A very Collegian Christmas Festivities on campus, a grover gift guide, and holiday music
INSIDE
The Collegian
Friday, December 6, 2024
The Award-Winning Grove City College Student Newspaper
Vol. 110, No. 10
Christmas spirit at the Grove
Harp retires after 25 years Matthew Purucker Staff Writer
cused on the impact on Palestinians in Gaza, Israeli citizens have been subject to devastating rocket attacks from the country’s adversaries. “Many families traveled with only the clothes on their backs and limited resources. My group’s hope is to raise awareness about these issues that many Israeli families are currently facing and call people to support their needs,”
When a cherished professor retires, there is often a feeling of sadness mixed with gratitude among students and faculty. In the case of Dr. Gillis Harp, that combination of emotions is no different. HARP Harp will be remembered fondly for his time at Grove City College, which began in 1999 when he jumped at the opportunity to teach history here. “After teaching at secular institutions for 14 years, I began during the late 1990s to look for a Christian college with high academic standards. I left a tenured position to come to GCC,” Harp said. Throughout his career at the College as a history professor, Harp has particularly focused on United States history. He taught various classes, including both halves of the U.S. survey, History of Britain to 1783, Women and Minorites in US History and the Senior Capstone Seminar. “HIST 379 (American Intellectual and Cultural History) has often been a favorite,” Harp said. “This was partly because of the fascinating primary source documents we read and discussed in-depth, along with the excellent students, who really invested themselves personally in the material,” he elaborated. Outside of teaching, Harp has written three books, which are each about American history, and several academic articles. He has also contributed to academic societies of American history, including the American Historical Association and the Organization of American Historians, in addition to giving papers and chairing panels at their meetings. “I hope to continue my research and writing during retirement in addition to spending more time with family, including now three adorable grandchildren,” Harp said. While Harp has enlightened many students and others on much of the history of the United States, he has also earned the admiration of his fellow professors. Grove City College history professor Dr. Mark Graham commended Harp for his accomplishments. “Dr. Harp is the ideal teacher and scholar. He has earned the right to his con-
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LUKE PAGLIA
Students and local community celebrate Light Up Night this past Tuesday, an annual event that lights the star on top of Rockwell. The Carnegie Concerts began this Monday and the last concert will begin at 12 p.m. today. These concerts featured GCC bands, choirs, and orchestras that performed holiday themed songs.
LUKE PAGLIA
LUKE PAGLIA
Education majors raise awareness for Israel Study abroad sparks action
Violet Whitmore News Editor
Three Grove City College students are raising awareness for Israeli relief this fall in a semester-long project connecting their experiences studying abroad during the Israel-Hamas war. “Leadership for Teachers” is a class for education majors to engage in a semesterlong project that aims to help a people group in need. An idea for the project sparked
when seniors Alyssa Gundell, Makenzie Lefever and Amanda Hall communicated their first-hand experience and interest in the current crisis in Israel. “When considering a group of people who are in extreme need, my mind immediately went to the Israeli people,” Gundell said. This semester, the students began reaching out to their contacts, researching organizations and programs working in Israel. Many schools
are in active war zones and have not been in session since the war began last year. “Everything becomes very unstable, and education needs to remain in contact for these students to break the cycles of violence and fragility,” Lefever, who is interested in teaching in Israel in the future, said. The ongoing war and humanitarian crisis has killed thousands and displaced even more. While much of the world’s attention is fo-