The Collegian, Feb. 20, 2026

LAX upends OWU

Wolverines nationally ranked after victory

Matthew Purucker News Editor

From a young age, many athletes dream of scoring a game-winner, but few achieve the feat, regardless of the sport.

Senior Grove City attackman Stewart McClain experienced the thrill of that moment after burying an overtime goal to propel the Grove City men’s lacrosse team to a 14-13 victory over No. 19 Ohio Wesleyan Saturday at Robert E. Thorn Field.

“It was super fun to win that game, at home, on a beautiful day. Scoring the goal was the easy part. Rigdon Greene gave me a good pass, and Tyler Blazek set a great seal. My teammates made it a super easy shot; one I’ve made so many times before,” McClain said.

The fourth overtime goal in Grove City men’s lacrosse history came after senior Ohio Wesleyan midfielder Noah Citek committed a pushing penalty 17 seconds into overtime, putting the Wolverines a man up. Twenty-five seconds later, Grove City won.

“I was super confident in all the guys on the field, and when I saw the flag go down, I knew we had to just do our thing. Nothing special, just needed to

follow the plan,” McClain said.

Grove City (1-1) trailed 1312 with 2:41 left in the fourth quarter before senior attack Rigdon Greene buried his third

goal of the contest to tie the game and send it to overtime.

The last of Greene’s three assists led to the game-winning goal.

“Rigdon Greene played the

Junior becomes Excel champion

Emily Fox Editor-in-Chief

Junior business analysis and supply chain management double major Matthew Hammond earned the title of Pennsylvania Microsoft Excel champion after achieving a perfect score on his certification exam last fall.

Hammond was required to take the exam for MNGT 110, a course he took with business analytics professor Ryan Miller, which was designed to teach students to fully harness the power of Excel. Though the course was not a requisite for either of his majors, Hammond believed it would teach him valuable skills he could take with him into the workforce.

“I chose to take the class to prepare me for the business world,” he said. “I believed Excel would very likely be an important part of my future career, so I wanted to become very familiar with the concepts.”

For the certification exam, students were given a set of data for a fictional business. They then had to use skills they learned in the class, such as formatting, inserting formulas and creating graphs, to solve seven problems with five to six parts each. Hammond achieved the highest possible score, 1000 points, and received an invitation to Certiport’s 2026 Microsoft Office Suite U.S. National Championship this summer.

“His performance wasn’t accidental – it was the result of disciplined preparation, persistence through setbacks and a commitment to mastery,” Miller said in a Grove City College news release. “Matthew’s achievement reflects both technical excellence and the professional work ethic that will serve him extremely well in his career.”

best game of his career with three goals and three assists, starting in place for an injured teammate. He also caused the

Professors tackle niche topics at Ed Talks

Madelyn Braho Staff Writer

Students gathered in Sticht Lecture Hall Wednesday evening to listen to professors talk about anything except what they teach. Ed Talks is an event the Student Government Association hosts every semester, where three Grove City College professors give presentations like Ted Talks on any subject they wish.

This time, students listened to talks by Dr. Erik Bardy of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Dr. Richard Sabousky of the Department of Education and Dr. Ryan Kelley of the Department of Management & Marketing. They spoke about sailing, perception and barbecue.

Bardy, who “wears many hats” by his own account, advises multiple dance-related clubs on campus, as well as engineering-related pro-

grams. His talk, “Engineering Principles in Sailing,” covered the layout and maneuvering of ships, including how engineering comes into that.

“I can’t help but make this an engineering talk,” he joked.

The engineering portion included formulas for maximum ship speed, as well as some diagrams just for show.

“I am not explaining all those vectors, I just put them up for the ‘ooh ahh’ effect,” Bardy said, proceeding to ask the audience to “ooh” and “ahh.”

Bardy began sailing in the summer of 2019 after his sum-

mers were no longer taken up by an engineering event in France. Now he, his wife and daughter all sail Lake Erie on their boat, the Mersea. “Mer” is the French word for sea, making the ship’s name a pun.

Sabousky, a professor of education, discussed the “crisis of perception:” how people’s perception of the world is distorted, especially when it comes to media.

TALKS 11

The MOS U.S. National Championship invites the best-performing students on Microsoft’s six certification exams from each state to compete against each other. Students between the ages of 13 and 22 can enter, and 12 students go to the national competition from two qualifying rounds, one in the fall and the other in the spring. Along with Excel, students can qualify for championships by receiving the highest score on Microsoft Word or Microsoft PowerPoint exams.

Because of an internship he has this summer, Hammond likely will not compete in the competition, but he hopes to use the skills he has developed working in business as a supply chain manager, in sales and operations planning or as an operations analyst after graduating.

“Excel is a fantastic tool to sort, store and analyze data.

From the Tower

The value of different perspectives

When I accepted the position of Perspectives editor, I knew I was going to have big shoes to fill.

What I have always appreciated about Grace Scheller, my predecessor, was her openness to opinions she strongly disagreed with.

I remember talking to Grace in my freshman year while The Collegian was receiving severe blowback for running an article that argued samesex attraction was a perversion of biblical love (“Love is not love”). The article drew a fiery response (“Hate is not love”) and a letter to the editor from a concerned parent.

I remember telling Grace how much I appreciated the fact that she was willing to allow all sides of the story to have space on the Perspectives page. I also remember telling her that with all this talk about love, the staff should ask my favorite Collegian columnist, Dr. Love, to weigh in on the matter. She laughed … and never got back to me about the Dr. Love thing.

When I took the job of Perspectives editor, I wondered if The Collegian would ever end up in a similar predicament during my tenure. These past few weeks, we have.

The article “No time for unity” drew impassioned responses from our Perspectives writers and readers, including some questioning our decision to run the piece.

We respect the right of our writers to criticize our decisions and welcome their critiques, but wanted to take a moment to explain our policy that permits free expression.

The most pleasant surprise since taking the job of Perspectives editor was realizing how valuable it is to have an ideologically diverse Perspectives section.

Madelyn Braho’s article on the horrors of war, Sam Mayfield’s article on the Epstein files and Carter Freeman’s article on immigration and compassion all caused me to question my unconscious assumptions and even change my opinions.

The intellectual freedom of the Perspectives section breaks students out of echo chambers and sensationalized media. Unlike our friends at other publications at this college (and college newspapers at other universities), The Collegian has no ideological or philosophical agenda. We aim to represent the student body as it is, even if its students have ideas that are politically controversial, critical of this paper and our editorial decisions or even contrary to our deeply held faith.

We have been deeply encouraged by the cogent and civil debate in the Perspectives section these past few weeks on how to navigate an increasingly tense political landscape. We believe such dialogue is healthy. By representing the opinions of the student body, we are preparing students to go into the world able to consider opposing opinions and see the human behind the ideas they profess.

