truly academically excellent college begins with a strong faculty – men and women who are authentic scholars. We are blessed with more than 150 full-time professors, most of whom have terminal degrees in their respective disciplines. As highlighted in this publication, they are active in research and writing. In addition, our faculty remain highly accessible to students because mentoring and encouraging them is at the heart of their calling.

Another important measure of academic excellence is student success. With four-year graduation rates at public universities sitting at less than 35 percent, a major problem in higher education is the failure of too many students to earn a degree. GCC, in stark contrast to this, achieved an 84 percent on-time graduation rate for the Class of 2019. This puts the College in the top echelon of higher education in the most important category of academic excellence.

Student success is also revealed in placement statistics. How can a school claim to be academically excellent if a large number of students don’t graduate either on time or at all and cannot find jobs? Grove City College is blessed with an extraordinary placement rate: 96 percent are employed or in graduate school within six months after graduation. Our highly ranked Career Services Office gets them job-ready by the time they depart the Grove.

Contributing to this record of excellence is our determination to maintain the facilities, technologies and resources necessary for fulfilling our mission. This would not be possible without your support. Grove City College students know this and are thankful for the College’s many generous alumni and friends.

So, let’s work together to spread the word about Grove City College’s long-standing record of academic excellence. Our message must be that the cost of our education is truly a good investment. For us it’s not just talk; it’s transformative learning.

EDITORIAL BOARD Jeffrey Prokovich ’89 Vice President for Advancement Melissa (Trifaro ’96) MacLeod Senior Director of Alumni and College Relations Jacki Muller Senior Director of Marketing and Communications EDITORIAL STAFF Nick Hildebrand Managing Editor Janice (Zinsner ’87) Inman Associate Editor, Class Notes, In Memory, Babies Brad Isles Associate Editor Joanie L. Baumgartner Director of Advancement Communications OFFICE OF ALUMNI & COLLEGE RELATIONS Tricia Corey Carrie Sankey Charlene (Griffin ’83) Shaw COLLEGE ARCHIVES Hilary (Lewis ’09) Walczak OFFICE OF DEVELOPMENT Brian Powell ’03 Kelly Conger Karen (Irwin ’85) Daum Elizabeth (Smith ’81) Hanley Zach Jew ’11 Adam Nowland ’07 Paul Pendergast ’68 DESIGN Justin Harbaugh Art Director/Graphic Designer ALUMNI ASSOCIATION Jana Volante Walshak ’07 President Carol (MacGamwell ’79) Yannuzzi Vice President Cover photograph by Nick Hildebrand Interior photography by Alan Adams, Tiffany Wolfe, Jason Jones, Andrew Stein ’18, Mac Hancock ’23, Wesley Kinney ’21, Ed Doyle ’20, Liney Parker ’20, Ivy Nowakowski ’20, Josh Wanek ’21, Justin Harbaugh, Nick Hildebrand, Brad Isles

Paul J. McNulty ’80 President

Grove City College 100 Campus Drive Grove City, PA 16127 724.458.2300 888.GCC.GRAD alumni.gcc.edu

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March 2020

’mid the pages

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A COMMITMENT Grove City College’s central mission is to provide an excellent liberal arts and sciences education informed by a Christian worldview. Education is the College’s raison d’être and academic excellence is the existential quality that draws excellent students, attracts great faculty, and upon which the College’s storied reputation rests.

I NS I D E

7 | Upfront News from campus, alumni and athletics 34 | Class Notes Find out what fellow alumni are doing 39 | In Memory Friends we’ve lost and remember 42 | Li’l Wolverines Introducing our newest Grovers 44 | Faith & Learning A faculty perspective

Connect with us:

ON THE COVER: A window in Harbison Chapel depicts St. Jerome, a theologian and historian best known for his translation of most of the Bible into Latin. Windows around the chapel present a tableau of the great thinkers, teachers, and leaders who helped shape western civilization and advanced the standard of academic excellence that Grove City College aspires to. Above, details from the Teaching Window in the nave.

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

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GCC DONORS KNOCK OUR SOCKS OFF Grove City College

You and Grove City College…

WHAT A MATCH!

Make a gift to the Annual Fund of $60 or more from March 1-31, 2020, and we’ll send you a pair of limited-edition Grove City College socks as our way of saying thank you!

Gifts to the Annual Fund are always an investment in Grove City College students.

Learn more and make your gift at giving.gcc.edu/socks.

Socks will ship in the month of April 2020. Under IRS guidelines, the estimated value of the benefits received is not substantial, so the full amount of your gift is a tax-deductible contribution. One pair of socks per household.

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March 2020

upfront

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

Breen ’78 elected Board of Trustees chair Respected corporate executive wants to build on legacy of past leaders

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he Board of Trustees of Grove City College elected alumnus Edward D. Breen ’78 to serve as its new chair during its Feb. 21 meeting. The chair-elect will begin his term in July.

Breen, of New Hope, Pa., studied economics and business at the College and is the executive chairman and CEO of DuPont de Nemours, Inc. He has served on the Board of Trustees for the last 19 years and he and his wife, Lynn (Branstner ’78) Breen, have been longtime supporters of their alma mater. He will succeed current Chair David R. Rathburn ’79, who has led the Board in exemplary fashion since 2003.

Having guided several global business operations in the course of his distinguished career, Breen is widely regarded as one of the leading strategic thinkers and ethical leaders in the corporate world. Grove City College recognized his extraordinary accomplishments with its Alumni Achievement Award in 2001 and an Honorary Degree (Doctor of Laws) in 2004.

“I am honored to be chosen by my colleagues to serve my beloved alma mater in this role and in the footsteps of great leaders such as J. Howard Pew, Albert Hopeman, Paul Sticht and David Rathburn,” Breen said.

“Lynn and I look forward to building on this legacy by working with the entire College community to advance our critical vision, mission and values.”

“I am delighted that the Board has appointed Ed as our next chair,” Rathburn said. “For decades he has led some of the most complex and challenging business organizations in the world. Ed is more than a respected business leader. He is a devoted and generous alumnus of Grove City College, and I am confident that he will lead the College to new heights.”

College President Paul J. McNulty ’80

expressed his profound gratitude to Rathburn for his many years of selfsacrificing and inspiring leadership and for Breen’s willingness to take on this vital work.

“Few, if any, leaders can match Ed Breen’s experience in organizational governance.

As one of our most accomplished alums, his service in this unique role will be an enormous blessing to Grove City College,” McNulty said. “I’m looking forward to seeing how his business acumen and professional relationships will benefit the school in these challenging times in higher education and how he will build on the outstanding accomplishments of David Rathburn.”

Breen will be just the fifth person to chair the Board of Trustees since 1931. The most famous and longest serving was J. Howard Pew, a graduate of the class of 1900 who went on to build and lead the Sun Oil Co. Pew served as chairman of the board for 40 years until his death in 1971, when he was succeeded by Albert Hopeman Jr., who served until his death in 1998. Rathburn succeeded J. Paul Sticht ’39, former chairman and chief executive officer of RJR Nabisco, who served from 1998 to 2003.

Breen is the executive chairman of DuPont de Nemours, Inc. Prior to this appointment, he served as chief executive officer of DowDuPont, Inc. and chairman of the board and chief executive officer of E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company.

Breen also served as chairman of Tyco International from July 2002 to March 2016, and chief executive officer from July 2002 to September 2012. Tyco is a leading global provider of security products and services, fire detection and suppression products and services and life safety products.

Prior to that, Breen held several senior management positions at Motorola, including president and chief operating officer, and

Edward D. Breen ’78

General Instrument Corporation, including chairman, president and chief executive officer. Breen is a director of Comcast Corporation, Corteva Agriscience and a member of the advisory board of New Mountain Capital LLC, a private equity firm.

Breen served as a director of EID (DuPont) from February 2015 until September 2017 when he became a director of DowDuPont, Inc. after the merger transaction between EID and The Dow Chemical Company.

He has received many governance awards, including being named one of the “100 Most Influential People in Business Ethics” by Ethisphere magazine.

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Grove City College

Kemeny tapped to lead College’s School of Arts and Letters

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r. Paul C. Kemeny, professor of Religion and Humanities, now serves as dean of Grove City College’s Calderwood School of Arts and Letters.

“Dr. Kemeny is an ideal fit for this job.

He is blessed with the requisite wisdom, character and intellectual strength to be a strong leader for our Calderwood faculty. We are thankful for his willingness to serve in this important position,” College President Paul J. McNulty ’80 said in announcing Kemeny’s appointment in December.

A highly respected teacher, scholar and author, Kemeny joined the College in 2000 as a professor in Kemeny the Department of Biblical and Religious Studies. He served as interim dean since 2018 and assistant dean of the Calderwood School from 2013 to 2018.

Kemeny holds a Ph.D. from Princeton Theological Seminary, master’s degrees in Religion and Divinity from Westminster Theological Seminary, a master’s degree in Theology from Duke University and a B.A. from Wake Forest University.

He is the author or editor of several books on the history of the church and of higher education, including “The Oxford Handbook of Presbyterianism;” “Faith, Freedom, and Higher Education: Historical Analysis and Contemporary Reflections;” “Princeton in the Nation’s Service: Religious Ideals and Educational Practice, 1868–1928;” and “The New England Watch and Ward Society.”

He will lead the Calderwood School with the support of assistant deans Dr. Michelle (Adams ’88, ’02) McFeaters, associate professor of Accounting and Finance, and Dr. H. Collin Messer, professor of English.

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Dr. Janey A. Roach will serve as inaugural director of new school of nursing

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urse, educator, and administrator Janey A. Roach is the first director of the College’s new Charles Jr. and Betty Johnson School of Nursing. She will oversee the newest academic school and direct and implement the newly-established Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree program, which will welcome its first class of students in the fall.

President Paul J. McNulty ’80 said Roach was “the ideal candidate.” “Her clear alignment with our mission will especially benefit students who seek a comprehensive nursing education rooted in the liberal arts tradition,” he said.

“I look forward to the opportunity to assist and encourage Grove City College’s nursing students as they progress on their individual journeys toward graduation and a career of helping people as nurses,” Roach said.

Grove City College’s BSN program is the result of a unique private-public partnership with Butler County Community College (BC3) that offers students the best that both higher education institutions have to offer: Excellent liberal arts and sciences education from Grove City College and accredited, high-quality technical and clinical professional training through BC3.

Roach, who earned Doctor of Nursing Practice, Clinical Specialist and Master of Science in Nursing Education degrees from the University of Pittsburgh, comes to Grove City College from University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Schools of Nursing where she was the director of faculty affairs at Shadyside School of Nursing.

The BSN program will have students splitting their time between Grove City College and BC3. Students will live on campus and attend classes at Grove City College in the first and fourth years of the program. In the second and third years they’ll attend classes at both institutions, with formal nursing classes and professional placement through BC3’s Shaffer School of Nursing and Allied Health. At the end of the third year, students will take state exams and are expected to begin working in the field as they complete their fourth year. Grove City College will offer flexible and online classes to allow students to “earn while they learn.”

Grove City College is investing $500,000 in the partnership with a multi-year gift to BC3 for construction of the Victor K. Phillips Nursing and Allied Health building where BSN students will one day attend technical and clinical courses. BC3 President Dr. Nick Neupauer said the College’s contribution shows “the forward thinking of President McNulty, and Grove City College as a whole, to realize that in these unique times for higher education, partnerships and collaborations are the way to go. This partnership is a win-win in so many ways.”

For more about Grove City College’s BSN degree, visit gcc.edu/nursing.

March 2020

Scholarships add to affordability

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Mandy Sposato ’00, director of the Career Services Office, meets with a student. The Princeton Review ranks her office 12th in the nation overall and the College as 8th best school for internships.

A Princeton Review Best Value: Grove City College has an ‘exceptional’ return on investment Career Services earn high rankings

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rove City College earned accolades this year from The Princeton Review for providing an exceptional return on investment based on academic quality, affordability and the success of students and graduates.

The respected educational services company, which many prospective parents and students depend upon for making informed college choices, included the College in its annual list of “The Best Value Colleges: 200 Schools with Exceptional ROI for Your Tuition Investment.”

“The Princeton Review affirms what we already know; Grove City College is an elite higher education institution,” College President Paul J. McNulty ’80 said. “Only 7 percent of the nation’s four-year colleges and universities were selected for this distinction. Our rating is based in part on a highly-competitive sticker price of less than $30,000 annually – an extraordinary value indeed. Princeton Review strongly recommends us for all that we do to help students succeed while delivering an amazing college experience that’s worth every dollar.”

The Princeton Review identified and evaluated more than 650 leading colleges and universities from the thousands that exist before determining which 200 schools offer students the right combination of academic excellence, affordability and strong career prospects.

Inclusion is based on a comprehensive analysis of information from administrator and student surveys, academic data and alumni success metrics. As a result, Grove City College posted a return on investment ranking of 88 on a scale that tops out at 99.

Student surveys conducted for the guide ranked Grove City College number eight in the nation for internships. The College’s Career Services Office – which is ranked 12th in the country according to The Princeton Review’s 2020 “The Best 385 Colleges” guide – spearheads the internship process in concert with academic departments and helps students secure “on-the-job training” with a strong alumni network and a “really good reputation with employers,” according to the guide.

The Princeton Review looked at SAT/ACT scores, freshmen GPAs, faculty reviews, tuition cost, financial aid and alumni salaries, among other metrics. Those measures are favorable for Grove City College, which has the lowest tuition of any private college in Pennsylvania and an on-time graduation rate of 84 percent, which far exceeds national averages. The College reports that 96 percent of recent graduates are gainfully employed or enrolled in a post-graduate program within six months of graduation. Compensation data collected by PayScale.com indicates an average starting salary of $54,400 and mid-career earnings of $105,500 for alumni.

he Princeton Review and others laud Grove City College for its affordability, thanks in part to need- and merit-based financial aid that is available to students through a number of scholarship and grant programs.

Trustee Scholarship Program – The College awards 24 Trustee Academic Scholarships each year to the highest performing students. The top eight recipients – Trustee Fellows – are awarded the College’s most generous merit-based scholarship – a full-ride award that covers standard tuition and room and board.

The remaining 16 recipients – Trustee Scholars – receive an $8,000 award.

Presidential Scholarship – Incoming freshmen who are ranked first or second in their class qualify for a one-year $1,000 scholarship.