John Hatzis Perspectives Editor

Collegian Staff

Emily Fox Editor-in-Chief

Editorial Board

Matthew Purucker

News Editor

Anastasia Brown

Community Editor

Christa Bashinski

Entertainment Editor

John Hatzis

Perspectives Editor

Mia Gallagher

Sports Editor

Staff Writers

Mara Brak

Madelyn Braho

Randall Elvin

Alexandria Fox

Natalie Hanna

Andrew Hutchinson

Julia Kramer

Olivia Massucci

Reagan Thomas

Art & Photography

Luke Paglia

Photo Chief

Kathryna Hoyman Managing Editor

Editing

Olivia Emerick

Copy Chief

Copy Editors

Anna Kasianides

Kendall Lambrecht

Madison Miller

Jaci Morell

Bonnie Pittman

Vivian Waner

Advertising

John Remaniak

Business Manager

Tava Derr

Social Media Manager

Advisory

Nick Hildebrand

Staff Advisor

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

THE GREEN EYESHADE AWARD

This week’s award goes to our advisor Nick Hildebrand for suggesting compelling layout designs, teaching us how to write cleaner copy, for coming in late at night to work with us and rising early in the morning to give us notes. We would be lost without you, Nick!

The Green Eyeshade Award honors contributors that demonstrate

Faith and freedom fight is key moment in GCC story

Mia Gallagher Celebrate 150 Correspondant

“Grove City College recognizes the priceless value of our freedom. It knows that freedom is made up of many parts: religious, social, economic, political and individual. It knows, too, that freedom is indivisible; that when any one of these parts is taken away, that which remains is no longer freedom.”

Like many of the college’s key historical figures, former Board of Trustees Chairman J. Howard Pew saw Grove City College as a pillar of faith and freedom in a broken and tumultuous world.

And like its motto, “lux mea,” the college is called to illuminate this world with the radiant values it stands for — faithfulness, excellence, com

munity, stewardship and independence.

Forty-four years ago, Grove City College’s commitments to faith, freedom and its values were challenged. The college’s decision to fight to uphold these commitments is a key inflection point in its history and continues to influence the higher education landscape today.

On Feb. 28, 1984, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision in Grove City College v. Bell — a legal battle that began almost a decade earlier when then-President Charles S. MacKenzie refused to sign a federal Title IX compliance form assuring the federal government that the college wouldn’t engage in gender-based discrimination.

To the rest of the country, MacKenzie’s refusal to officially sign off on Title IX was baffling — especially considering the college did not oppose the law’s intent and had never discriminated against women or anyone else.

So then, what was the problem? College leaders saw the government’s demand as a threat to Grove City College’s institutional liberty: its ability to teach what it wanted the way it wanted to.

“The government was essentially asking Grove City College to sign a blank check for its own future and its freedom. So, this was really much more of a question about whether or not there would really be meaningful independence and private enterprise when it came to the issue of higher education,” former college President Paul J. McNulty ’80 said in a 2014 interview.

Celebrate 150

To celebrate Grove City College’s 150th anniversary, The Collegian is exploring the College’s history, traditions and culture in this ongoing series.

MacKenzie was a forceful advocate in the college’s fight for institu

tional independence.

“The resistance of Title IX aligns with Grove City College’s historical values of faith and freedom in the idea of maintaining its independence as a private college. They feared government inference would impact the college’s ability to make decisions that were in the best interest of the college and its mission in the future as they didn’t know what the law could eventually become,” Director of College Archives and Galleries Hilary Walczak ’09 said.

The federal government threatened to withhold funding from colleges and universities that didn’t sign off on Title IX. But since Grove City generally eschewed taking taxpayer money – training programs for service members during the world wars and some New Deal funding for Ketler Hall’s construction were among the very few exceptions – that threat initially fell flat.

But in late 1977, federal student grants and loans were formally recognized as aid to the college. The college didn’t see it that way, arguing that

the aid went to students, not the college, and sued the Department of Education over the determination. What started out as standing on principle for self-determination evolved into a lengthy legal battle over the college’s right to autonomy and financial freedom for its students.

In the fall of 1983, the case found its way to the Supreme Court. Although the college fought hard — doubling down on its refusal to take federal assistance and emphasizing the injustice perpetrated by revoking student aid — the Court delivered a split verdict: Student grants and loans were federal aid to the college, but the federal oversight only applied to the financial aid office that accepted the aid.

The college was at a crossroads. It could allow students to use federal grants and loans and surrender a little bit of institutional control, or it could stop participating in student aid programs and remain true to its core convictions.

Growing in service

ICO teams hit the road over break

Anastasia Brown Community

Editor

What are your plans for spring break? Odds are, you or someone you know is hitting the road as a member of an ICO trip.

Inter-Community Outreach trips started at Grove City College in 1989 with the first trip to Ashland, Ky. To spend spring break supporting local ministries with whatever projects were needed. Since then, the program has grown and expanded globally, and this spring break, 13 teams will be heading out.

Some trips are close to home — the Center for Rural Ministry (CRM) will be sponsoring three groups to serve the local communities of New Castle, Pa., Meadville, Pa. and Cadiz, Ohio, and other teams are hitting Aliquippa, Pa. and Philadelphia, Pa. Some road trip teams will be headed to Atlanta, Ga., Buffalo, N.Y., Ashland, Ky., Tucson, Ariz., Chattanooga, Tenn. and Lexington, Ky. Two trips will require a passport and an international flight — San Andrés Sajcabajá, a municipality in Guatemala, and Klaipeda, Lithuania.

No matter the location, ICO teams and leaders share the same heart — to join alongside a unique community and find intentional ways to serve the local churches or ministries. This often means leading worship during services, painting or remodeling in ministry buildings, helping with youth programs and, most importantly, learning from the leaders and community members about service and the kingdom of God around the world.

The practical, day-by-day schedules of the groups are as varied as their communities.

“Serving alongside various ministry partners, Inter-Community Outreach (ICO) teams have served at food pantries, homeless shelters and clothing donation shops, worked on construction projects, assisted with youth ministry, led Bible studies and worship services, as well as brought encouragement and support to pastors and local church congregations. Each ICO trip is initiated by students and is

student-led,” according to the college’s team service trips page.

The local CRM trips will be serving in rural contexts where the community must be intentionally fostered in unique ways. That can mean a ton of creativity on the parts of pastors and church members — senior Nevada Pacifico, who is co-leading the new Cadiz, Ohio team and who has participated in CRM trips for the past three years, described the open-mindedness she was intentional to maintain

Alumni spotlight: Bill Deasy

Chrissy Kang Contributing Writer

With all the concerts we’ve had this school year — and more coming up — it is no surprise that our musically inclined campus produced a graduate who is now a Pittsburgh singer-songwriter.

Bill Deasy, who graduated from the college in 1988, said he fell in love with music at a very young age. Particularly, he was a fan of Elvis Presley. Since his childhood was filled with music, he felt compelled to create his own. During his college years, he formed a duo with another student, David Bailey, and they performed original music on a weekly basis. After college, he and some friends formed the band Gathering Field in Pittsburgh. The band was well received.

One of their most popular songs Deasy wrote was “Lost in America.” It was also his favorite. Usually, it would take

Deasy a lot of time to compose and refine lyrics, but this song just came to him. He finished it in about 10 minutes, and it became a hit. “A lot of people in Pittsburgh know that song and will sing along to it,” he said. On March 6, an event celebrating the 30th anniversary of this song will be held in Pittsburgh Winery.

Deasy’s favorite memory from his career was the band’s performance outside of the football stadium in Pittsburgh on July 4, with roughly 10,000 audience members attending.

“They just all knew every word to every song,” he recalled. It remains a powerful moment for him. According to Deasy, his biggest success is the song “Good Things are Happening,” which became the theme for “Good Morning America,” a show on ABC. He stepped into the commercial scene in New York because of this song and had a place on national television.

Looking back on his time at Grove City College, he said that he appreciates the opportunities he had to start making his own music in this community.

“If I’d gone to a bigger school or a different school, I’m not sure I would have had that experience where I would have felt encouraged to be creative in the way that I was.” But in Grove City, he had the stage to perform and people who were willing to listen.

Besides music, he enjoys literature, and English classes at the college were his favorite. Spurred by this passion, Deasy wrote three novels. His first book, “Random Seaborn,” takes place in a fictional setting of based closely on Grove City. Some of his characters were directly inspired by professors at the college, with names that closely resemble their inspirations. The novel won the 2006 Needle Award, and Deasy is working on turning it into a movie with the hope that he

each year. “There are so many needs in rural areas … these smaller congregations are either looking for new ways to bring people in, or they need something new, and they don’t have the resources to build it.

If we’re able to build that relationship with them and the college, which has so much to offer, we can hopefully make it a place where trips return for many years. It’s really special that we get to start this,” Pacifico said.

Trips further afield — like the Guatemala team, which

works with the Hogar de Vida in San Andrés Sajcabajá, a ministry that “gives safety, stability and love to children who have faced neglect or abuse in the largely Quiché-speaking region of central Guatemala,” according to the college’s alumni ICO page — are hoping to be the same type of steady resource. Sophomore Elizabeth Anzenberger, who is co-leading the Guatemala team, related that the trip has been such a confirmation of

can shoot at the college. Deasy’s advice to young musicians is to follow their passion and be bold. “And love what you do. Love what you

create … If you love the music that you’re making, there’s a really good chance that other people will love it too,” Deasy said.

Doctor Love

Dr. Love addresses the cynics

My boyfriend is very sweet, and 95% of the time, he is the perfect boyfriend. However, for most of our relationship, I have berated how commercialized and stupid Valentine’s Day is and have convinced him that I don’t want to do anything to celebrate. But now I fear that the romance between us is dying. As I have watched all the happy couples around me enjoy Instagrammable trends and fall for couple-themed marketing ploys, I have begun to rethink my convictions. Should I cave to the cliches?

Help!

A Woeful Woman

The REAL Dr. Love is back in the house. Time for the professional to take over and show y’all how it’s done … although I must admit last week’s article was rather good.

Staying on your guard against all things cutesy and Instagrammable is understandable in the sense that you don’t want to fall prey to the secular trends. I think it’s ridiculous that the second the Christmas trees are packed away, Targets and Hallmarks whip out the giant teddy bears and chocolate boxes. Companies make Valentine’s Day all about commodities instead of the love that should be the focus. Some people, like Dwight from The Office, truly embrace the effects of this mentality and dream about selling fancy dinner reservations to the desperate. I fear that’s an example of exactly what you despise. There’s something so empty about a moment filmed just to put on Instagram.

Behind every successful relationship lies a great secret that many try to ignore: It’s all about compromise. There are so many ways to show love on a day like Valentine’s Day that don’t fall into the commercial craze. If you shoot down every single thing he does as a cliché and don’t tell him what you want instead, it’s easy for you both to get frustrated.

It’s about you two! Maybe your Valentine’s Day looks like a day at the trampoline park or a quiet dinner made at home with jazz playing in the background. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a movie or an expensive dinner out, and it doesn’t need to involve heart-shaped chocolates.

Your convictions aren’t unfounded, but just because something is cliché doesn’t always make it a bad thing. You don’t have to put it on Instagram. You could have a photo album just for you full of the cliché things you two do and be able to laugh about it later with him. Even better, come up with new traditions together that no one else does. It’s special, important to the people that matter and creates fun experiences that you wouldn’t otherwise have. Fill up a jar with ideas and pick one on an occasion like Valentine’s Day. That way, things stay fun and fresh.

May romance always stay in the air for you,

Dr. Love Love M.D.

Grace Anglican holds Ash Wednesday service in Harbison

Kathryna Hoyman Managing Editor

This week, the college’s chapel program hosted local Grace Anglican Church to perform an Ash Wednesday service in our very own Harbison Chapel.

Ash Wednesday marks the start of Lent, the 40 days preceding Easter. Lent is observed by the Catholic Church through spiritual and physical fasting, with an abstinence from meat on Fridays. Many Protestant denominations observe the season as well, including the Anglican Church of North America, of which Grace Anglican is a part.

The service in Harbison included worship, largely led by students who serve at Grace, liturgy from the 2019 Book of Common Prayer, readings from the Old and New Testament, a sermon and the imposition of ashes, when the laypeople draw crosses over the members of the congregation in the shape of a cross. According to the service’s bulletin, “Bearing ashes is not a boastful sign of our own righteousness, but of our profound need for the external redemption brought to us by Christ alone.”

Rev. Dr. Donald Shepson, who also teaches at the college as a professor of Christian

ICO

continued from 3

God’s eternal plan for her life. She had hoped to serve in a children’s home in Guatemala during her gap year, but the door had been unexpectedly shut. Now, two years later, she recognizes that her opportunity to grow in her faith since that door was closed has better prepared her for this moment. Having the door re-open now through the ICO trip has encouraged her faith and trust in God’s vision for her life.

And that is the twofold strength of the ICO program.

Students can tangibly serve local communities in a variety of contexts, but they are simultaneously being built up in faith as they learn from the leaders and ministries they are serving. All the ICO trips would appreciate prayers — for their teams as well as for the communities they are seeking to serve — as they set out next week.

ministries, officiated the service. He emphasized that while Lent is a time of penitence, it is ultimately a recognition of Christ’s great mercy and the hope he extends to sinners.

“(While) there are unique spiritual disciplines that are encouraged during the Lenten season … almsgiving, fasting, special time of prayer … really what’s happening there is not about fasting as much as it is about preparing our hearts for the week of what’s called Holy Week, the week before Jesus’s death and resurrection,” Shepson said.

Grace Anglican’s Rev. Ethan Magness shared the same sentiment in the message he delivered.“This is the time to unhide, to confess, to be real, to get help, to forfeit, to be wrong, to not know, to learn, to admit your dark secret, to get counseling, to fast, to really pray, to succeed, to fail, to not care if you fail, to learn to be still, to find out that you’re far worse than ever imagined and that God’s grace runs deeper still and always will,” he said. “You have nothing to lose but your chains.”

Grace Anglican hosted a 12:10 p.m. service at their regular church location that same day, which included the sacrament of communion, but students, faculty and Grove City

The Collect for Ash Wednesday

Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have made, and you forgive the sins of all who are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowleding our wretchedness, may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

- The 2019 Book of Common Prayer

residents still showed up at 7 p.m. to fill the pews of Harbison Chapel.

Dr. Don Opitz, the college’s chaplain and senior director of Christian Formation, expressed enthusiasm over giving the student body a chance to experience a liturgical style of worship on campus. The last similar collaboration between Grace Anglican and the college that Shepson remembered was during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the faculty allowed on campus worked with the student body to host weekly in-person church services in Crawford Auditorium.