Alumni Merit Reward Scholarship – This competitive scholarship is available to high achieving incoming freshmen. Up to 40 $6,000 and 20 $3,000 scholarships are available.

Leadership Scholarship – Freshmen applicants who show academic promise and outstanding leadership qualities in community service are considered for up to four $2,500 scholarships.

Achievement Awards – High performing upperclass students are eligible for various departmental awards established through the generosity of institutional donors.

Dean’s Scholarship – Returning students with a minimum cumulative QPA of at least 3.40 can qualify.

National Merit Scholarship – Incoming freshmen who are National Merit Scholarship finalists qualify for this one-year $2,000 scholarship.

Engineering Scholarships – Freshmen engineering applicants who show academic promise and outstanding leadership qualities are considered for up to four $2,500 scholarships.

PHEAA State Grant – The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency State Grant is the College’s largest outside source of need-based financial aid for students. While Grove City College does not accept federal funding, students can use the state grant to offset the cost of their education. Students from outside the Keystone State may access state aid that is not funded by the federal government.

To help the College provide aid for students, contact the Office of Development at 866-386-3422 or giving@gcc.edu.

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Grove City College

Micah Mooney ’20 and Noah Gould ’20 (above) composed the first full-length, studentproduced musical ever staged at Grove City College. At left, actors Katarina Meikrantz ’21, left, and Meghan Walsh ’21 rehearse a scene.

Students turn Greek tragedy into musical ‘Antigone & the King’

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any American college students would be happy to leave their engagement with the Greek tragedy “Antigone” in the dust after the test. However, the study of Sophocles’ ancient tale of justice, fate and ultimate allegiance inspired a pair of Grove City College seniors to spend years working on an original musical adaptation.

Even more unlikely, the 16-song musical by seniors Micah Mooney ’20 and Noah Gould ’20 was brought to the stage of the Little Theatre of Pew Fine Arts Center in January in a full performance. It was a campus first for a musical produced and directed entirely by students. Mooney, a music major from Sellersville, Pa., handled most of the music while Gould, an economics major from Granby, Mass., focused on the book, but the final product was a true collaboration, the men said.

The show’s three-day run was “sold out” and audiences came away impressed with the work. “I would not be surprised if this is not the last we hear about this production.

It is remarkably good, not lacking a spark of genius, and has genuine potential to be performed elsewhere,” Dr. Andrew Harvey, a professor of English who served as advisor to the “Antigone & the King” production.

The musical tells the story of Antigone’s defiance of King Creon’s decree that her rebel brother’s body go unburied, a great dishonor to the Greeks circa 400 B.C. A discussion of

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the big themes in a HUMA class led by Dr. Eric Potter, professor of English, during their sophomore year inspired Mooney and Gould to begin the project. Potter was a key support for the composers.

“When they first approached me about the project, I thought the idea of a musical based on Antigone was crazy and fun and therefore worth attempting,” Potter said. “They were good at mining the play for possibilities of character and situation, and they found opportunities for humor without losing some of the serious concerns of the original.”

“It really is a great story,” Mooney said.

But, like most Greek theater, it lacks on-stage action and the emotional heart that modern audiences expect, especially in a musical.

Mooney and Gould’s retelling is emotionally heavy while retaining the “spirit of the original.” That included expanding the roles of some characters, bringing new parts of the story to the stage and giving the audience some context that is assumed in the original, they said.

For the most part, Mooney and Gould worked on the musical in their spare time, something that is precious to all college students and perhaps more so for Trustee Scholars at Grove City College. Both men are part of the elite program, which provides generous scholarships and additional opportunities for research and study for top students. Their work on “Antigone & the

King” comes directly from the program’s encouragement of cross-disciplinary collaboration and several other Trustee Scholars filled out the cast and crew.

“When the College started the Trustee Scholars Program, this is exactly the sort of leadership and initiative we hoped for and encouraged, and I am glad that the College has supported this project so completely,” Harvey said.

The musical is more than an academic exercise, though they each earned an independent study credit as they pursued their goal of actually putting on the show.

“We wanted to see it in some capacity, we wanted a full production,” Mooney said.

They decided last year that they would put the show on this year. In May they auditioned actors and made their choices for the musical’s nine roles. This fall they held rehearsals with the actors and student musicians on piano, violin and cello. They – along with student director Anna Porter ’21, who “took the reins and got excited,” according to Mooney – had three weeks in January to block out the scenes with actors, set the staging and get costumes together.

The College’s theater honorary Tau Alpha Pi provided access to sets, props, and costumes.

TAP also presented the show.

March 2020

Online programs gaining momentum for College

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rove City College’s dual enrollment program allows high school students to earn credits now that they can use to trim as much as a year off their college careers, potentially saving them tens of thousands of dollars in tuition and room and board.

For years, the advantage was only available to students who could attend classes on campus, limiting the scope of the program and the potential pool of students. That all changed last year.

“We started our online dual enrollment pilot in Fall of 2019.

In Spring 2020, enrollments jumped 50 percent,” according to Dr. Christy L. Crute, a professor of Business Analytics who serves as director of the College’s Graduate and Online Programs.

The pilot program opened up six classes the College offers online to high school students from almost any location that has an internet connection. With minimal advertising, the first online dual enrollment class drew students from 10 states and one from Japan. The spring edition doubled the number of available classes drew nearly twice as many students from 14 states and one from South Korea.

“This fall, we will have 20 or more courses for dual enrolled students to consider. The goal is to allow students to complete a year of online coursework toward their chosen degree,” Crute said. “We are now in the process of rolling out a yearlong look-ahead so high school students can plan out their school year using Grove City College courses as they find need.”

And online isn’t just for high school kids. In the last year the College has opened up the courses that were previously only available to enrolled Grove City College students to qualified students from other higher education institutions, non-traditional adult learners, and alumni.

“We will make a concerted effort to invite life-long learners back to college with courses that will help forward their career knowledge. We hope to build a vibrant community of adult learners in courses that are relevant to them,” Crute said.

For more about dual enrollment and online courses at Grove City College, visit gcc.edu, or check out the blog at blogs.gcc.edu/dual.

ONLINE CLASS REGISTRATION BEGINS MARCH 23. FIND OUT MORE ONLINE! High School students: gcc.edu/dualenrollment • Adult learners: gcc.edu/onlinecourses

WELCOME HIGH SCHOOL JUNIORS At Grove City College we believe “there are no ordinary people” (C.S. Lewis)—that you have been created with a unique set of gifts, abilities, and passions. That’s why we empower motivated students like you to pursue Truth without barriers, grow in deep-rooted community, and confidently follow your calling to glorify God and help others flourish.

Whether you’re a high school junior or underclassman, join us for Junior Preview Day and experience firsthand the incredible resources and encouraging community that will support you as you pursue your calling.

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Grove City College

FOX News Analyst Britt Hume, right, was the featured guest at the 13th annual Ronald Reagan Lecture in November. The Q&A format lecture on the press and the presidency also featured College President Paul J. McNulty ’80, at left, and Dr. Paul Kengor, professor of Political Science.

National figures Brunson and Hume offer inspiration, insight

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rove City College hosted a pair of high profile speakers this fall as Pastor Andrew Brunson and FOX News Analyst Brit Hume visited campus.

In October, a packed Harbison Chapel crowd welcomed Brunson and his wife, Norine, with a standing ovation prior to discussing their triumphs and trials. Andrew, who spent decades in Turkey as a missionary and church planter, was imprisoned in 2016 on terrorism and espionage charges after a failed coup. In 2018, thanks to prayer and the efforts of the U.S. government, Andrew’s ordeal ended and he was welcomed home by President Donald J. Trump.

Norine was initially imprisoned with Brunson for 13 days. After her release, she fought hard for Andrew’s freedom, contacting everyone she knew and spreading Brunson his story around the world.

Andrew’s case became a cause for Christians and human rights activists, capturing the attention of Trump. But when still nothing changed, she was discouraged. “I thought, now the highest power of man is involved, so now there’s no other earthly power to appeal to,” she said. According to Norine, that’s when prayers grew and spread throughout the country and then the world. “No man could make that happen, only God,” she said.

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a word from God that Andrew would be known for his perseverance. Placed in a valley of testing, Andrew made a conscious decision to turn his face toward God. “I don’t have to have answers to have a relationship with God,” he said. “God’s faithfulness was not on trial, mine was. God didn’t betray me; I want to make that clear.” Brunson emphasized the need for this generation of college students to be grounded in their faith, and stand firm because trials are sure to come. “When you’re flooded with fear, you have to have an anchor in place,” he said.

In November, Hume mined a halfcentury of reporting to discuss the press and the presidency for the College’s 13th annual Ronald Reagan Lecture. He offered the standing-room-only crowd in Crawford Auditorium his views on how the press ought to operate, how it has changed since the 1970s and how its approach to covering the nation’s chief executive has suffered.

Answering a series of questions from Grove City College President Paul J. McNulty ’80 and Dr. Paul Kengor, professor of Political Science and Senior Chief Academic Fellow with The Institute for Faith & Freedom, Hume recalled his earliest days in journalism as a newspaper reporter in the 1960s and the fundamentals he learned on the job. “In those days, journalists were no less liberal than today … but they operated under a tradition, a set of customs and standards to cover news in a neutral way, balanced, that

didn’t permit opinions,” Hume said. “That old discipline has collapsed.”

Hume made his name at ABC News during the 1970s and 1980s, covering Congress and Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton before joining upstart FOX News in 1997, where he served as Washington bureau chief and anchored the daily “Special Report” newscast before stepping into his current role as the cable network’s senior news analyst.

Hume’s comments throughout the evening marked him as a reporter from the “old school.” Reacting to a clip of CNN reporter Jim Acosta and President Donald Trump wrangling at a press conference was “appalling,” Hume said.

“There’s nothing wrong with challenging questions, but you don’t make a statement when you ask a question and you don’t argue with the president. You ask questions and let the answers be the answers. You want the focus to be on the answers,” he said.

“It’s inappropriate. It’s unprofessional. We’re not on the field. We’re observers. We’re reporters. It doesn’t matter what you think of a president. He deserves to be treated fairly,” Hume said.

WATCH THE REAGAN LECTURE ONLINE AT GCC.EDU/LIVESTREAM

March 2020

Report: Grove City College’s economic impact tops $175 million

G Alumna Jessica Cameron ’19 claps for her fellow graduates at Commencement in May. The Class of 2019 posted an amazing 84 percent on-time graduation rate.

GCC’s graduation rate nearly double the national average

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ust 41 percent of first time college students earn a degree in four years, the National Center for Education Statistics reports. In contrast, Grove City College’s average four-year graduation rate stands at 80 percent and an actual rate of 84 percent for the class of 2019.

National statistics make it clear that completing a college degree in four years is becoming harder and harder for most students. Even the industry standard six-year graduation rate that most schools report is a disappointing 61 percent.

The College’s notable graduation rate has a lot to do with the approach it takes to the student experience, which is based on Grove City College’s articulated values – Faithfulness, Excellence, Community, Stewardship, and Independence – and designed to develop a student’s individual calling and produce graduates of the highest proficiency, purpose and principles.

“We have a great team in place who really care about our students,” Dr. John Inman, vice president for Enrollment Services and Registrar, said. “The College’s faculty and staff walk along with those students who struggle to ensure they feel valued and continue to persist towards their goals.”

In addition to an off the charts graduation rate, the Class of 2019 also posted a 96 percent success rate, which tracks how many members of the class were working, in graduate school or working in serve within six months of graduation.

rove City College is an economic engine that’s responsible, directly and indirectly, for more than $175 million in statewide impact annually, according to a study by to the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania (AICUP) released late last year.

The College pumps more than $85 million directly into the state, regional and local economies, according to AICUP. Indirect and induced effects generated by the College total almost $90 million. Grove City College also “supports and sustains” 1,547 jobs in the state, including those employed directly by the College and others created by supply and equipment vendors, contractors and service jobs to support students, faculty, staff, and visitors, AICUP’s analysis revealed.

The report also found that the College, a private non-profit corporation that does not accept federal taxpayer funding, helps generate more than $8 million in tax revenue every year for state and local government coffers.

Data for Grove City College comes from a statewide study conducted by AICUP in 2018 that finds independent nonprofit colleges and universities have an outsize impact in the Keystone State, generating $24 billion annually in economic impact, supporting 200,000 jobs and producing about $1 billion in tax revenue.

As well as serving as drivers of local economies and job creators, independent colleges like Grove City act as “community anchors” that vitalize towns and cities by enriching cultural life, providing a philanthropic and volunteer base and impacting lives “way beyond the economic measures that are the highlight of this report,” according to AICUP President Tom Foley. t h e G ēD UNK w w w. g c c.e d u | 13

Grove City College

Students share Sticht Lecture Hall with a C-SPAN camera in January when the public affairs cable network returned to campus to record a lecture that College President Paul J. McNulty ’80, below, delivered to the class he is teaching on the U.S. Constitution.

C-SPAN puts ‘Lectures in History’ cameras in GCC classrooms

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n October and again in January, C-SPAN brought its public affairs cameras to Grove City College to capture classroom lectures by Professor of Political Science Dr. Paul Kengor and College President Paul J. McNulty ’80.

The classes are part of C-SPAN’s “Lectures in History” series, which puts cameras in the classrooms of America’s top colleges and universities and allows C-SPAN viewers to hear lectures on a variety of American history topics. Dr. Gillis Harp, professor of History, was featured on the program in 2011.

Kengor explored one of the Cold War’s hottest moments: the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.

Over the course of an hour, he brought the past to life for a rapt class of Grove City College students, exploring the background of the standoff and detailing how President John F. Kennedy and Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev handled the crisis and its resolution, much of which was secret at the time.

“Probably nothing was more critical in that period from a U.S. and Cold War perspective than the Cuban Missile Crisis. It was a very dangerous period of 13 dramatic days in October 1962, when nuclear war was a frightening possibility,” Kengor said.

In January, McNulty delivered his lecture for television to about 200 students as C-SPAN’s cameras rolled. The students are enrolled in a new course on the U.S. Constitution that McNulty, a former Deputy U.S. Attorney General, Congressional counsel and private practice attorney is uniquely qualified to teach.

McNulty’s class covered the basic structure of the Constitution and the contemporary events and personalities that shaped the writing of the nation’s governing document.