Following the Ash Wednesday service, many members will observe a time of fasting over the Lenten period.

“The reason fasting is valuable is that when we fast … we get cranky. And it shows our true selves, because we often

satiate our emotions with food. And so, when we fast, what it does is it shows the real stuff that’s inside,” Shepson said. “And then confession is another one of those key disciplines during Lent … And what we’re doing is we’re recognizing our sinfulness in preparation to see what our sinfulness does, and to see God’s goodness to us by sending Jesus to deal with that stuff.”

The Ash Wednesday service on campus brought two communities together to recognize the need, sufficiency and great hope of the gospel. In the words of the service’s bulletin, “It is in this sure hope that we begin the journey of these 40 days, that by hearing and answering our Savior’s call to repent, we may enter fully into the joyful celebration of his resurrection.”

What are your spring break plans?

For spring break, I’ll be taking a trip with some other members of the cross-country team to a cabin near State College.

Jacob Call ’27

Going to OMO (it’s like an ICO but not); we are going to a ranch near Pigeon Forge.

Susie Steltzer ’27

Chilling out with me, myself and I because my parents are going on vacation to Florida WITHOUT ME.

I will be flying out to Nebraska to visit my grandparent and great-grandmother, reading and translating Hebrew.

Lauren Gunning ’27 Zeke Frerichs ’27

ICO Fatanooga (“Weight down, spirit up!”)

Luke Chambers ’28

Myrtle Beach to play softball!

Kristin Tesch ’26

One Super Bowl, two halftimes

Randall Elvin Staff Writer

Super Bowl LX was one game with two halftimes.

While the official halftime show was inside Levi’s Stadium and boasted 128 million live viewers, Turning Point USA (TPUSA) live streamed the “All-American Halftime Show.” On YouTube, TPUSA halftime peaked at just under 5 million live viewers. Although the viewership gap was massive, here’s what each brought to the halftime spotlight.

When Bad Bunny was announced as the headliner for the Super Bowl LX halftime show, the reaction was loud. Would a predominately Spanish singer resonate with a mainstream Super Bowl crowd who are traditionally mostly English speakers? Before he even stepped on the field, expectations were sky high, and

many had already made up their minds on whether they would like it or not.

When the base line of “Tití Me Preguntó” began, Bad Bunny stood at the center of his stage while synchronized bursts of flames lined the stage rim. Dancers dressed in white and red flooded the area in a tight formation that layered the field with choreography. Songs like “MONACO” elevated the tempo with LED visuals beneath his feet simulating rushing city lights, while “Me Porto Bonito” washed the stadium in tropical pink and orange hues.

While recent halftime performers, including Kendrick Lamar, have leaned directly into political messaging and explicit social commentary, Bad Bunny’s performance was largely celebratory. Performing predominantly in Spanish, he communicated cultural

confidence and celebrated the look and feel of Puerto Rico. Additionally, all the flags of the Americas were flown. It was a strong reminder that “America” extends far beyond one country, and that it in fact does include cultures that are often overlooked.

Supporters praised the high energy and authenticity to his roots. Many applauded the refusal to dilute language or style, while some viewers felt disconnected by the language barrier. Regardless of people’s stance, the show itself ranked in the top five of the mostwatched Super Bowl halftime shows of all time.

While the stadium watched Bad Bunny perform, Turning Point USA streamed its own alternative event on various streaming platforms. The “All-American Halftime Show” was announced weeks before and was marketed as a

“counter-cultural program.”

The stage designers opted for a classic rock look with elevated risers for the bands and a massive American flag LED backdrop. Red, white and blue dominated the color scheme of the entire event.

The concert featured performances by Kid Rock, Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice and Gabby Barrett, all leaning heavily on guitar-driven anthems. Instead of using choreography to capture the audience’s attention, there were built-in moments for the audience to sing along. Well-timed fireworks reflected the patriotic nature of the Fourth of July. Their message of patriotism plastered the screen.

Reception for the halftime was understandably mixed, as critics described the production as unpolished and lackluster. Others questioned TPUSA’s motive for unprec-

A masterpiece misread

Fennell’s ‘Wuthering Heights’ portrays hormonal fantasy

Cecilia Landis Contributing Writer

In recent interviews, “Wuthering Heights” director Emerald Fennell has been expressing that her latest film isn’t supposed to be a direct adaptation of Emily Brontë’s classic novel, but instead an imaginative take on the story that speaks specifically to how she experienced the book when she first read it as a 14-year-old girl. Boy, ain’t that the truth.

Fennell’s most recent directorial piece plays out just as you would expect from a hormonal 14-year-old girl’s least morbid sexual fantasies. Stunningly, the film cuts out at least half of the original plot, deserting the story’s most crucial elements at the ‘includeas-many-sex-scenes-as-possible’ altar. In fact, for the half of the story that is told in the film, only half of it is accurate to the original novel. What viewers are left with is 25% of Brontë’s story and 75% of an adolescent’s imaginative sex sludge.

Sitting in the theaters, this was a very disappointing outcome for me. Having read the novel probably around the same time hormonally that Fennell had, my experience with the story was one of simple fascination and disgust. At its core, Brontë’s story involves only the basest forms of human degeneracy and speaks to the gravest dangers of obsession and idolatry. It’s hard even now to fully understand what Brontë’s original intent was with the novel, but it cer-

tainly was not written to be the Margot Robbie x Jacob Elordi porno as it has now become.

The film is beautiful, certainly. With its perfectly manicured sets and costume designs, Fennell lives up to our expectation of her as an aesthetically pleasing visual artist. The sets add more to the film than some of the performances from the actors and actresses. The script (having cut out and pasted only the lines 14-year-old Fennell must have deemed fitting enough to keep in à la Thomas Jefferson’s Bible) is appalling at times, and while Robbie and Elordi certainly have their better moments in the film, their skills are hardly enough to keep with the general lack of substance in the screenplay.

One of the biggest complaints from critics about the film (complaints that were circulating even before the

film was released) was that Heathcliff, a character who can be translated as a person of color by the book’s description, was going to be played by Jacob Elordi, who is not a person of color. The film does an interesting swap, however, by making Cathy’s (the character played by Margot Robbie) rich husband Edgar Linton (played by Shazad Latif) a person of color instead. This completely reverses what could be understood as the original intention, and like with much else from the book, an aspect which adds greatly to the story and its thematic weight is watered down and taken away completely.

“Wuthering Heights’s” biggest achievement? It very successfully highlights our culture’s fantastic obsession and preoccupation with sex above all else. Having discarded almost every part of the story that marks it as such a singular

classic, Fennell’s adaptation would be completely indiscernible from the other slop that we’re fed as a society if it had been given a different title entirely. “Wuthering Heights” reminds us that nothing is as interesting, as consumable or as marketable as sex. Themes of race, gender, wealth or class pale in comparison to this. Nothing means anything anymore if there’s no sex to go along with it. We’re much better off tossing the baby out with the bath water and succumbing to the lusts and desires of our most hormonal 14-year-old-self’s passions (because this is exactly how we’re supposed to experience classic literature at 14 years of age).

This is a harrowing reality.

If “Wuthering Heights” is right and that’s what we’ve come to, then I think I really am going to die in this house.

edently attempting to rival Bad Bunny. However, fans who tuned in purposely enjoyed the live band’s authenticity and familiar country rock tune. Many supporters of TPUSA enjoyed an alternative option for those fans who are tired of previous Super Bowl performances, whether that be because of a political message or the alleged abandonment of traditional values.

The buildup made it clear that halftime would be about more than entertainment. It was about identity, preference and what viewers believe the Super Bowl stage should represent. In the end, both halftime shows celebrated something. One highlighted cross-country unity and cultural pride of Puerto Rico, while the other emphasized tradition and national identity in the United States.

Concert canceled

Connor Flanagan has announced that his SEASONS tour stop at Grove City College tomorrow has regretfully been cancelled. Flanagan, whose music blends worship and hip-hop, had to make the difficult decision due to all five of his children’s suddewwn illness, which unfortunately coincides with his daughter’s recovery from a recent surgery. He has, however, promised that full refunds will be issued and is currently working to reschedule the show for a future date.

For updates, follow him on Instagram: @connorflanaganmusic.

Do adaptations of classics make your blood boil?

Is your favorite genre of music getting enough hype?

Maybe you’re just interested in what’s happening in the world of pop culture?

Put it on the page! Reach out to BashinskiCM24@gcc.edu to get your review in print.

Plunging for a purpose

On Feb. 13, Grove City College hosted a Polar Plunge event to raise money for the Pennsylvania Special Olympics. Members of the Grove City College community participated all day in this charity event.

The college raised a total of $10,100 over the course of event. They had 83 people in 12 teams participate in the fundraiser. The GCC employees were the top donating group with the Zeta Zeta Zeta sorority close behind.

Thank you to all those who helped raise money for a good cause!

Are ‘tradwives’ trad?

Madison Fossa Contributing Writer

Since 2020, the “tradwife” trend has overtaken the internet. Wives and mothers dress in floor length sundresses, holding babies with one hand while kneading sourdough with the other. According to their own testimonies, these women seek to emulate wives of centuries past as they work solely in their homes, not the corporate world.

I believe that stay-at-homemoms can be incredible godly examples, and that our culture has lost respect for women who prioritize their husbands and children as the Bible calls them to. However, the tradwife movement is novel and reactionary, which is important to remember when considering if the trend can be considered traditional at all.

Dr. Carl Trueman, a renowned author and professor of Biblical & Theological Studies here at Grove City College, explained that the new movement violates tradition at two main levels, namely the separation of work and home life and the division of labor between men and women.

“If you were to go back to

“The historical context and reactionary nature of the tradwife movement are important to consider, as are the ironies that abound within the trend.”

the Middle Ages or even the early modern period, you simply wouldn’t have the dramatic distinction between work inside the home and work outside of the home,” Truman said.

The tradwife lifestyle that social media portrays today is a reaction to a justified frustration that conservatives feel towards a culture that has largely demonized women prioritizing family above all else.

I believe movements advocating the destruction of biblical wives and motherhood are wrong and need to be reacted against. However, is the modern tradwife trend the way to do so?

As Trueman pointed out, “merely doing the exact opposite of something that (is) wrong is not necessarily the right thing … the key (is) to realize that the tradwife is not explicitly taught in scripture as a phenomenon.”

The historical context and reactionary nature of the tradwife movement are important to consider, as are the ironies that abound within the trend.

All the trending tradwife content, from sourdough recipes to cleaning montages, is

filmed, edited and uploaded to social media. Traditionally, women did not film and broadcast their chores. Traditionally, they were unpaid for their efforts, before TikTok subsidized videos. Traditionally, these tasks were done not out of luxury for views, but out of necessity.

“Tradwife is preformed … using a very, very modern form of media,” Trueman explained. “If there ever had been such thing as a tradwife, she would not have the time or the interest in preforming her role for anyone other than her husband, probably.”

Another blatantly ironic and untraditional aspect of the tradwife movement is monetized domesticity. In her Institute for Family Studies article “What Trad Wives are Selling is Not Traditional Motherhood,” Ashley McGuire wrote that tradwives “are social media influencers making money for their content. They have monetized their domestic life … (which) makes them earners by definition.”

Ultimately, what concerns me the most about the movement are the aspects of faith that are commonly associat-

ed with being a tradwife. As a Christian woman, I believe that serving in the home and caring for a husband and children are the primary responsibilities of a wife. However, I do not believe that the Bible commands women to wrangle chickens, grow their own vegetables or make all their children’s clothes.

Though these practices are not sinful by any means, treating an influencer’s lifestyle as gospel is dangerous territory for Christian living. Influencers have a knack for making extremely difficult tasks look easy in a 30 second TikTok video; after all, they will likely be compensated for their efforts later.

Not all women have the means to live out any trend to its fullest extent, including the modern tradwife phenomenon. However, all women can still follow the commands given to them in the Bible, instead of on the screen.

Make no mistake: There are expectations of women (and men) within the home. Rather than prioritizing the performative experience that influencers present on screen, married women should be completely devoted to their natural obligations towards their husbands and children.

“At the heart of being a woman … of being a human

Put on pants!

being … is understanding the natural relations that you have and the natural obligations that they bring,” Trueman said. “And they might look different in different contexts (or) in different places … but it’s not a performance that brings attention to me or myself.” A married woman’s natural relations and obligations are first to her husband, and then her children. This is the truly traditional, biblical mindset when viewing Christian family life. In different contexts and for different families, the way in which a wife or mother fulfills these obligations will vary. For some, homeschooling the kids, growing food and staying home will be the best way to follow God’s commandment. For others, fulfilling this call may take the form of a job outside the home or teaching children at church. Biblical commands set before women may be fulfilled without following the online aesthetic provided by the tradwife label. Ultimately, the tradwife lifestyle is curated by content creators who are paid to live that way. Instead of looking to TikTok for wisdom on how to be the ideal wife and mother, Christian women should turn to the Bible and ensure that their heart posture is not only traditional, but God-honoring.

Concerned student (and her mother) object to shorts in winter

Elise Schlemeier Contributing Writer

Picture this for me: It’s 3 degrees Fahrenheit out. You, a long-suffering but dedicated student, are trekking through the bitter wind and icy sidewalks to class in SHAL. You are, for all intents and purposes, miserable. But then, out of the corner of your eye, you spot him. That one guy. You know the one; everyone’s seen him.

He could just be a normal student, walking to class, but it’s 3 degrees and he’s wearing basketball shorts.

To all those brave souls who wear shorts in the single-digit weather: Please wear pants. Pants are awesome, and they keep you warm. As someone who often wears pants, I highly recommend them. Here’s the thing: The gorgeous warmth of this week notwithstanding, it’s just too cold for shorts. It may be warm this week, but it was not last week, and it probably won’t be next week (probably … but one can never be sure with Pennsylvania weather). Personally, I think that below-freezing temperatures should require below-ankle legwear (as in, it covers your whole leg), but I know people don’t all feel the cold the same way. Still, I

think we can find a good compromise.