Kengor’s lecture first aired in January and is available to watch on C-SPAN’s website.

McNulty’s is set to air later this year and then be archived online. Both will be available as “Lectures in History” podcasts.

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College gets into earbuds with The Scattered Seeds Podcast

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rove City College is sponsoring a podcast produced by Beverly Heights Presbyterian Church to share stories of faith in everyday life. The guest list includes people from all walks of life, including Grove City College faculty.

The Scattered Seeds Podcast has featured: Dr. Paul Kengor, professor of Political Science; Dr. Carl Trueman, professor Kengor of Biblical and Religious Studies; and Dr. T. David Gordon, professor of Religion and Greek. Since its debut last year, the show has built an audience of thousands around the world.

Based in suburban Trueman Pittsburgh, Beverly Heights is not officially affiliated with Grove City College, but its congregation includes so many alumni and students that it is sometimes referred to as “GCC South.”

The Scattered Seeds Gordon Podcast is available through its website thescatteredseedspodcast.com, iTunes, Google Play, and SoundCloud.

March 2020

Student workers, from left, Becca Cloyd ’21, Spencer Simpson ’21, and Emily Stein ’20 helped to relay thanks to donors on Wolverine Challenge day.

Wolverine Challenge raises $1.5 million in a single day

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lumni came together in record numbers to show their support for the 2019 Wolverine Challenge, held on Nov. 19 as a single “day of giving” instead of the week-long event it has been in recent years. Over 3,200 alumni, friends, parents, and employees supported the effort, logging the largest day of giving in College history!

More than $1.5 million was raised for the Annual Fund, scholarships, financial aid, and other campus priorities.

As part of the Wolverine Challenge, Greek organizations compete annually for the Greek Giving Challenge Cup, which is awarded to the organization with the highest participation percentage. For the second year in a row, the sisters of Sigma Theta Chi took home the Cup with 24.3 percent of the sorority giving back to the College.

Being named Greek Giving Challenge Cup Champions for 2019 was a great way to cap off the celebration of the sorority’s 100th Anniversary last fall at Homecoming.

Congratulations, ladies!

Thank you to all of our generous Wolverine Challenge donors!

Save the date for the 2020 Wolverine Challenge – Nov. 17, 2020!

Alumnus, College partner to bring film festival to Grove City

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oll out the red carpet for the second annual Veritas Film Festival on April 24-30 right here in Grove City, founded by Spencer Folmar ’10 and sponsored by Grove City College.

Folmar founded Veritas Arts in 2018 and since then has built the incorporation greatly.

He purchased and renovated the Guthrie Theater in Grove City, started the Veritas film festival, announced the opening of a restaurant right across the street from the Guthrie in Grove City and just purchased a historic theater in Hillsboro, Texas.

Veritas Arts Film Festival is the annual celebration of films with truth and heart.

Veritas means “truth” in Latin. Veritas Arts endeavors to share and promote films that are truthful in representation, expression, and beauty.

The film festival will be held in Grove City this year, with the main screen showing at the Guthrie theater and secondary screens in other businesses and on the campus of Grove City College.

The Festival runs April 24-30, filling seven days with seven categories of films.

At the end of each day an awards ceremony will be held to recognize the best films in each of the days’ categories: feature films, student films, Hard Faith films, Made in PA, documentaries, screenplays, and short films.

Alumni can receive 50 percent off tickets for the week (excluding VIP passes). Tickets can be purchased online at VeritasFest.com using the code VFGGC20 at checkout for the discount.

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Grove City College

Schools

The Wolverine football squad celebrates after winning their second James A. Lynah Bowl in as many years.

Mattson

Fall brings big wins to Wolverine athletics

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he Grove City College Wolverine athletic teams earned many accolades this fall.

“The fall of 2019 is an example of all of our athletes and coaches striving for excellence, as is our standard,” Grove City College Athletic Director Todd Gibson ’02 said.

The football team posted a record of 9-2, tying single-season program record for wins. The Wolverines defeated Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in the James Lynah Bowl, 41-38, hosted at Thorn Field to conclude the season. Four players received high honors in the division both regionally and nationally.

The Presidents’ Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year and an American Football Coaches Association First Team All-American, Wesley Schools ’20 led NCAA Division III with 27 rushing touchdowns in the fall season.

He ranks third nationally with 1,788 yards for the season. Both totals rank third in Grove City’s single season record book.

The women’s soccer team excelled this season, winning the conference championship and advancing to the NCAA Tournament, both for the second straight season. Coach

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Melissa Lamie won Coach of the Year and senior Ruby Mattson earned the conference’s Player of the Year. Christian Caporaso ’20 of the mean’s team earned All-Great Lakes Region.

Volleyball, Tennis and Cross Country also posted winning seasons and individual honors.

Emma Hartshorn ’20 earned First Team All-PAC honors as well as CoSIDA Academic All-District recognition in Volleyball. The team won 20 games, and advanced to the quarterfinals of the ECAC volleyball tournament.

For Women’s Cross Country, Heidi Hoffman ’20 earned All-Mideast Region honors at the NCAA Mideast Championships in Bethlehem, Pa. The women placed 19th out

of 49 teams at the meet, two weeks after finishing third at the Presidents’ Athletic Conference Championships.

Grove City Men’s Cross Country took fourth in a very tightly bunched field at the conference championships.

Grove City placed nine men in the top 40 individually, with Jeffery Eide ’22 earning First Team All-PAC. “Along with the numerous individual and team honors, it was clear that all of our fall sports teams represented Grove City College with class and Christian character,” Gibson said. “Our expectations are equally high for our winter and spring teams as they take to the field, court, and pool.”

Caporaso

Hartshorn

Hoffman

The women’s soccer team bears their Presidents’ Athletic Conference banner after winning the championship.

Eide

March 2020

athletics Don Lyle Field dedicated

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he former College Field was rebuilt over the summer and rededicated at Homecoming 2019 as Don Lyle Field. The field features a synthetic FieldTurf surface designed for men’s and women’s soccer, new lighting, a new scoreboard, improved sound system, drainage, a new walkway to Madison Avenue, and branded signage around the field that reinforces the College’s identity. Lyle was a longtime athletic director, coach and mentor to generations of student-athletes and made significant contributions to men’s and women’s soccer, College sports programs, and the institution during his 43 years of service.

He retired in 2015.

College to field first varsity women’s lacrosse team

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rove City College will field its inaugural NCAA Division III varsity women’s lacrosse team beginning in the spring of 2022. The team will compete in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference, which sponsored women’s lacrosse for the first time in spring 2019.

“The Grove City College varsity athletics culture is a distinctive strength of our school. Our student athletes are outstanding young scholars and leaders. Adding women’s lacrosse creates another opportunity to mold talented students into great citizens for Christ’s kingdom and the common good,” Grove City College President Paul J. McNulty ’80 said.

Grove City College Athletic Director Todd Gibson ’02 said he is extremely excited about the potential for women’s lacrosse, which will be the College’s 23rd intercollegiate varsity sport.

“Women’s lacrosse has a long history of success at the club level at Grove City, and we feel we have the building blocks to develop a varsity program that displays strong Christian character while striving to be the best college lacrosse program in the country,” Gibson said.

The team will use Robert E. Thorn Field and the newly reconstructed Don Lyle Field for games and practices. “We are thankful for the new turf and lights at Don Lyle Field that will help support this undertaking,” Gibson said. “We can’t wait to welcome the team into our athletic community.”

The addition of women’s lacrosse will give Grove City College 12 women’s sports programs and 11 men’s sports programs. Grove City currently sponsors 22 varsity sports. The College most recently added men’s lacrosse as a varsity sport prior to the 2016-17 academic year. The team began play in spring 2018 and won the PAC’s inaugural championship in 2019.

Until the inaugural season, women’s lacrosse will continue as a club sport.

Hall of Fame event moves to fall

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he Grove City College Athletic Hall of Fame will honor inductees in the fall this year in conjunction with the annual night football game.

The shift from spring to fall will enhance the objective of the gala induction ceremony: to honor men and women who have achieved excellence in the field of athletics or coaching at Grove City College or who have made a significant impact on its athletic program.

Two individual sports have their own halls of fame. The Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving Hall of Fame, which began in 1985, inducted four swimmers in the 2019-20 academic year: Jay Hancock ’94, Angela (Palumbo ’13) Marasco, Kait Riesmeyer ’13 and Jenny Ryan ’13. Inductees represent current and former record holders, All-Americans, National Champions, and inspirational leaders.

The men’s soccer team also has its own Hall of Fame, to which Sean Norris ’01 was inducted this fall. The College established its Men’s Soccer Hall of Fame in 2001.

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Grove City College

Alumni took their seats at the first Seat at Our Table events at Carnegie Alumni Center on campus, left, and at the home of Holly (Haff ’95) and Marty Muchnok in Gibsonia, Pa. The meetups give Grovers a chance to connect, give and celebrate.

Alumni respond to outreach and take their seats at our table

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e know that not all alumni have the ability to join us on campus as often as they might like. Whether near or far, all alumni have an important Seat at Our Table. Your presence in the alumni family matters greatly to us, as well as your personal stories, ideas, and feedback. To make sure these important messages are heard, we’ve planned a great way to bring the “table” to you!

In October 2019, the very first Seat at Our Table gathering was held in the Carnegie Alumni Center and set the stage for similar events to be held around the country in 2020, all hosted by alumni and friends. The event focused on a series of questions we asked alumni to answer and their responses. Discussion points were recorded and presented to the College leadership. Your voice truly matters!

We are excited that these national Seat at Our Table gatherings have begun. Alumni are hosting small gatherings in their homes or local venues and sitting down at the table to share ideas and connect over important topics. At every event, our goal is simply to help you share your thoughts, concerns, and joys related to your connection and relationship to the College. Around these tables, we hope you will discover new connections with your fellow Grove City College graduates and a renewed excitement for your alma mater.

Connect, Give, and Celebrate – these are the hallmarks of what it means to be an active member in the Alumni Association, and are the best ways to take your Seat at Our Table. We hope you will join us at a Seat at Our Table gathering near you in 2020 – check out the schedule at alumni.gcc.edu/gatherings. If you don’t see an event listed near you, consider hosting one. We are always looking for alumni who love the College and want to help other alumni join the conversation.

For more information on how to become a host, please contact us at alumni@gcc.edu.

You always have a Seat at Our Table.

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Alumni always have a Seat at Our Table, and in 2020, we hope you will take your seat at an alumni-hosted gathering near you.

March 13 CANFIELD, OH

March 28 NORMAN, OK

Hosted by David and Ellen (Bailey) Bennett ’82

Hosted by Craig ’74 and Susie (Allen ’75) Jones

March 26 LITITZ, PA

April 30 BRADFORD WOODS, PA

Hosted by Matt and Kelly (Tsikalas) Knouse ’92

March 27 THE WOODLANDS, TX Hosted by John ’85 and Kathleen (Shipley ’85) Romain

March 28 WILLIAMSBURG, VA Hosted by Gerald ’92 and Tammy Bullock

Hosted by Robert and Kimberly Baierl

May 2 FAIRPORT, NY

Hosted by Dr. Nicole Cifra ’11 and Alexander Gancayco

March 2020 M ESSAGE

F ROM

A LU MN I

A N D

C O LLEG E

R ELATIO N S

Dear Alumni and Friends,

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y goal this academic year has been to try to make nearly 29,000 people feel like they are part of the same family! Simple, don’t you think?

In the last issue of the GeDUNK, we launched the idea of having a Seat at Our Table. We wanted to help you – our alumni (and our friends) – understand that we really care about your thoughts, experiences, and opinions as they relate to the College. And we want you to continue to understand that, just like a family, we can connect and find ways to support each other as we celebrate all that life has to offer.

One way we’re listening to you is through our Seat at Our Table gatherings around the country, the first was held in the Carnegie Alumni Center last October, and are designed to help alumni and friends join the conversation by sharing their experiences and feedback. These gatherings have gone extremely well thus far, and we’ve received many positive comments from those who have participated. I love this feedback: “You did a great job. My table was absolutely perfect; we had a blast! I really enjoyed myself. Didn’t even write a check and … I was ready!” – Evan Addams ’10 Thank you to the hosts who are making it possible for you to have a voice, and to all of the participants who have come to take their seats and share some pretty amazing stories and ideas with us. If you have not yet attended one of these gatherings, we will be doing these throughout 2020. Please check our listing of events at alumni.gcc.edu/gatherings as we are adding new ones each week. If you don’t see one yet in your area, please consider hosting one.

We’ll provide all the information you need. Feel free to reach out to me with questions on hosting at macleodma@gcc.edu.

Our call for all alumni to “Connect, Give, and Celebrate” has implications for our soon-to-be graduates, too. It’s always a privilege for me to help our “alumni-in-residence” (our current students) begin to think about their lifetime relationship with Grove City College as alumni. I had a great opportunity to “celebrate” with 30 of our December 2019 graduates recently and welcome them to the Alumni Association. President and Mrs. McNulty welcomed these graduates with a beautiful reception in their home! It was exciting to let them know that their relationship with the College does not stop now at graduation, but rather changes and grows as they become active alumni who are able to “Connect, Give, and Celebrate.”

On Dec. 3, 2019, the day that our country celebrated “Giving Tuesday,” we helped alumni-in-residence to see the value of giving back. More than 500 students helped to thank donors who give so generously to make their experiences possible. These students are hearing the message early that it doesn’t matter how much you may be able to give, but that placing your vote of confidence in your alma mater by giving back is what matters most.

It’s not too early to think about taking your Seat at Our Table at Homecoming 2020. I hope to see you October 2-4. Mark your calendar now.

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

Congratulations to our newest alumni – December graduates.

Alumni-in-residence writing thank you notes to donors on Donor Appreciation Day.

Saving your seat,

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

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Grove City College

Weekend celebrates student achievements and family ties

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ne thing Grove City College is committed to is celebrating the accomplishments of our students. What better way to do that than to invite their parents to campus to see these achievements first-hand? We are excited to welcome all parents and families to campus for the annual celebration of Family Weekend from May 1-3, 2020, to see the artistic, athletic, and academic successes of their students in an up-close and personal way.