Real talk, let’s discuss frostbite for a moment. Frostbite is possible through prolonged exposure to freezing temperatures below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. The Salem Press Encyclopedia of Health notes that “An ambient temperature of … (14 to 5 degrees Fahrenheit) is usually necessary for deep frostbite to develop.” Walking to class in shorts at 30 degrees probably won’t put you at any significant risk for frostbite, but temperatures much lower and with a windchill is something to watch out for.

Now, maybe you aren’t worried about the cold or frostbite or anything. It’s almost spring,

after all. That’s cool (haha, “cool”), but we’re worried about you. Your mom probably wouldn’t want to see you wearing shorts while walking through the Grove City winter scape. I can’t speak for your mom for sure, but hear me out: My mom also approved the pants idea. That’s right. From the mouth of my (very cool and awesome and wise) mom to the ears of Grove City students, “It’s important to cover up when it’s cold outside.” Thanks, Mom.

To make one last plea, please stop wearing shorts in Pennsylvania winter — I am cold just looking at you. I am uncomfortable. As I walk to

class in the single-digit weather, I see you folks in your basketball shorts, and I think, not only am I concerned, but I am cold now, too.

If you won’t do it for you, or your mom, do it for the concerned citizens of this campus. Put on the pants. Okay, alright, I know I am being a little bit dramatic. I am not going to die or anything if you keep wearing your shorts. But, hey! I had fun writing this, and maybe you considered giving those pants a little more stage time (and also had fun reading this). Fight the cold, folks; put on the pants.

Dating outside the faith

Points and counterpoints: a Grover discourse

Yes: Interfaith marriages challenge, strengthen faith

Brae Sadler Contributing Writer

It’s that time of year again: ring by spring! Many Grovers are planning to spend the rest of their lives together, while others are searching for that special someone. Around this time, young people look for relationship advice, which you won’t find here. As a single dude, I’m not qualified to give guidance on relationships. Instead, I want to pose a question: Can interfaith marriages be as fulfilling as marriages between Christians?

I believe it can. Although not for everyone, interfaith marriages can be just as happy and God-serving as those between believers. Some of the most important marriages in Christian history have been between Christians and non-Christians. Take St. Clotilde and the Frankish king Clovis, for example. Christianity was in crisis at the time of St. Clotilde’s birth in the late fifth century. Barbarian invaders had destroyed the Western Roman Empire and threatened orthodox Christianity.

St. Clotilde’s marriage to Clovis, king of the Franks and a pagan, changed history. After years of prayer, Clovis converted to Christianity, and his kingdom followed. This gave Christianity a stronghold and laid the foundation of modern Western civilization. Centuries later, another Frank, Charlemagne, Christianized Europe, creating the world we know today.

Another marriage, that of the Frankish princess Bertha and King Æthelberht of Kent, opened the way for Christianity in England. Bertha helped convert the king, and together they supported St. Augustine of Canterbury’s missionary efforts. The subsequent history of England would not have been the same without them.

In the past, Christian marriages to non-Christians were assets in bringing the gospel to new places. Interfaith marriages can also bring people closer to God on a micro level.

First, in an interfaith marriage, you must actively choose God. Since you love someone of a different faith, your core beliefs are

The following is a summary of the arguments presented on Feb. 14th at a debate hosted by the GCC Socratic Club. We would like to thank the Socratic Club for their contributions to polite discourse and to the Perspectives section.

constantly challenged. You must learn why you believe and make a conscious decision to follow Christ.

Second, being married to a non-Christian can teach you Christian virtues. You must learn to give grace, listen and remain humble. Most importantly, you must love the other person despite your differences — the way God loves us.

Admittedly, I am biased. I am a product of an interfaith marriage, and my faith would not be the same without my upbringing. My agnostic father always supported my mother, my siblings and me in our faith. He even volunteered with us at church.

Most importantly, my father encouraged us to understand why we believed.

This sparked in me a passion for seeking truth that animates me to this day. Through studying, I encountered God. My faith would not be the same without having a non-Christian parent.

Let me be clear: Interfaith marriages have their challenges. Without wisdom, marrying a non-Christian can be detrimental — just look at Jezebel. It is possible to be drawn away from God toward idolatry.

Still, when both people have compatible values, seek truth and love and maintain clear expectations, these marriages can thrive.

I am not saying everyone should marry a non-Christian. Whom you marry is between God, your future spouse and yourself.

However, if you are among those who feel called to marry a non-Christian, you should not be afraid. Yes, exercise prudence, but in the end, couples from different faiths can have marriages just as beautiful as those within Christianity.

No: ‘Do not be unequally yoked’

Chris Gregory Contributing Writer

As a current single man, this article is not my personal dating advice. My goal is to simply argue that Christians should not date nor pursue non-Christians for marriage. I am sure that most can agree that dating is the first step towards marriage. When we are dating, we are all asking ourselves, “Is this someone I could see myself marrying?” Our understanding of marriage stems from the perfect picture of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. In a most marvelous picture of a father walking his daughter to her awaiting groom, God brings Adam his wife and Adam gives her the name “Eve.” God blesses them and tells Adam and Eve to be “fruitful and multiply” and to rule the world while under his divine rule.

In short, marriage is the combination of one man and one woman into one flesh, brought together by God. Marriage is principled towards procreation and is a small picture of Christ and the church. In the Book of Joshua, we see Joshua leading the Israelites in wars. We also see Yahweh give specific commands to the Israelites not to intermarry with any of the foreign women.

God tells the Israelites in Deuteronomy 7:3-4: “Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, for they will turn your children away from following me to serve other gods, and the Lord’s anger will burn against you and will quickly destroy you.”

These wars against the people of Canaan are not for ethnic purity, but rather covenantal and spiritual purity. The wife of Moses, Rahab of Jericho and Ruth of Moab were all foreign women, but all trusted in Yahweh. Even the heart of Solomon was turned away from the Lord due to his marriages with pagan women.

If Solomon was the wisest of all men, what makes us think we would be exempt? The New Testament does not do away with these practices but rather restates and reaffirms the commandments not to marry unbelievers. Nowhere in the New Testament does it endorse marriage

with an unbeliever. Instead, it sets clear boundaries.

God does not change, and neither do his values. Romans 8 tells us that the church and the Christians are the new Israel. 1 Peter 2:9 affirms that we are called to be a new and holy nation. Can we truly be a new and holy nation and still unite ourselves with unholy people and ignore the commandments of God?

1 Corinthians 7:39 states, “A woman is bound to her husband for as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, as long as he is in the Lord.” Paul is setting a clear boundary for whom the unmarried are to pursue. The lack of textual evidence allows us to assume that first marriages are not exempt either.

Paul is telling us that the most basic and fundamental question we all must ask when pursuing a spouse is, “Are they in the Lord?” Proverbs 31:30 states, “Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.”

2 Corinthians 6:14-16 states, “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? ... Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God.”

Should we take the temple of God and unite the temple with idols to other gods? Like two oxen plowing a field with a yoke between their necks, Paul is telling us not to be bound together with an unbeliever. To marry an unbeliever is to defy the commands of God and to unite the temple of God with pagan idols.

1 Corinthians 15:33 says, “Do not be misled, bad company corrupts good morals.” From Genesis to Paul, scripture never endorses marrying a non-believer but rather offers boundaries and warnings. We must do away with anecdotes of “can it work” but rather ask, “What does God call us to do?”