A major highlight of the weekend is All-College Sing, the annual competition between the Greek organizations and housing groups that always brings thunderous applause and memorable laughs. Held on one night only, All-College Sing will be livestreamed for all who can’t attend in person. Families will also be able to catch the amazing talents displayed at the Spring Dance Show, which will be combined this year with the popular student dance performance Orchesis.

Our alumni parents are the guests of honor at another signature Family Weekend event! The College has the privilege of celebrating their important role as Legacy Families who have carried the tradition of a Grove City College education through multiple generations. The Legacy Breakfast brings together these alumni and their current scholars to take their Seat at Our Table and celebrate the special bonds they share with each other and their alma mater.

Come and enjoy Family Weekend 2020 to take in these special events, as well as many others, including concerts, drama performances, a student research showcase, an art exhibit, and The Center for Entrepreneurship + Innovation’s Venture Battle, to name just a few. Our talented student body has so much to share with you!

Registration for Family Weekend is now open at gcc.edu/familyweekend.

MAY 1-3, 2020

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March 2020

Alum owner/ operators serve up ‘nuggets of wisdom’

G District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan ’00, center, is pictured with the Grove City College String Quartet – from left, Allison Smith ’21, Christopher Ostertag ’20, Julia Kate Brackbill ’20, and Ivy Nowakoski ’20 – at his investiture in November.

Ranjan ’00 joins federal judiciary

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hen Grove City College alumnus J. Nicholas Ranjan ’00 took his ceremonial oath of office in November to serve as district judge for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, a contingent of Grovers was on hand.

College President Paul J. McNulty ’80 led the delegation to congratulate Ranjan, of Allison Park, Pa., who graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in History and was orchestra concertmaster during his student days.

“He is an extraordinarily talented lawyer with the wisdom and temperament to render fair and impartial judgement in the Western District. I have the utmost confidence that he will be a credit to the legal profession and his alma mater as he assumes the immense responsibility of the federal bench,” McNulty said.

The College’s String Quartet, comprised of Allison Smith ’21, Christopher Ostertag ’20, Julia Kate Brackbill ’20, and Ivy Nowakoski ’20, provided music for the event with Dr. Jeffrey Tedford ’00, chair and professor of Music and director of orchestras.

Ranjan earned a law degree from the University of Michigan and practiced at the international law firm of K&L Gates LLP in its Pittsburgh headquarters, first as an associate and then as an equity partner, with a practice focused on complex commercial litigation, appellate litigation, and domestic arbitration. He has twice accepted the Fred Rogers Good Neighbor Award for the recruitment of middle school mentors. In his spare time, he is a mentor to middle school students, a rec league basketball player, and an accomplished violinist and composer.

In the federal judiciary, Ranjan joins fellow alumni David Porter ’88, who was appointed judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in 2018, and Arthur J. Schwab ’68, who serves as senior district judge in the Western District of Pennsylvania.

rove City College alums shared “nuggets of wisdom” about their experience as owner/operators with the highly successful Chick-fil-A fast food restaurant chain at November’s edition of the Richard G. Staley ’62 Visionary Entrepreneur Speaker Series.

Students heard from six owner/operators of restaurants about working with the chain and the ups and downs of management and ownership of a national franchise: Karen (Dutka ’96) Bolumen, a Marketing Management major with a store in Columbus, Ohio.

Shawn Filby ’89, an Applied Physics major and Air Force veteran, with a store Reading, Pa. His son Graham ’20 is a current senior.

Kory Kaye ’09, a Marketing Management major with a store in Chandler, Ariz.

Married couple Ryan ’07 and Sarah (Gehman ’07) Rutt, Accounting and Finance majors, respectively, with stores in Meadowbrook Mall in Bridgeport, W.Va. Jay Yanak ’08, a Business Management major with a masters in Divinity from Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary with a store in The Mall at Robinson in Pittsburgh, Pa. The panel and a lively Q&A session was followed by a reception featuring Chick-fil-A nuggets.

Chick-fil-A is one of the nation’s bestknown and best-loved franchises, drawing fans for its tasty chicken and its corporate culture, which stresses traditional values.

Stores are closed on Sundays to give employees time off with their families.

In addition to the six panelists, a notable number of Grove City College alumni are part of the Chick-fil-A organization, which is a prominent presence at the College’s annual Career Fair.

Watch the entire Richard G. Staley ’62 Visionary Entrepreneur Speaker Series discussion at: gccentrepreneurship.com/ staley-speaker-series.

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Grove City College

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March 2020

alumni & friends events Upcoming Alumni & Friends Events March 22 Scholarship Celebration Grove City College April 2-3 Institute for Faith and Freedom Conference “The Spirit of Democratic Capitalism” Grove City College April 6 First Monday Breakfast Eat n’ Park, Wexford, Pa.

6 Alumni and Friends of the College enjoyed fellowship across the country this year, celebrating together at Grover Gatherings, Showcase Series concerts, and special seasonal events including breakfast with Santa in December (1) and the annual Carnegie Christmas Concerts (4). The Showcase Series put on by the Office of Alumni and College Relations included a special pre-show reception with Keith Getty before the Getty’s “Sing!

An Irish Christmas” concert at the Benedum Center in Pittsburgh (5), and an on-campus performance by Philadelphia band “Stella Ruze” (2). Grovers across the country gathered in Brecksville, Ohio (3), Asheville, N.C. (6), Hewitt, Texas (7), and Mason, Ohio (8).

April 23 South Hills Alumni Quarterly Panera Bread, Mt. Lebanon, Pa. April 24-30 Veritas Film Festival Guthrie Theater, Grove City, Pa. April 25 Children’s Theater Breakfast and Performance – “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” Grove City College

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May 1-3 Family Weekend Grove City College May 4 First Monday Breakfast Eat N’ Park, Wexford, Pa. May 7 Seat at Our Table Livestream for Ketler and Faith & Freedom Society Members May 8 Alumnae Lunch with Speaker Dr. Jennifer (Scott ’99) Mobley Pittsburgh, Pa.

Remember to bookmark alumni.gcc.edu/events for more dates and info on registering.

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Committed to

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE

By Nick Hildebrand

Grove City College

OUR FOUNDATIONS OF ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE Grove City College’s commitment to academic excellence is bolstered by: The Humanities Core: Every student from every major takes a series of courses exploring multiple facets of civilization and culture through the lens of scripture to gain a well-rounded understanding of the world and their place in it.

Great teaching: A faculty of accomplished Christian scholars who are focused on student success through academics and mentoring.

Institutional autonomy: Independence allows the College to advance unifying ideas of objective truth and reject relativism that infects so many higher education institutions.

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Proud of our liberal arts & sciences foundations Harbison Chapel’s glorious Teaching Window presents images of great scholars and scientists, men and women of faith and learning who pushed the boundaries of philosophy and science and then shared what they discovered. Rendered in stunning color and minute detail, Moses, Aristotle, Galileo, Newton, and others join the Gospel writers around the window’s central focus, the risen Christ above and, across three window panels, the earthly Jesus, delivering the enduring lecture known as the Sermon on the Mount.

The stained glass tableau reveals mankind’s quest for knowledge, the obligation to share it, and a recognition of the ultimate source of all wisdom. It is a declaration, an inspiration, and a reminder of the College’s central charge: To educate and prepare young men and women for lives of achievement and service.

Academic excellence is the existential quality that draws students, attracts great faculty, and builds the College’s reputation as one of America’s best liberal arts and sciences colleges.

Students come to study all kinds of different things – accounting, engineering, music, biology, entrepreneurship, nursing, or any one of the more than 60 programs of study now offered – but the academic program ensures that they leave with something in common: a capacity for understanding fostered by the College’s focus on the foundational elements of a classical education, the liberal arts. Here they are introduced to the great ideas, events, personalities, and achievements that shape civilization and the objective, universal truth that

March 2020

directs it. They graduate with an education that will serve them well as they continue lives of meaning, purpose, and service.

“Grove City College is a teaching college,” Dr. Paul C. Kemeny, dean of the Calderwood School of Arts and Letters said. “What happens in the classroom is really the raison d’être of this school.”

Dr. Peter Frank ’95, provost and vice president of Academic Affairs, said it all begins and ends with students. “The College attracts students who want to dive in and grapple with ideas and engage the process and not just passively go through college,” he said.

The numbers bear that out: a majority of incoming freshmen are in the top five percent of their class, with more than two dozen valedictorians; their average SAT score is 1251 with a mean grade point average of 3.68. The numbers are just as impressive coming out: 41 percent of the Class of 2019 graduated with cum laude, magna cum laude or summa cum laude honors and 14 percent are currently pursuing graduate degrees. (continued on page 28)

Faculty authors enrich the life of the mind

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here is a branded section of the College Bookstore where the shelves are filled with books produced by Grove City faculty and others who have visited the College or influenced thinking here.

Amid the multiple volumes in the “Life of the Mind” section are the collected works of prolific Political Science Professor Dr. Paul Kengor – whose tomes on Ronald Reagan, communism and other subjects make him the College’s most-published author – and other professors in the Calderwood School of Arts and Letters. Their literary output is impressive.

The subject matter varies but stays largely within the wheelhouse of a College known for faith and freedom: history, religion, social science, philosophy, and literature. Faculty explore the subjects they know best, often from a Christian perspective, but always rooted in solid scholarship.

The most recent additions to the collection include two volumes published by the respected Oxford University Press, which has been championing excellent scholarship since since the 15th century, textbooks from a Christian worldview, and even a romance novel: The Oxford Handbook of Presbyterianism, edited by Dr. Paul C. Kemeny, professor of Biblical and Religious Studies and dean of the Calderwood School, and Dr. Gary Scott Smith ’72, emeritus professor of History, covers the storied Protestant denomination’s history, theology, worship practices, and institutional structures. Both scholars also contributed chapters.

Development on Purpose: Faith and Human Behavior in the Social Environment by Dr. Lisa Hosack, professor of Social Work, is a textbook that provides a coherent framework for considering issues in the field from a Christian perspective. It is an extension of her successful efforts to build a faith-based social work program at Grove City College.

Protestants and American Conservatism: A Short History by Dr. Gillis Harp, professor of History, takes a longer view than most studies of the subject. Political scientists, historians, and journalists looking at the nexus of religion and politics generally begin in the 1970s, with the rise of the modern Christian right and the Moral Majority, but few deeply examine anything before 1945. Harp traces the relationship between Protestantism and conservative politics over four centuries from “the Puritans to Palin,” according to publisher Oxford University Press.

Christian Marriage: A Comprehensive Introduction by Dr. David Ayers, professor of Sociology, distills more than three decades of study and experience, thousands of years’ worth of theology and history and the latest social science research to illuminate one of the primary bonds of human existence.

Forgiving Tess by Dr. Kimberly Miller, professor of Communications Studies, is a love story that illuminates the power of forgiveness.

It’s Miller’s second novel.

Promise, Law, Faith: Covenant-Historical Reasoning in Galatians by Dr. T. David Gordon, professor of Religion and Greek, explores Paul’s reasoning and offers new insight into the Gospel.

SUPPORTING SCHOLARSHIP Grove City College supports research and scholarship through direct and indirect funding of projects and a sabbatical program that allows faculty time off to research and work on projects.

The College has two main funding streams for scientific research. The Swezey Fund for Scientific Instrumentation and Research and the more recently established Jewell, Moore and MacKenzie Fund. Both provide essential funding to increase the quality of education and the preparation of students in the Hopeman School of Science, Engineering, and Mathematics.

Faculty sabbaticals provide opportunities to pursue significant scholarly research without the additional responsibilities of full-time instructional loads.

Professors often use the time off to write books and conduct research at institutions around the country and the world.

Faculty are also encouraged to explore private funding opportunities from foundations and corporations. The Office of Development stands ready to assist in securing such funding. To support academic excellence at Grove City College, please contact the Office of Development at 866-386-3422 or giving@gcc.edu.

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Grove City College (continued from page 27) The caliber of students has a match in the faculty of Christian scholars and scientists assembled to curate their undergraduate education. Building on a tradition that includes legendary professors like Herbert Harmon, a pioneer in the field of radio in the early 20th century (see story on page 30), Hans Sennholz, who championed the free market ethos echoed by Ronald Reagan, and dozens of other titans of the classroom, today’s faculty similarly instructs, inspires, and collaborates with students.

The work they do in the labs and lecture halls has an impact on campus and beyond in scientific circles and society, where their ideas and research answer some questions and lead to others. While Grove City College is a teaching college – and requires all faculty to teach a full course load and maintain regular office hours – faculty are active scholars in the sciences and the humanities. They are doing groundbreaking research in the sciences and humanities, turning out a steady stream of peer-reviewed articles, books, and texts, more often than not with the assistance of students as part of their regular coursework. As much as this work expands knowledge and deepens understanding in the disciplines, those students are the primary beneficiaries.

“Research and scholarship have many benefits to students. Scholarly activities build problem-solving skills and apply information learned in class in new ways and lead to a deeper understanding of the discipline,” Dr. Michael Jackson, professor of Mathematics, said. “Outside scholarship and research informs good teaching,” Kemeny added.

Grove City College’s emphasis on scholarship and research also expands student horizons, according to Dr. Anna Wargula ’11, who teaches ocean engineering at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. “Research as an undergrad is what got me where I am,” she said. “Going to a liberal arts school allowed me to learn about both English and engineering, and I loved both. I thought engineering was just about finding and using the right equations and the arts is where I could be creative. But I realized that through engineering, I can tell a story that’s never been told before.” 

College researchers challenge assumptions to seek the truth

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aculty from the Department of Exercise Science, one of the College’s fastestgrowing academic areas, conduct research on a number of interesting fronts, some of which have real potential to impact human potential and the multi-billiondollar fitness industry.

Working with a number of students, department Chair Dr. Philip Prins and Assistant Professor Jeffrey Buxton conducted research and last year published several papers. One, co-authored with one of the world’s foremost experts in the field, appears to refute the long-held belief that athletes have to eat high carbohydrate diets to perform high intensity endurance exercise. Another, driven by student-led research indicated that caffeine, on its own or as part of a commercially available pre-workout supplement, increases muscular endurance. A third study, based on student research, is slated for publication in April.

“It’s important to note that this work allows undergraduate researchers to get published in scientific, peer-reviewed journals. This is a big deal,” Prins said.