If you love God, keep his commandments. Pursue a spouse who fears the Lord and trusts in God’s will. Do not settle for temptation that turns you away from him. Whom would you rather please: an unbelieving partner or your heavenly Father? Glorify God first.

Staff Editorial

The Olympics, Bad Bunny and national pride

can’t even agree on a performer for a football game.

Amid a February full of division, turmoil and upheaval, Americans across the country tuned in to two major sporting events: the Super Bowl on Feb. 8 and the Winter Olympics, which began Feb. 6 and will conclude Sunday.

The Super Bowl averaged 124.9 million viewers according to ESPN, making it the second most-watched U.S. broadcast ever. While the Olympics are still ongoing, early data from NBC shows that an average of 26.5 million Americans watch the games per day, with the numbers peaking at 42 million viewers during Sunday night prime time.

Though much of America is gathered around the same metaphorical TV, we are just as divided as we were in January. On Feb. 8, the audience wasn’t only split by which team they were rooting for, but also by which halftime show they were watching.

Though TPUSA’s halftime show was less successful than Bad Bunny’s (peaking at 5 million concurrent viewers compared to 128.2 million, according to ESPN), the fact that there was an alternate halftime show in the first place proved one thing: America is incredibly polarized, to the point where we

FREEDOM continued from 10

Grove City College agreed to withdraw from federal education grant programs in 1984. In place of these grants, the college developed its own financial aid system, generously supported by the philanthropic contributions of its donors.

“The college wanted to keep the student loans but had to make the choice to give them up. Ultimately, having independence, academic integrity and freedom of religion is important, and being able to maintain that freedom is a victory for the college in the long run,” Walczak said.

The court case was national news, and the verdict prompted the U.S. House of Representatives to pass the “Grove City Bill” in 1984, which required schools taking any federal money to comply with Title IX in all areas of college life. It failed in the Senate but was revived, renamed and approved by Congress in 1988 as the “Civil Rights Restoration Act.”

At the same time, the Olympics are typically when we set aside our differences to cheer for the incredible American athletes representing our country on the global stage. However, several athletes acknowledged that it can be difficult to represent the United States now.

“I love the USA, and I think I would never want to represent a different country in the Olympics,” Team USA freestyle skier Chris Lillis said in a CBS News article. “With that being said, you know, a lot of times, athletes are hesitant to talk about political views and how we feel about things. I feel heartbroken about what’s happened in the United States.”

“I think it brings up mixed emotions to represent the U.S. right now, I think. It’s a little hard. There’s obviously a lot going on that I’m not the biggest fan of, and I think a lot of people aren’t,” Hunter Hess, another freestyle skier on Team USA, said in the same article. “I think for me it’s more I’m representing my, like, friends and family back home, the people that represented it before me, all the things that I believe are good about the U.S.”

“My parents being immigrants, this one definitely hits pretty close to home,” twotime Olympic gold medalist Chloe Kim said, according to MSN. “I think in moments like these, it is really import-

ant for us to unite and kind of stand up for one another, for all that’s going on. And I think that I’m really proud to represent the United States. The U.S. has given my family and I so much opportunity. But I also think that we are allowed to voice our opinions on what’s going on. And I think that we need to lead with love and compassion. And I would love to see some more of that.”

We all want the U.S. to be the best it can be. We’re proud of our athletes and artists. And yet, it can be easy to forget this when we look at the state of our country.

In the final minute of his halftime show airing on NBC, Bad Bunny shouted, “God bless America,” and began calling out the names of multiple countries and territories in North and South America. Dancers ran behind him, proudly bearing flags, with the U.S. and Puerto Rico leading the way. The large screen in the stadium displayed the statement “The only thing more powerful than hate is love.”

Bad Bunny ended his set by holding a football to the camera with the words “Together, we are America.”

Say what you will about the dancing, lyrics, set design or quality of Bad Bunny’s performance; this halftime show embodied the diverse, yet unified, spirit of America that Lillis, Hess and Kim are representing in the Olympic Games.

LACROSSE continued from 1

turnover in overtime to get us the ball; he played like a senior for sure,” Grove City Head Coach Alec Jernstedt said.

Junior attack Wade Beckstrom paced Ohio Wesleyan (0-1) with 15 shots, three goals and one assist. Senior midfielder Garrett Smith also had three goals off four shots for Ohio Wesleyan.

Grove City outshot Ohio Wesleyan 47-44, but lagged 24-28 in shots on goal. Senior goalie Tyler Gladstone made 15 saves, securing the win, while freshman Jack Hartman had 10 saves in the loss.

“The close defense of Sam Busby, Sam Stevenson and Nate Clark (was) huge. We caused 17 turnovers, and they did a lot of that work. Josh McDermott is an elite defensive midfielder that works so hard,” Jernstedt said.

Greene’s first two goals and goals from freshman midfielder Caden Ryan, junior attack Sawyer Strong and sophomore midfielder Ethan Binns helped Grove City race out to a 5-1 lead with 12 minutes remaining in the first half.

Ohio Wesleyan responded with three straight goals, then McClain scored his first of the game to make it 6-5 Grove City at halftime.

To begin the second half, the Battling Bishops tallied four unanswered goals, jumping out to a 9-6 advantage.

“We didn’t play particularly well, but we are trying to teach the guys to expect mistakes. Our definition of playing well is to handle the mistakes with poise and courage, which we did. Poise to stay focused and courage to keep moving forward. I thought our physical effort was the difference in the

EXCEL continued from 1

This same data is used to understand where areas for improvement are in a company, whether for marketing, product lines or supplier relationships,” Hammond said in the release. “I can’t wait to apply the skills I learned in this class to the real world.”

President Ronald Reagan vetoed the bill, saying he wouldn’t “cave to the demagoguery of those who cloak a big government power grab in the mantle of civil rights.” The veto was eventually overridden by Congress.

Fulling extracting the college from the federal student

loan program took until 1996. The college’s ability to accept GI Bill students and continue its long-running Air Force ROTC program were among the casualties.

Dr. Devan Lindey, a history professor at Purdue University, researched the case for his doctoral thesis. Lindey said it

game — diving for balls, trying to get hit by shots, running hard in the middle of the field. We were all in with the things we could control,” Jernstedt said.

Grove City then outscored Ohio Wesleyan 7-4 over the final 20 minutes of regulation to force overtime.

The Wolverines’ win was their first overtime victory since an 18-17 thriller over Swarthmore on May 13, 2023, in the second round of the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament. Grove City is now 4-4 in overtime games in program history.

“We want to be a top five team in the country, so obviously beating top 20 teams is the only way to do that. The win is huge in validating the work and the direction of the program. We’ve now beat a top 20 team four of the last five years, so we want to keep building in that consistency,” Jernstedt said.

After steamrolling PAC foe Franciscan 31-8 Tuesday, the Wolverines will face two top five opponents, No. 4 R.I.T. and No. 3 Christopher Newport, Saturday and Feb. 28, respectively. Those games will be two big tests on the road for the NCAA tournament hopefuls.