Dr. Dana L. Ault, assistant professor of Exercise Science, researches how exercise affects brain function and activity. She has conducted research on how light, moderate, and high intensity workouts on a variety of exercise equipment can impact brain function and is currently analyzing the results. The research, completed with the help of students, entailed testing subjects’ attention, response inhibition, visuospatial working memory, and reaction time.

Buxton also performed research last year examining the effects of a novel groundbased movement training program on functional movement, range of motion, muscular strength and endurance. He is currently in the process of seeking publication.

Much of their work is done in the new Human Performance Lab in Rockwell Hall. The space is outfitted with treadmills, bike machines, weights, training tables, and machines that track subjects’ vital statistics. The space “really enhances the classroom experience in addition to student and faculty research,” Prins said.

Prins encourages students to challenge traditional beliefs in the field. “Science is everchanging. Fifty percent of what you know is probably wrong. Our job as scientists and researchers is to try to figure out which 50 percent is which,” he said. “Eventually the truth will always prevail.”

Exercise Science is part of the Hopeman School of Science, Engineering, and Mathematics, which also includes the departments of Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Nursing, and Physics. All offer students a variety of options for applied student-faculty research in a variety of areas, such as data analytics, robotics, systems engineering, cyber security, the internet-of-things, biochemistry, bioengineering, and public health.

For more about research, visit gcc.edu/research

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March 2020

“The end goal is to develop the whole person so that they have the tools to understand tough questions and deal with ethical issues that they are going to be faced with in the ‘real world.’”

Frank(ly) speaking: New provost on the mission Dr. Peter Frank ’95 is very familiar with the impact that Grove City College can have on its most important constituency: the students.

Frank, the College’s new provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, was not, admittedly, an amazing student when he first arrived on campus more than 25 years ago. “I knew I should go to college, but I was not focused at all,” he said. It took Frank a little while to find his footing at the Grove, but, he said “as I grew in my faith and began to see things with the help of great professors, I got excited.”

One of the things he got excited about was economics, thanks to the influence of a dynamic faculty in the department. Another was his faith, which led him to a leadership position with the New Life ministry and a second academic home.

Frank graduated with a double major in Economics and Religion and went on to earn a master’s degree in economics at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and a doctoral degree at George

Mason University, Fairfax, Va., where his dissertation committee included nationally renowned economist and Grove City College alumnus Dr. Peter Boettke ’83. Frank served as a professor and dean of Wingate University’s business school and, in 2012, was a Fulbright scholar, teaching and studying economic development in Moldova.

In January, Frank returned to campus to take on the job of overseeing the academic affairs at his alma mater. This time around, he is much more focused. “I’m really looking forward to meeting and getting to know the faculty and learning about the different programs and the different departments,” he said. “I want to partner with them in assessing: What are our strengths? What are our weaknesses? What are areas where we need to grow and develop, in terms of expansion of programs and enhancement of existing programs?”

As an alumnus, Frank understands the College’s commitment, “first and foremost,” to students. Serving them is the mission of an “amazing” student-focused faculty and a

historic commitment to the liberal arts and a Christian worldview, he said. “The end goal is to develop the whole person so that they have the tools to understand tough questions and deal with ethical issues that they are going to be faced within the ‘real world,’ and in their more narrow professional disciplines.

That’s crucial to developing good citizens – good people – who can engage the world and are equipped to be much more productive,” he said.

“What is unique about Grove City College is that integrating faith and learning leads to the development of mind, body, and soul,” Frank said. “Our faculty have a commitment to their Christian faith and thinking deeply about how this commitment shapes their academic understanding, how they approach teaching, and how their courses fit into a much greater body of truth. Thus, our students are challenged to learn how their role in the world is informed by a long history of revealed truth and are then better prepared to live meaningful lives that can help enhance human flourishing.”

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A CENTURY ‘ON AIR’

First broadcast made Grove City College a pioneer in radio

By Nick Hildebrand

This spring marks the 100th anniversary of a major event in Grove City College’s history: the birth of College radio and its first broadcast.

At the time, radio was in its infancy.

Experiments in “radio telephony,” had been going on since the early days of the 20th century. Grove City College professor Dr. Herbert Harmon, chair of the Physics Department, had been working in the field since 1911. His work on radio transmitting and receiving was recognized as significant – he won $100 in gold for his design of “a practical radiophone for the amateur” in 1919 – and helped lay the groundwork for later advances and the eventual commercialization of the medium.

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Grove City High School that was across the street from lower campus, made possible some of the earliest advancements in audio transmission, i.e. ‘radio telephony,’ and earned him a spot as a pioneer in broadcasting,” Darren Morton, director of Broadcasting and Audio Support Systems and director and engineer for WSAJ Radio, said.

Harmon was experimenting with transmissions as early as 1914 before the government shut down all civilian radio stations during World War I. After the hostilities ended, Harmon secured an experimental call sign – 8YV – on Dec. 1, 1918, and made his first experimental transmission on July 25, 1919. Less than a year later, on April 26, 1920, the station that would become “The One” broadcast a speech by then-President Weir C. Ketler to the New

Castle Rotary Club, 20 miles from campus.

At the time, it was a technological wonder and significant development in regional broadcasting. It would be months before KDKA, the “first” commercial radio station in the country, was established and the transmission to New Castle became part of Grove City College lore, with many contending that the College had “the first station on air in the country.” That claim is very hard to prove since the early history of radio is sketchy and verifiable “firsts” are elusive.

“There were numerous colleges as well as the military who had been issued experimental call signs and subsequently experimented with radio telephony dating back to 1911,” according to Morton. There is even a verified story of a land-based operator

March 2020

As well as pioneering radio broadcasting, Dr. Herbert Harmon produced a line of commercial radios under the Harmonson label, opposite page. For years WSAJ operated out of Rockwell Hall, left. Today its studios are located in the Technological Learning Center, where Darren Morton, above, serves as director and engineer.

The radio used to make the College’s first broadcast on April 26, 1920, inset, is on display there.

piping “Silent Night” into his telegraph radio keying system on Christmas Eve 1906, providing music to ships at sea with a certain grade of receiver, he said.

According to radio historian Jennifer Waits, co-founder of the website Radio Survivor and is its College Radio and Culture editor, it is very hard to determine which college or university was first, but she identifies Grove City College as one of fewer than a dozen institutions with legitimate claims.

First or not, the station continued to broadcast with the experimental call sign until December 1922 when the Federal Communications Commission issued the call letters WSAJ to Grove City College.

The station began carrying college basketball games shortly after, which led to the forming of the Radio Club in 1931 to help Harmon operate the station. In the fall of 1932, the station moved to the then-new Rockwell Hall of Science on upper campus.

Harmon was succeed by Dale O. Smock ’42, longtime professor of Electrical Engineering, as the radio station’s director.

In 1968, the FCC licensed WSAJ-FM at 10 watts on frequency 89.5-mhz. The studios on the third floor of Rockwell were adapted to accommodate the new equipment and additional studio space.

Just over a decade later, the studios moved

from the third floor of Rockwell Hall to the ground floor of Ketler Hall.

In 1984, the station’s power – and coverage area – was increased significantly.

In 1994, another power increase was granted and the station made the move to new studio

“Harmon’s work in an era where radio operators were literally building their own equipment from plans they had drawn up themselves was groundbreaking and innovative.” space in a building named for its first “star” – the Weir C. Ketler Technological Learning Center – and on the radio dial to 91.1. Student programming, which had been restricted to an AM signal available only on campus, returned triumphantly to the FM station in 2003 at the direction of Board of Trustees

Chair – and former WSAJ Sports Director – David R. Rathburn ’79. A major technical upgrade to the Dorothy “Dot” Newman Wilson ’43 Studios in the TLC came in 2009, funded mostly by a memorial gift by Dorothy’s husband, Dr. H. Randall Wilson ’42. The Wilsons were both WSAJ alums. In 2011, the station’s power and coverage increased again with a new, off-site transmitter.

Today, WSAJ offers a broadcast showcase for students and their musical selections – indie rock and Christian artists dominate – a mix of BBC and Public Radio International programming along with syndicated classical, bluegrass, folk, blues, Americana, jazz, swing, African, and other music.

While it is not possible to verify any of Grove City College’s former claims to broadcasting “firsts,” it doesn’t diminish the work of Harmon and the legacy he established on campus.

“Harmon’s work in an era where radio operators were literally building their own equipment from plans they had drawn up themselves was groundbreaking and innovative,” Morton said. “Even if the College and WSAJ can’t verify the ‘firsts’ attributed to them, there is no doubt that the College was at the forefront of a developing technology that had – and continues to have – an incredible impact on society.” 

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Photo courtesy of Miss America Organization

Miss Pennsylvania Tiffany Sietz ’17 explains her social impact initiative “Adoption Advocacy – Restoring Hope, Transforming Lives” at the Miss America 2.0 Pageant.

ALUM ADOPTING A CAUSE

By Alyssa (Jackson ’19) Bootsma Tiffany Seitz ’17 wasn’t expected to live past age one, but this December, the healthy 24-year-old with an Entrepreneurship degree from Grove City College competed in Miss America 2.0. She didn’t win the title, but the platform allowed her to advance a cause that is very close to her heart: Foster care and adoption.

For Seitz, it is personal. She was born addicted to cocaine. Doctors thought she might not survive and, if she did, would have permanent damage. “Obviously a child in that type of condition would be in the NICU getting treatment, but sadly that wasn’t the case for me,” Seitz told PEOPLE magazine for a December 2019 article that promoted her pageant priority.

Her birth mother couldn’t provide her medical care that she desperately needed, but, by the Grace of God and through the Holy Family Institute, Tiffany found a foster family within months of her birth with Lori and Len Seitz, who had already fostered three boys through high school. Lori decided to leave her job as a nurse and care for Tiffany full time. In 1998, when Tiffany was two-and-a-half, the family adopted her.

She was homeschooled by Lori through fifth grade and went on to graduate from Evangel Heights Christian Academy in Buffalo Township, Pa. in 2013.

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“I’m so grateful that my parents have given me so much, opportunities that I wouldn’t have had had it not been for the gift of adoption,” she said.

After graduating high school, Seitz attended Grove City College from 2013-2017.

She began as a Communication Studies major but switched to Entrepreneurship after taking a Principles of Marketing class which piqued her interest in business. She decided to keep a Communication Studies minor and

“Adoption might be an unconventional way to start a family, but it’s not an invalid way to start a family. And my family is living proof of that.” noticed the merit in how the two fields work together well. “Looking at where I am now in my role as Miss Pennsylvania, I couldn’t be happier that I decided to keep the two of them together after all,” Seitz said. “I use the skills, tools and strategies taught to me in these two disciplines on a daily basis and I’m so glad that I get to share the things that I’ve learned with others.”

While in college, Seitz held leadership roles in Orchesis, Spring Dance Company and

theater. “Those leadership skills allowed me to exercise and develop my leadership abilities in order to be able to use them efficiently for post-graduate opportunities such as serving as Miss Pennsylvania,” she said.

Tiffany grew up in the dance world, but pageants were not part of her life until an acquaintance at Grove City College suggested she enter one that was looking for contestants. Soon she won a local contest to represent the Butler County, Pa., region in the Miss Pennsylvania pageant, which she won in 2019, earning a ticket to the national Miss America contest. With the much-criticized swimsuit competition removed, there was more room in the event for participants to talk about the way they can make an impact on society. Tiffany chose to share her story and launched the initiative: “Adoption Advocacy — Restoring Hope, Transforming Lives.”

Seitz’s work on the issue earned recognition during media coverage of the Miss America pageant last year. This fall she received the Art J. Rooney Courage House Award through the Holy Family Institute, alongside the current Pittsburgh Steelers Running Back James Conner.

“If it weren’t for the Holy Family Institute, I wouldn’t be here today,” Seitz said. “Adoption might be an unconventional way to start a family, but it’s not an invalid way to start a family. And my family is living proof of that,” she said.

She continues to serve the commonwealth as Miss Pennsylvania until she helps crown her successor in June. Some of the ways she has already served her community include co-emceeing the Cheer-Off For Children with Adoptions From The Heart in Pittsburgh, volunteering for back-to-school events with Blessings Foster Care, volunteering with the Milton Hershey School and giving keynote speeches at the Children’s Home of York’s 154th Annual Meeting and at TRAC Family Services Pearls and Purpose Program.

“When I was born, I was given a two-week life expectancy and doctors didn’t see me making it to my first birthday. Twenty-four years later, it’s amazing that I’m here to tell the story of the miracle that my life has proved to be, all thanks to God and His ever-present hand in my life,” she said. “500,000 children across America reside in foster care and are waiting to be placed in forever homes. My greatest gift as Miss Pennsylvania this year has been sharing my personal adoption story to educate, encourage, and inspire.” 

You can ensure that future generations have the education they need to be a positive influence in our society.

March 2020

Make a gift in your will to Grove City College.

Here’s how it benefits you: • Your gift costs you nothing.

• It may effectively reduce taxes on your estate.

• You make it possible for generations of students to receive a quality higher education they need to be a transformative influence in our society.

“I came to Grove City because of affordability and have come full circle, perpetuating affordable cost by helping other students.”

— Ron Brandon ‘64

Contact Adam Nowland ’07, J.D., for more information about how you can create your legacy at Grove City College at 724-458-3865 or by email at avnowland@gcc.edu.

Or, get your free, personalized planning information at http://giftplanning.gcc.edu.

If you would like to support Grove City College through your will, please consider using the following language: “I give and devise to Grove City College (Tax ID 25-1065148), located in Grove City, PA, all (or state a percentage) of the rest, residue and remainder of my estate to be used for its general support (or a specific fund or program).” t h e G ēD UNK w w w. g c c.e d u | 33

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class notes 1962 Robert KuncioRaleigh is the author of a new novel, Mountain, which tells the fictionalized true story of Joseph Mountain — a free black man raised by notable white Philadelphians in the era before the Revolutionary War. More info at mountainnovel.com.

KEEP IN TOUCH! We want to keep in touch

1963

with you electronically! If you

Dr. Don Shockey was recently inducted into the Stanford Research Institute’s Alumni Hall of Fame. Shockey is an internationally known expert in the fracture behavior of materials.

A 45-year employee, he is an SRI Fellow, founded and led the Poulter Lab’s Center for Fracture Physics, and helped clients, including NASA and the Department of Defense.

Col. Thomas Snodgrass, retired humanities educator at EmbryRiddle Aeronautical University, was recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Educators for dedication, achievements, and leadership in humanities. In addition, he received Marquis’ Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award. He is a retired U.S. Air Force colonel who served for 30 years between 1963 and 1993.

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

alumni.gcc.edu/update.

ICO GROVE CITY |

These students stayed in Grove City during October’s Fall Break to serve the community. In one of their Inner City Outreach Grove City projects, they helped retired chemistry professor Sara Naegele, pictured center, with yardwork.

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

alumni.gcc.edu/classnote.

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

1968

for your event.

Email alumni@gcc.edu for more information.

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ACADEMY ALUMS |

These alumni educators work together at the K-12 Covenant Christian Academy in Warrenton, Va. From left: Fifth-Grade Teacher Jill (Baker ’95) Sullivan; Head of School Amanda (Tittle ’00) Bryson; Music Appreciation and SAT Prep Teacher Jenny (Penderville ’86) Cobble; High School History Teacher Laura (Parks ’06) Underwood; and Board Member and Fourth-Grade Teacher Meredith (Reasor ’96) Hinkey.

Dr. Dave Sheasley published a book, Christian Truth Made Plain, that provides a clear presentation of Christian truth and insights on troublesome topics such as evolution in an understandable, non-ecclesiastical language. It is available through Amazon.

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CLEVELAND COLOR | These Theta Alpha Pi sisters enjoyed a summer meeting in Cleveland. From left: Sally (Riedel ’77) Bromfield, Gusty (Kairys ’79) Hartung, Marcia (McKissick ’77) Taylor, Ginger (McMullan ’79) Hockenberger, Janet (Folk ’79) Reuter, and Cindy (Dowd ’77) Miller. Not pictured: Cathy (Stewart ’79) Finley.

1969 Linda Harris Sittig’s third novel, Counting Crows, has been published by Freedom Forge Press. The story takes place in 1918 New York City and is part of Sittig’s “Threads of Courage” series of historical fiction. She also writes the monthly strongwomeninhistory.com blog paying tribute to women who should have become famous.

Earlier in her career, she taught for 36 years in Fairfax County Schools, Virginia, and earned several reading teacher awards.

1973 Roger Grabman, PE, took office in January as the 2020 president of the Georgia Society of Professional Engineers. Registered in three states, he is the principal of Grab Innovations and Services, a professional engineering firm for product and production equipment design and safety issues. He is also the secretary of The Southeastern Inventors Association.

1974 Dennis J. Morris retired as Schuyler (N.Y.) County, Family, Surrogate Court judge and acting Supreme Court justice on May 30, 2019.

He graduated from the University of Akron Law School in 1978 and served as Schuyler County assistant district attorney, assistant county attorney and

county attorney before being elected county judge in 2011. A four-year member of the Grove City Marching Band, he has designed and instructed championship drum and bugle corps, marching bands, and winter guards during a 40-year span.

Dr. C. Michael Roland received the Colwyn Medal from the Institute of Materials, Metals, and Mining (UK) in a ceremony in London in September. Cited for “outstanding services to the rubber industry of a scientific, technical, or engineering character,” he is only the fourth American recipient of the medal, first awarded in 1928.

Dr. Roland is a senior scientist for Soft Matter Physics at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C.

LAST ROUNDUP |

John Bullions, Harry Morton, and Charlie Campbell, Okies from the Class of 1966, met last summer at Bullions’ ranch in Lewistown, Mont., for the last roundup. They say a good time was had by all.

1977 Jim Jarrett, an associate broker with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices The Preferred Realty, is president-elect for 2020 for the REALTORS Association of Metropolitan Pittsburgh. Also the director for the Pennsylvania Association of Realtors, he has been involved in Pittsburgh’s real estate for 40 years, earning the ABR and SRES designations.

Michael Zellers was selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America for 2020. He practices in the areas of product liability litigation – defendants – for Tucker Ellis LLP.

DOWNTON DAY |

Friends and sisters of Phi Sigma Chi Class of 1974 emulated Downton Abbey times during an October 2019 gathering at the Brasenhill Mansion near Hershey, Pa. Row 1, from left: Krista (Wynne) Visconti, Penny (Polarinakis) Lotz, Debbie (DeFazio) Fisher, Karen (Barclay) Oplinger, and Sandy (Stephens) Whiteside. Row 2: Jan (Hostler) Stewart, Jinny (Barringer) Higginson, Trisha (Cofiell) Lippincott, Sue Waple, Ada Lee (Hauer) Williams, and Nancy Collins.

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WEDDING GUESTS |

Three 1976 ADELS met at the summer wedding of P. Scott Duesterdick’s daughter. Pictured here with guests at the Saratoga Springs, N.Y., nuptials are, from left: Gen. (Ret.) Bradley Butler ’76 and his wife, Paula; Bruce Leasure ’76 and his wife, Karen (Carpenter ’76) Leasure; Duesterdick ’76 and his sister, Robin (Duesterdick ’83) Brickman.

1980

1994

Peter Gregory entered his second and final retirement after 12 years as senior pastor of the Lambertville Community Church (N.J.). Previously, he served 23 years as an active duty Navy chaplain. A war veteran of three combat zone deployments, his final posting in the Navy was senior chaplain, Arlington National Cemetery. He and his wife, Kris (Jacobs ’82) Gregory, have two children and three grandchildren, and reside in Doylestown Pa.

Dawn (Conser) Arthurs and her husband, Don, were included in the November 2019 Reader’s Digest story titled “In Columbiana, Ohio, the Nicest Place in America, Nobody Gets Left Behind.” The Arthurs own the town’s Crown Theater, which puts on live theater productions often featuring special needs children. They say in the story that they consider this work as putting their faith into the world.

1987 Karen (Dennie) Batykefer accepted an associate, business intelligence and reporting position with Santander Bank in Framingham, Mass., in June.

1989 Dr. Jeffrey Fuller is the 2019-20 president of the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators. He is superintendent of the Freedom Area School District.

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1995 Ralph Cochran authored a book released in the fall, Story Marketing for Christian Schools: The Expert’s Guide to Growing Enrollment Through Word of Mouth Marketing, Story Telling, and Inbound Marketing.

Michael Hoffer became director of the Emergency Department at Armstrong County Memorial Hospital in Kittanning, Pa., on July 1, 2019. He has practiced emergency medicine there for 16 years. He lives in Butler, Pa., with wife Connie and four children.

Sallie (Norris) Wick and Kevin Hagen were both elected to the Mars (Pa.) Area School Board

SAVANNAH SMILES |

Girlfriends from the Class of 1979 gathered for their fourth annual reunion, this year in Savannah, Ga. Fist row, from left: Cindy (Smalley) Monroe, Linda (Millard) Tsagdis, Lois (Morton) Kuttesch, Carol (Schopps) Walton, Dot (Boyer) DeAngelis, and Leslie (Edwards) Feather. Second row: Paula (Meyer) Haven, Stephanie (Folkl) Johnson, Robin (Lancellotti) McCourt, Nancy Hayes Bevington, and Janet (Hobe) Micklos.

in the November 2019 election.

Both are newcomers to the ninemember Board.

1998 Lisa (Pascal) Sobolak earned her master’s degree in education from Slippery Rock University in May 2019. She also obtained her reading specialist certification and continues to work at the Souderton (Pa.) Charter School Collaborative.

2005 Lindsey (Ellison) and Jon ’03 Lamm are the parents of son Jack Jonathan, born Oct. 4, 2019.

Becky (Codner) Glasser and her husband, Kevin, welcomed their second daughter, Madeline Violet, on Aug. 28, 2019.

Joel Settecase and his wife, Aliza, completed training with Cru and founded the Think Institute, a Christian worldview, evangelism, and apologetics education and training ministry, through Cru Church Movements in February 2019. Joel completed his M.A. in Philosophy of Religion from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in December 2017.

2006 Lauren (Albert) Pfeiffer and her husband, Chris, are the parents of daughter Samantha Jubilee, born Nov. 15, 2018.

2007 Andrew Kloes married Eilish Barnes of Fochabers, Scotland, on April 13, 2019, in Harbison Chapel. His church history Ph.D. dissertation was published by Oxford University Press in June and he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society of the United Kingdom in December.

Caroline (Breithaupt) Morder and her husband, Heath, welcomed daughter Everly Te on Sept. 17, 2019.

Stephanie (Holsinger) and Jonathan Neff welcomed son Miles Joseph on Jan. 3, 2019.

He joins siblings Bryan, Eliza, and Abram.

Jana (North) Rice and her husband, Kevin, are the parents of daughter Adrey Mae, now 3.

March 2020

IN PRINT |

This photo of Sue Miller ’85, left, and Myra (Rusinko ’79) Oleynik appeared in a fall issue of the Observer-Reporter newspaper in Washington, Pa. The women work together at the Peter Township Public Library in McMurray, where Miller is the assistant director, and Oleynik is director.

2010 Benjamin Allen and his wife, Jada, welcomed son Caleb Benjamin on Sept. 14, 2019.

Bethany (Savage) Jackson and her husband, TJ, welcomed son Alexander Thomas on Dec. 24, 2018. Sister Elaina is 3.

Meredith (Bolling) and Jordan ’08 Obaker announce the birth of daughter Willa Wren on July 8, 2019.

2011 Ashley Cetnar and her husband, Thomas Madar, are the parents of son Daniel Thomas, born Oct. 16, 2018.

Phil Gruber received three firstplace and one second-place Keystone Press Awards this spring from the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association. He is the news editor at Lancaster Farming newspaper in Ephrata, Pa. Matthew Muchnok and his wife, Mallory, welcomed son Matthew Christopher II on Aug. 6, 2019. He joins sister Sophie, 3.

Courtney (Bright) Wallace and her husband, Michael, welcomed son Nathaniel Bright on June 2, 2019.

He joins siblings Theo, 5, and Neva, 3.

Peter Foster defended his dissertation in physical chemistry at the University of Colorado Boulder. His research concerns topological features he discovered called “conical nodes” in the eigenfunctions of nonadiabatic Hamiltonians, particularly in the vicinity of conical intersections.

He and his wife, Katie, moved to Northfield, Minn., where he is a visiting assistant professor of chemistry at St. Olaf College.

Courtney (Steiginga) and Casey Lamb welcomed daughter Evelyn Grace on Sept. 14, 2019.

Dalia “Melisa” Sanchez and Seth Uhler were married Sept. 21, 2019, in Limerick, Pa. They now live in Boyertown, Pa. Olivia (Forish) and Nathan Townsend announce the birth of daughter Lucy Grace on Aug. 2, 2019.

HARBISON HERITAGE |

Three eras of Grove City College chaplains participated in Trustee Sam Casolari ’83’s September memorial service in Harbison Chapel. Front: Rev. Dr. Richard Morledge ’54. Back: Rev. Dr. F. Stanley Keehlwetter, Rev. Dr. D. Dean Weaver ’86, and Donna (Masson ’79) Cales, administrative assistant for all three.

CAPE MAY MEMORIES | Twelve Sigma Sigma Sigma sisters from the Class of 1986 spent a fall weekend together in Cape May, N.J.

2013 Mary (Seward) Felty and her husband, Gabriel, welcomed son

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Grove City College James Edward on Oct. 19, 2019.

He joins sister Cora, 2.

Alex Welch successfully defended his doctoral dissertation, “Rise of the Tariff Man: Donald Trump’s Conquest and Ideological Redefinition of the Republican Party,” at the University of Virginia. He is set to graduate with his Ph.D. in Government in May.

2014 Stephanie (Swaney) and Paulson Domasky announce the birth of daughter Lola Jane on July 25, 2019.

2015 Adrienne (Stouffer) and Michael ’13 Brown announce the birth of daughter Irelynne Olivia on Dec. 28, 2019.

2016 Ellie Shaw married Derek Dietz on June 15, 2019, in Manheim, Pa. Both Ellie and Derek are public school teachers in the Central Pennsylvania area.

Alexis Marnejon and Tyler ’16 Campbell were married Sept. 21, 2018, in Columbiana, Ohio.

They reside in Jacksonville, N.C., where Tyler serves as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps and is stationed at Camp Lejeune. Alexis works full-time remotely as a senior digital marketing specialist for Root and Branch Digital Marketing in Pittsburgh.

2018 Caroline Rybka married Bryan Wedding on Dec. 29, 2018, in Akron, Ohio.

Caroline teaches first grade at Heritage Classical Academy in Peninsula, Ohio.

Bryan is a CPA with PricewaterhouseCoopers, based in Cleveland. They make their home in Bath.

PINEHURST PROS |

Brothers of the Pan Sophic fraternity met in Pinehurst, N.C., for some late September golf. From left: Paul Arnold ’99, Brian Wood ’96, Mike Brediger ’97, Brandon Haynes ’96, Jon Kuhn ’95, Dave MacGregor ’96, Artie Slear ’95, and Rob Aho ’96.

2017 Melanie Duffy and Tyler ’16 Engel were married June 29, 2019 in Portage, Pa. They reside in Tappahannock, Va. Melanie works in promotions at Alpha Media Radio Fredericksburg and Tyler is the band director at Washington & Lee High School in Montross, Va.

FREDERICK FAMILIES | GCC alumni and their ‘future Grover’ children gathered in Prince Frederick, Md., for a fun weekend of games, swimming, and crabs. Adults from left: Laura (Otto ’98) Gaydos, Andy Gaydos ’97, Corrie (Mitchell ’98) Brown, Jeremy Brown, Brian Noftsier ’98, and Ginny (Rogers ’00) Noftsier.

GOLFING GROVERS |

Epsilon Pi brothers gathered to celebrate 100 years of brotherhood during Homecoming weekend for a golf outing at Grove City Country Club.

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March 2020

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

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

Lois (Mitchell) Smith ’38 died Oct. 12, 2019. She was a trained artist who also worked in the telephone office at The Pennsylvania State University.

June (Harry) Christy ’39, Albuquerque, N.M., died Jan. 8, 2018.

Madelene (McCready) Kilmer ’39 died July 24, 2019. After teaching in the Pittsburgh area, she returned to Port Royal, Pa., and spent 33 years teaching and directing all levels of music and programs.

Pauline (Frohm) Hughes ’44, Zelienople, Pa., died Sept. 16, 2019.

Bertha “Birdy” (Mueller) Heatley ’45, Riverside, Calif., died Jan. 30, 2019.

Carolyn (Ramsey) Keefer ’45 died Jan. 11, 2020. She was a retired social worker with Senior Citizens Resources Inc. and a member of the Cleveland Metropolitan Chorus. Surviving are four children, including Jay Keefer ’81.

Mary Zetz ’47, Bairdford, Pa., died Nov. 17, 2019. She was a librarian and teacher in Tarentum/Highlands schools for more than 40 years.

Samuel A. Duerr Jr. ’48, Sewickley, Pa., died Oct. 23, 2019. A Navy veteran of World War II and the Korean War, he founded, with his late wife, what is now Duerr Packaging Co. Patricia (Emmons) Kendall ’48 died July 15, 2019. After raising her family, she taught French at several high schools and was very involved in her Athens, Ohio, and Vero Beach and Fort Myers, Fla., communities.

Agatha (Cavoulas) Palles ’48, Pottsville, Pa., died Oct. 15, 2019.

his wife and four children, including Pamela (Kelly ’78) Leuenberger.

The Rev. Richard C. Vetter ’48 died Oct. 10, 2019. He and his wife owned and operated the General Sutter Inn, Lititz, Pa., from 1979-97.

Bernard N. Stallard ’50 died Aug. 15, 2019. He was a World War II Navy veteran who retired from U.C. Tax Office in Oil City, Pa.

Frank J. Fazzalore ’49, Yardley, Pa., died Nov. 20, 2019. The World War II Army veteran worked in finance, retiring as comptroller at Gould, then continuing as a private financial consultant. He served 13 years a township supervisor.

Richard C. Andrews Jr. ’51, Zelienople, Pa., died Sept. 8, 2019. He retired as a chemical engineer with Mine Safety Appliance Co.

John E. Fitzgerald ’50, Oakmont, Pa., died Oct. 29, 2019. A Navy veteran, he ran his own welding supply business, Weldcraft Equipment.

James E. Harris ’50 died Dec. 10, 2019. The Fuquay Varina, N.C., resident worked with American Standard Brands.

DeWitt B. “D.B” Kelly ’50, Seville, Ohio, died Nov. 11, 2019. The World War II Army Air Corps veteran worked as a purchasing agent for companies in Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Ohio.

Surviving are three children, including Dr. R. Bruce Kelly ’74 and Dr. Jeffrey Kelly ’76.

The Rev. Harold R. “Hal” Kelly ’50 died Sept. 13, 2019. A Marine veteran of World War II, he was ordained into the United Methodist Church and served churches in western Pennsylvania after first ministering in Brazil for five years with his wife, Peggy (Sanson ’49) Kelly.

The College awarded him its Athletic Heritage Award in 2013. Survivors include

The Rev. Dr. Charles J. Dougherty ’51 died Sept. 8, 2019. He served churches in New York, Ohio, and Illinois with the Presbyterian Church USA. He was an Alumni Council member and Alumni Trustee in the 1980s.

He retired to Easley, S.C. Survivors include daughters Lynn (Dougherty ’80) Warner and Debra (Dougherty ’83) Phillips.

Richard L. Jones ’51 died July 22, 2019. The Pittsburgh resident had worked as a vice president of sales.

William B. Morrison ’51, New Castle, Pa., died Dec. 15, 2019. A Navy veteran, he worked in management positions for Alcoa, Alcan, and American Can Corp.

Nancy (Harry) Able ’52 Leesburg, Fla. died Oct. 25, 2019. She had worked as a secretary and in her husband’s chiropractic clinic.

Marilyn (Henry) Brumbaugh ’52 died Dec. 3, 2019. The Salem, Ohio, resident taught business office education and led the department at Alliance High School. She won awards for her flower arranging. t h e G ēD UNK w w w. g c c.e d u | 39

Grove City College Jeanne (Chambers) Gibson ’52 died Aug. 10, 2019. She and her husband ran an art gallery in South Hills, Pa., before she became an architect. She then designed and oversaw 138 projects around Charlotte, N.C. Richard J. Herdzik ’52, Poughkeepsie, N.Y., died Jan. 24, 2020. He worked for 30 years as an engineer for IBM. Allen W. McClymonds ’52 died Nov. 16, 2019. He served Slippery Rock University for 44 years, retiring as director of business services. Survivors include his wife, Melissa (Henry ’56) McClymonds; and two children, including Philip McClymonds ’85.

Donald R. Wensing ’52, Winterville, N.C., died Nov. 12, 2019. A renowned metallurgist, he retired from SKF Industries as its technical director USA. Survivors include wife Carolyn (Cowden ’54) Wensing.

Claire (Fauset) Pirl ’53, North Myrtle Beach, S.C., died in July 2019.

Alexander F. Simon ’53 died Aug. 15, 2019. An Army veteran, he had a long career as a music teacher and band director for the Erie (Pa.) School District and also taught piano.

Paul I. Cuffari ’54, Jeffersonton, Va., died Aug. 28, 2019. He served in the Air Force Reserves for 27 years and received Grove City College’s Athletic Heritage Award in 2013.

Edwina “Eddie” (Adams) Westin ’54, Richmond, Va., died Oct. 20, 2019. She had worked as a teacher and in the Admissions Office at the University of Richmond.

Survivors include husband R. Barry Westin ’57.

Edward N. Cochrane ’55 died Dec. 14, 2019. A lifelong educator, he worked in the Shaler (Pa.) Area School District for 33 years, retiring as the high school principal.

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Shirley (Bissonette) Johnston ’55, Raleigh, N.C., died Sept.

22, 2019. She worked for 30 years with the North Carolina Council of Churches.

The Rev. William H. Popa ’55, Wadsworth, Ohio, died Dec. 26, 2019. He pastored Presbyterian churches in Pennsylvania and Ohio.

Samuel L. Hawthorne ’56 died Sept. 1, 2019. The Air Force veteran retired from General Motors Packard Electric Division after 33 years in accounting and data processing. He was an adjunct professor at Youngstown State University and a proprietor of S&N Income Tax Service.

Surviving are three children, including R. Kay (Hawthorne ’84) Bruni.

Walter L. Moser Jr. ’56 died Nov. 23, 2019. He taught for 35 years in the Rochester, Mich., schools, and five years as an associate professor of history at Oakland Community College. He served in the National Guard and Army Reserve and was a talented musician. Survivors include wife Carolyn (Easter ’61) Moser, and brothers John Moser ’53 and Frank Moser ’63.

Ann (Aroney) Murtha ’56, Ebensburg, Pa., died Dec. 10, 2019. The school library volunteer was a board member of the Cresson Lake Playhouse.

Thomas H. Rowe ’56 died Nov. 17, 2019. The Army veteran retired as regional northeastern director of sales after 34 years with Scott Paper Company and resided in Sarasota, Fla., and Chautauqua, N.Y. Survivors include wife Patricia (Hughes ’57) Rowe.

Russell B. Fleeger ’57, Virginia Beach, Va., died July 7, 2018.

He was a Navy veteran and retired U.S. Postal Service worker.

Ruth (McElfresh) Kramer ’57, Canton, Ohio, died Dec. 2, 2019. She taught piano and

theory for 29 years and was a church pianist for 52 years.

Survivors include daughter Shelly (Kramer ’85) Sherako.

Edward J. Schaming ’57 died Oct. 20, 2019. A mechanical engineer, he owned Schaming Industries for 20 years, and most recently was a sales engineer for Schaming Innovations of Cranberry Township, Pa. He was a Korean War Navy veteran.

Survivors include son Edward Schaming II ’89.

Richard B. Chenoweth ’58 died Oct. 21, 2019. He was a chemical engineer who worked for GE Plastics for 30 years. A champion golfer, he qualified twice for the U.S. Senior Amateur Open.

Frances (Claspy) Fletcher ’58 died Oct. 31, 2019.

A writer and books editor with a newspaper column “Franecdotes,” she owned several craft businesses in Yuba City, Calif., with her husband.

Barbara (Thompson) Keller ’58, Gibsonia, Pa., died Aug. 24, 2019. She was a longtime employee of H&R Block.

Richard M. McChesney ’58, Mercer, Pa., died Sept. 13, 2019. An Army veteran of the Korean War, he spent his career in the banking industry.

Mary (Strachan) Mertens ’58 died April 20, 2019. She was an elementary school science teacher in the Rutherford, N.J., school system for 40 years. More recently she lived in Asheville, N.C. Nicholas M. Midea ’58 died Oct. 9, 2019. The Army veteran lived in Troy, Mich.

Dr. William G. Dwyer ’59, Dayton, Ohio, died Nov. 17, 2019. He served for 24 years with the Air Force, and with a Ph.D. in English, taught at the Air Force Academy. He also served in the Air Force Logistics Command, retiring as a colonel.

Cecelia (Myers) Levisky ’59 died Oct. 5, 2019. With a social work background, she became executive director of Atkins House treatment center, and was an adjunct faculty member at York College of Pennsylvania.

Raymond L. Sankey ’59 died Dec. 24, 2019. He served in the Air Force and was a longtime employee of Liberty Mutual. Most recently, he lived in Neshannock, Pa. The Rev. Robert J. Shearer ’59 died Oct. 21, 2019. The Army veteran was living in Dayton, Ohio.

Dennis M. Kohlmeyer ’60 died Nov. 11, 2019. He retired as assistant plant manager after 40 years with Koppers Chemical Company in Petrolia, Pa. He also enjoyed farming.

Ruth (Mills) Reiser ’60, Stoneboro, Pa., died Jan. 28, 2019. She worked as a teller at Mercer County State Bank.

Michael D. Cammisa ’61 died Dec. 19, 2019. He taught math at Butler (Pa.) Senior High School for 38 years, also chairing the department for a time.

Karel V. Fennick ’61, Streator, Ill, died Oct. 6, 2019. The Army veteran retired as plant engineer for Owens-Illinois.

Dr. Frank M. Hoffman ’61, Grove City, died Dec. 14, 2019. He taught biology at Slippery Rock University for more than 30 years. Surviving are his wife, Ruth (Foreman ’61) Hoffman, and three daughters, including Shela (Hoffman ’86) O’Hanlon and Wendy (Hoffman ’90) Callahan.

Dale J. Hogan ’61, Dawsonville, Ga., died July 4, 2019. He worked in sales for the steel industry for 30 years.

Carol (Huebner) Morava ’61 died Jan. 3, 2020. While living in Toledo, Ohio, she devoted many hours to the Christ Child Society and in tutoring and reading to children.

Clayton F. Rea ’61 died Jan. 17, 2020. He was a Coast Guard veteran living in Pittsburgh’s South Park. Surviving are his wife, Marjorie (Blackburn ’61) Rea, and three children, including Wendy (Rea ’85) Skapura.

Meredith P. St. Clair ’62 died Oct. 12, 2019.

Wallace M. Sychak III ’62, Camp Hill, Pa., died Aug. 4, 2019. A Navy veteran of the Korean War, he was a hardware analyst at the U.S. Naval Depot prior to retirement.

Kay (Higham) Anderson ’63 died Dec. 20, 2019. She lived in Pittsburgh’s Pleasant Hills.

Survivors include husband John “Jack” Anderson ’62 and daughter Kristen (Anderson ’92) Baughman.

Ruth (LaZaro) Knapp ’63, Meadville, Pa., died Oct. 16, 2019. Survivors include husband Gayle Knapp ’61.

Thomas W. Hummell ’65 died Oct. 4, 2019. He was a licensed funeral director and deputy coroner in Washington County, Pa.

March 2020 2018. He was a Vietnam veteran and successful businessman. Survivors include wife Dianne (Light ’67) Breslin.

Gail (Paxton) Hogue ’69 died Aug. 29, 2018. She worked as a guidance office secretary at Hickory High School (Hermitage, Pa.) for 20 years, and also ministered with her husband in both Glenrothes, Scotland, and Hermitage.

Thomas D. Nehrer ’69, Brackenridge, Pa., died Sept. 30, 2019. He wrote four books and traveled extensively to give talks.

David G. Coulter ’70, Plymouth, Ohio, died Nov. 11, 2019. He taught high school biology for 30 years and coached football for 10 years.

Nancy (Haberle) Smith ’70, Fairfax, Va., died July 21, 2019. She served on the Alexandria Board of Education for many years and later resumed her career in special education. Survivors include husband Leland Smith ’69.

Craig A. Cooley ’66 died Sept. 24, 2019. He lived in Buffalo, N.Y.

Kathy (Davis) Dambaugh ’71, Prospect, Pa., died April 8, 2019. She was a retired business technology consultant specialist with Fidelity Information Services.

James L. Markel ’66, Chattanooga, Tenn., died Dec. 29, 2019. The Air Force veteran was employed in the trucking industry.

Jane (Hall) Beverly ’72 died Nov. 14, 2019. The Comfort, Texas, resident was an elementary school teacher in addition to raising her family.

Chads M. Martin ’67 died Jan. 21, 2020. He had a long career with PNC Erie (Pa.) as senior vice president of commercial banking. In retirement, he lived in Charlotte, N.C. Survivors include wife Kate (Schaaf ’67) Martin and son Michael Martin ’93

William F. Crawford Jr. ’72 died Nov. 5, 2019. He was a sales engineer for several pump companies before retiring to Stuart, Fla.

Maxwell D. “Mike” Millard Jr. ’67, Boscawen, N.H., died July 23, 2019.

Charles J. “Jim” Seltzer ’68, Roswell, Ga., died Aug. 7, 2019.

James Terrence Breslin ’69, Ruston, La., died Dec. 1,

James T. Filer ’73, Coaldale, Pa., died June 9, 2019. He taught biology for the Panther Valley School District for 42 years and coached many sports.

Mary Kay (McCoy) Goering ’73 died Sept. 20, 2019. She enjoyed a 37-year career with General Electric and recently lived in Grove City. Survivors include siblings Linda (McCoy ’65) Jamison and John McCoy ’74.

Bruce A. Pollock ’74, Butler, Pa., died Nov. 12, 2019. He worked in the life insurance industry and loved to golf.

Larry A. Barto ’76, Levittown, Pa,. died Dec. 23, 2019.

An entrepreneur, he opened several of his own restaurants and later worked in commercial real estate, owning his own Outsource Real Estate. Survivors include brother David Barto ’72.

Craig B. Richardson ’76, Laurel, Fla., died Aug. 17, 2019.

Glenn R. Dandoy ’79 died Sept.

13, 2019. He was regional marketing manager for 30 years at Country Meadows Retirement Communities in Bridgeville, Pa. He also was an Upper St. Clair, Pa., commissioner.

Barry L. Iorfido ’80 died Sept.

25, 2019. An electrical engineer, he worked at Istech, Inc., robotics company in Dover, Pa., and had a passion for fitness.

Deborah L. Lowery ’83 died Sept. 30, 2019. A University of Pittsburgh Law School graduate, she worked for Travelers Insurance, Goodrich & Goodrich, and Woomer & Hall, and had a love of theater.

Carney E. Vensel ’83, Erie, Pa., died July 25, 2019.

He spent 33 years with Lord Corporation, including much travel as director of international IT. Mark S. Williams ’83 died Dec. 11, 2019. Beginning his career as a teacher, he later worked for many years as a financial professional. He also served for 15 years in the Ohio Military Reserve. Survivors include wife Faith (Hoerger ’82) Williams.

Edward C. Bartlett ’88 died Sept. 1, 2019. He lived in Streetsboro, Ohio, and worked with several local businesses.

He was a writer and pianist.

Jennifer (Bumgardner) Grove ’88, Boiling Springs, Pa., died

Oct. 4, 2019. She worked as director of children’s ministry at Otterbein United Methodist Church. Survivors include husband Dr. James Grove ’87.

Joel J. Wentling ’91 died Oct. 12, 2019. After working as a teacher and counselor, he began a 22year career as assistant principal and principal of Conneaut Valley (Pa.) High School and Conneaut Lake Middle School. He was also on the state board of the Association of Student Assistant Professionals.

Lori (Hummel) Janecek ’93, Sligo, Pa., died Dec. 2, 2019. She worked as a registered nurse.

Michael W. Foust ’02 died January 24, 2019. A brother of the Delta Iota Kappa fraternity, he had been living in Las Vegas. Surviving are his parents, including Gail (Repke ’73) Foust, and two brothers.

Derek A. Lohr ’16, Waynesburg, Pa., died Sept. 7, 2019. He worked for Bailey Steel and Supply at Marianna.

Friends Retired Professor of Spanish Cynthia A. Forrester died Dec. 29, 2019.

Known widely as “Senorita,” she joined the Department of Modern Languages in 1967. In addition to Spanish, she taught more than 35 separate classes at the College, including Italian, Children’s Literature, Literature, Music, and History and assisted in teacher training programs. She advised the Tri Sig/Tri Zeta sorority from 1971-02, including during the court-required name change in 1989, and had special bonds with many of the members. She also led the Red Box Mission program for several years, coordinated or assisted with the College’s Study Abroad programs and Alpha Mu Gamma foreign language honorary, along with many other campus and community activities. She loved to travel.

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Grove City College

li’l wolverines ‘mid the pines

Charlotte Kathleen Aitken Born 2-12-19 Jennifer and Christopher ’07 Aitken

Claire Catherine Berkey Born 5-18-19 Jessica (Garver ’10) and Tyler ’10 Berkey

Caleb Ayden and Joelle Grace Campbell Born 5-15-17 and 10-15-19 Brittany (Baker ’08) and Cody ’08 Campbell

Ford Jacob Choby Born 5-26-19 Renee and Jake ’13 Choby

Nathaniel James Cracker Born 9-1-19 Amy (Melnik ’15) and Robert Cracker

Rose Kennedy and Sally June Elwell Born 11-10-16 and 1-31-18 Kristin (Aljets ’06) and Abram ’07 Elwell

Sarah Lynne Johnson Born 8-3-18 Rebecca (Warner ’07) and Erik ’07 Johnson

Zachary Oliver Keith Born 10-18-18 Nicky (Lipartito ’08) and Nathaniel Keith

Cecilia Anna Marie Kibler Born 2-19-19 Anna Marie (Zambito ’00) and Andrew ’01 Kibler

Claire Lee Knox Born 7-15-18 Amy (Ritter ’09) and Jacob ’10 Knox

AnnaMay Rose Kuciemba Born 2-10-18 Kat (Gurariy ’09) and Jonathan ’10 Kuciemba

Ian Gabriel Kummant Born 7-26-18 Lauren (Kupillas ’05) and Gabriel ’06 Kummant

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

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

Due to the popularity of the Alumni Babies feature, photos will be limited to babies under the age of 3 in Grove City College shirts only. Digital photos must be high resolution, 300 dpi. Please do not embed photos in the body of an email message, but rather attach a high-resolution image.

Submit photos at alumni.gcc.edu/babyshirt or email to alumni@gcc.edu.

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B O A R D I N G

Madelyn and Titus Messer Born 11-29-17 and 3-31-19 Courtney (Winther ’08) and Todd ’08 Messer

P A S S

2 0 21

Audrey Jane and Garrison Brian Miller Born 4-17-17 and 2-10-19 Rebekah (Johnson ’08) and Andrew ’08 Miller

August Ryan Plugge Born 7-5-19 Jessica (Lunn ’15) and Caleb ’15 Plugge

March 2020

President and Mrs. McNulty and their travelling companions display the College colors on the Italian Riviera while on tour in October 2019.

Start planning today for the adventure of a lifetime.

Check out our newest trips for 2021!

Kaleb Rolf Reidenbach Born 3-26-17 Rachel (Scardigno ’07) and Matthew ’06 Reidenbach

Josephine Elaine Reinhardt Born 5-26-18 Ruth (Messner ’12) and Brandon Reinhardt

Diana Catherine Roberts Born 12-9-16 Laura (Shute ’97) and Jeff ’98 Roberts

CRUISE THE DUTCH WATERWAYS April 20–28, 2021

An AHI Travel Partnership

Sadie Frances Roberts Born 12-19-18 Sarah (Rybaltowski ’14) and Jacob ’13 Roberts

Jackson Paul Schultz Born 5-26-18 Cayla (Clawson ’14) and Alec ’14 Schultz

Gus Theodore Smithula Born 4-29-19 Kelley (Smith ’09) and Michael Smithula

THE CALIFORNIA NATIONAL PARKS May 30–June 6, 2021

An Orbridge Travel Partnership

Lizzy Jo Snyder Born 1-15-19 Megan (Haux ’12) and Timothy Snyder

Titus James Van Eerden Born 9-7-18 Emily and James ’12 Van Eerden

APULIA, ITALY June 16–24, 2021

An AHI Travel Partnership

t h e G ēD UNK w w w. g c c.e d u | 4 3 For more information visit alumni.gcc.edu/travel.

Grove City College

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

An education that unifies in an age of division

By Dr. Carl R. Trueman

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Dr. Carl R. Trueman is professor of Biblical and Religious Studies at Grove City College. An esteemed church historian, he previously served as the William E. Simon Fellow in Religion and Public Life at Princeton University and was on the faculty at Westminster Theological Seminary. He holds a Ph.D. in Church History from the University of Aberdeen and an M.A. in Classics from the University of Cambridge. Trueman has written or edited more than a dozen books, including The Creedal Imperative, Luther on the Christian Life and Histories and Fallacies.His next book The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self: Cultural Amnesia, Expressive Individualism, and the Road to Sexual Revolution is slated for publication in November.

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ne of the most striking aspects of our times is the fragmentation of life. This takes numerous forms, from the way in which we blithely separate the public and private morality of our political leaders, as if the two had no connection, to the manner in which we frequently fail to place the rapid changes in the world around us within the context of deeper and broader historical and cultural trends.

And perhaps nowhere is this fragmentation now more evident than in the area of education, particularly higher education. Academic disciplines have fragmented dramatically over the last 50 years, becoming increasingly isolated from each other. In part this is a function of the internal dynamics of academia – the need for academics to produce original research fuels increased specialization. In part it is a function of information technology – while a hundred years ago a scholar could read not just widely but also comprehensively, the sheer vastness of available resources now makes that impossible to do unless one’s specialty is narrowly focused. And in part it is because of the loss of any kind of metaphysical foundation upon which one might argue for the basic unity and interrelationship of all fields of knowledge. Critical theory has shattered the humanities and turned them from a quest for what makes human culture tick into a battlefield of competing political identities.

This is one reason why I decided to accept a job offer at Grove City College.

Two things loomed large in my decision.

First, it seems clear to me that the age of undergraduates surely spans the most critical point in their intellectual and personal development. Eighteen to twenty-two, away from parents, standing on their own two feet, they are facing for perhaps the very first time the question of whether what they believe is really what they themselves hold

to be true or merely what mom and dad have taught them. There is really no way they can avoid the bracing challenge which comparative independence necessarily brings in its wake. And to engage with students during this time is both a privilege and a responsibility because this is the moment when the big ideas which will inform the rest of their lives will take root. To shortchange them or to offer them poor arguments is to fail them in a catastrophic way. The undergraduate classroom is a place where the battle for minds is won and lost, where students will either grasp truth and beauty or perhaps be turned away from such things forever. That is why undergraduate teaching is so important.

Second, I believe that the foundation of an education in a basic and broadly Christian view of the world offers a means of overcoming or at least of mitigating the problem of fragmentation of scholarly disciplines and the fragmented thinking about everything to which such inevitably leads. That is not to say that there are not a number of Christian views of the world – Roman Catholics, Orthodox, Anglicans, Reformed, Baptists, etc., will all have somewhat different ideas about the world and different emphases about certain things. Yet all Christians share a basic commitment to the idea that the world is not random chaos but the creation of a living God, and that all human knowledge is therefore interconnected and ultimately coherent. And all also share a belief that what binds human beings together – that they are made in the image of God – transcends that which divides us, whether it be race, nationality, age, gender, or whatever the immediate tastes of identity politics might dictate.

That is what makes the liberal arts foundation of the Grove City curriculum so attractive. It reflects the idea that

knowledge has a unity and a coherence, and it implicitly teaches students that that their specialized degrees and then subsequent careers, whether as physicians or engineers or teachers or lawyers, etc., can only be competently pursued when they are understood as part of the big picture. A fragmented education fosters a fragmented view of the world. And that leads to decisions which only look to the short term, to pragmatic ethics, and to a selfishness that focuses on our personal desires rather than the common good.

The liberal arts foundation also fosters thinking that is not mesmerized by the present and by the immediate symptoms of our culture but which probes to the deeper, underlying commitments, ideas, and practices that have led to the social fractiousness and angry political polarization that characterizes the public square and threatens its stability. We can spend a lifetime playing a form of social whack-a-mole, trying to respond to this threat to freedom or that threat to morality or

March 2020

Critical theory has shattered the humanities and turned them from a quest for what makes human culture tick into a battlefield of competing political identities. some attack on the weak and vulnerable and miss the larger picture and the more profound underlying shifts in culture of which these things are merely symptomatic.

A liberal arts education, pursued in the context of a commitment to the unity of truth and to the reality of beauty, can foster

both virtue in us and make us aware of where the real challenges of this day and age lie. Our problems are likely much deeper and more longstanding in origin and cause than many in society understand. But those who pursue learning not in the narrow and isolated silos of the research university but in the integrated manner of a liberal arts college should be able to gain an understanding of the depth and breadth of the problem. And that is the necessary foundation for mounting an appropriate response.

Ours is a fragmented, fractious, and unstable age. Who knows where all this chaos will end? But one thing surely is certain: those who will be best equipped to meet the challenges it poses will be those who have an intellectual and spiritual foundation upon which a coherent view of the world and our place in it can be built.

That’s why teaching at Grove City College at this moment in time in such an attractive – and important – privilege.

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Homecoming 2019

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early 4,000 alumni and friends enjoyed a glorious, sunny, fall weekend on campus at Homecoming 2019, reconnecting with their alma mater and friends from days gone by. The Homecoming crowds enjoyed fellowship, food and festivities including an overtime victory over football rival Carnegie Mellon. The big weekend is great way to take your Seat at Our Table and Connect, Give, and Celebrate all things Grove City College.

Here are just a few of the highlights of last year’s big weekend: • Parade float competition – “Holidays” theme – Gamma Sigma Phi and Omicron Xi won with a “Presidents Day” float.

• Jack Kennedy Memorial Alumni Achievement Award winners Jack Kopnisky ’78, James Segerdahl ’84, Richard Staley ’62, and Karen (Semler ’92) Hanlon honored.

• Scholarships established by the 25th Reunion Class (1994) with $25,000 raised and the 50 th Reunion Class (1969) with $103,000 raised.

• New Food Trucks at the Field House!

You can check out the Homecoming 2019 photo gallery and video posted at alumni.gcc.edu/homecoming.

Four Greek organizations celebrated milestone anniversaries in 2019: Gamma Chi 100 th Anniversary; Epsilon Pi 100 th Anniversary; Gamma Sigma Phi 95th Anniversary; Phi Sigma Chi 95th Anniversary For more photos of the anniversary reunions visit these anniversary celebrations at flickr.com/ grovecitycollege.

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Join us for Homecoming 2020 October 2-4

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n addition to milestone Class Reunions (for class years ending in 0s and 5s) and Greek anniversary celebrations, there really is something for everyone! Families with children can enjoy the Children’s Play Area with inflatables and more. Looking for food options before the football game? Sample the tasty fare at Food Truck Row near the Field House. As always, the Homecoming Parade is

a centerpiece of excitement with fun for the whole family. Add in various sporting events, academic department events, and the tents on the Quad and you have a weekend to remember!

Learn more about the Schedule of Events and get hotel information at gcc.edu/homecoming. Registration opens June 1!

CLASS REUNIONS

2015 – 5th 2010 – 10th 2005 – 15th 2000 – 20th 1995 – 25th 1990 – 30th

1985 – 35th 1980 – 40th 1975 – 45th 1970 – 50th 1965 – 55th 1960 – 60th

GREEK REUNIONS S IG M

I A PH ELT AD

SIGMA DELTA PHI 100th Anniversary SIGMA THETA CHI 75th Anniversary

SEE WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT! View the Homecoming 2019 video at gcc.edu/HCvideo19

Grove City College Alumni Magazine

Grove City College

100 Campus Drive

Grove City, PA 16127 www.gcc.edu

Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 869 Erie, PA

SAVE THE DATE OCTOBER 2 – 4, 2020