“The rest of February is a gauntlet. We scheduled those games because we think we can win them. But what I really want to see is improvement every week. Great opponents show you what you’re not good at and how the game can be played, so we need to take something from each week and stack them,” Jernstedt said.

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He expressed that it set an important precedent that a few other colleges and universities have followed. “There is a laundry list of colleges and seminaries that follow this model now. The big ones people usually identify are GCC and Hillsdale though,” Lindey said.

In an article commemorating the 40th anniversary of the case, McNulty discussed the case’s impact on the college’s legacy. “Losing the Supreme Court case was one of the best things that has happened to Grove City. It seems counterintuitive to assert that declining federal funding has strengthened the college’s financial sustainability and affordability, but this is truly the case,” McNulty said.

had important implications for higher education. “Conservatives learned a lesson in the aftermath: the importance of bankrolling private educational institutions to teach conservative values to a younger generation outside any pursestring interference with federal aid,” Lindey said.

“Our alumni and friends have stepped up magnificently to support the college’s independence and allow us to build a financial aid program that far exceeds what the federal government currently offers and raise millions to replace federal grants for research and facilities,” McNulty said.

Wolverines double down on Mounties ahead of PAC play

Mia Gallagher Sports Editor

The Grove City College men’s volleyball team earned their seventh three-set sweep of the season last Thursday against Mount Aloysius. This victory also marks the Wolverines’ second triumph over the Mounties this season, with their first taking place Feb. 7.

With PAC play now underway, the Wolverines used this non-conference matchup to fine-tune their skills for the challenging competition they will soon face.

“It felt great to see everyone come together and play the way we know we can. We’ve been working hard up to this point, especially leading into conference play. Everyone contributed and it showed through our victories,” sophomore Keith Otto said.

“On top of that, it was really encouraging seeing our prepa-

“Conference play is essentially the start of a new season, and we all know the importance of that. However, if we continue to play our style of volleyball we should find success.”

ration and practice translate to our matches as we prepare to head into conference play,” junior Carson Good said.

Leading the offensive charge for the Wolverines was freshman Evan DiMalanta, who tallied 10 kills in the win. Good followed DiMalanta with eight kills, and junior Max Gianneski notched seven.

Making his first start for Grove City was freshman setter Thomas Krahe, who supported the offensive effort with 29 assists.

Defensively, senior Tieg Malcolm and junior Andrew Kessler combined for nine blocks at the net, while Otto, Gianneski and DiMalanta sup-

— Keith Otto

plied a combined 25 digs from the floor.

“As we head into conference play our focus is to continue to control the things that we can control. Conference play is usually much more competitive and heated,” Good said.

“Conference play is essentially the start of a new season, and we all know the importance of that. However, if we continue to play our style of volleyball we should find success,” Otto said.

After hosting the reigning PAC champion team, the Thiel Tomcats, on Feb. 18, the Wolverines travel to Latrobe, Pa., to face the Saint Vincent Bobcats at 1 p.m. tomorrow.

Grove City opened PAC play Wednesday with a 3-0 loss to defending conference champion

WBB continued from 12 for them definitely motivates me to give all my effort,” Ulmer said.

Sherrerd led Grove City with a 15-point, 10-rebound double-double, and Devlin added 12 points. Hasley distributed five assists, and junior guard Bethany Thompson collected 10 rebounds. Offensively, the Wolverines shot 43% from the field while limiting Waynesburg to 22% shooting overall. The Yellow Jackets, who entered the contest on a

TALKS

continued from 1

He explained how algorithms push extreme content to keep people engaged, resulting in a perceptual shift — the extremes of an idea are considered the common opinion.

This matters especially to Sabousky because of his work with people with disabilities. He gave an example of this perceptual shift in the case of vaccines “causing” autism. The original study, which proposed that idea, was retracted because it suggested a false causal link, but due to social media spreading headlines about the study “proving” vaccines cause autism, the idea persists.

The solution to the perception crisis, Sabousky argued, was to ask for the evidence, no matter who is telling you something.

“I’m hoping that you, as Grove City students, are smarter than the average bear,” he concluded.

Kelley, assistant professor in

six-game winning streak, were led in scoring by Mia Henkins with eight points. Before tip-off, Grove City honored its four seniors: Hasley, Hoff, Sherrerd and Ulmer.

Reflecting on her career, Hoff said she hoped her impact would extend beyond statistics.

“I hope people remember me as a good teammate — someone they could count on, who never gave up and always put the team first,” Hoff said. Ulmer shared a similar sentiment, emphasizing effort and gratitude.

the Marketing & Management Department, gave the last talk.

“I really do enjoy smoking ... meat,” he began.

“Smoke Break” followed Kelley’s journey in learning how to make Southern-style barbecue. He first tried brisket in college while on a date with the girl he would eventually marry, who was from Texas.

“There are two things you need to know about Texas. First, you don’t mess with Texas,” Kelley said. “I don’t have time to explain that. The second is that beef is king.”

Kelley tried making brisket for his family in college with a $250 smoker from Walmart, underestimating just how long it would take, and it was a “complete and utter failure.”

But Kelley tried again, eventually learning that, unlike what people online might say, it isn’t the sauce or the seasoning that makes good barbecue, it’s fire. Over time, he learned how to control wood fires to make the best brisket. Now, he and his family sell the brisket

“I want my legacy to be one of hard work and joy. My focus has been to give effort at all times, to glorify God and to enjoy these last few moments and practices I have left,” Ulmer said.

With the win, the Wolverines secured a home quarterfinal game in the upcoming PAC tournament, which begins Tuesday. Grove City holds a one-game lead over Allegheny in the PAC North Division standings, with the top four teams in each division advancing.

he makes at fairs and night markets under the name of Pletcher’s Barbecue, his mother’s maiden name.

The current barbecue “revolution” ushered in by the Traeger smoker concerns him, however. Unlike the fire box of smokers he learned to barbecue on, which requires hours of supervision and time to learn how to control, the smoke pellet Traegers need no such effort.

This simplification signals an erosion of a willingness to do things the slow way, according to Kelley.

“Have we lost the ability to suffer and fail and learn from it?” he asked.

That is why Kelley relishes the time it takes to smoke meat, up to 24 hours sometimes, with the 500-gallon propane tank he bought off a “hillybilly” in West Virginia.

After the last of Q&A portions held after each talk, the night was finished with students competing for prizes in a quiz on the presentations.

(0-4): L, Carthage (13-8) Men’s Lacrosse (2-1): W, Franciscan (31-8)

Upcoming

Men’s Basketball: Feb. 21, 3 p.m. at Thiel

Women’s Basketball: Feb. 21, 1 p.m. at Thiel

Men’s Volleyball: Feb. 21, 1 p.m. at Saint Vincent Men’s & Women’s Swimming: Feb. 18-21 at PAC Championship Indoor Track and Field: Feb. 20 at Mount Union Tune-Up

Women’s Water Polo: Feb. 22, 10 a.m. at W&J

Men’s Lacrosse: Feb. 21, 12 p.m. at No. 4 R.I.T.

Women’s Lacrosse: Feb. 20, 5 p.m. at Hope

Waynesburg walloped

Men’s basketball triumphs on Senior Day

Natalie Hanna Staff Writer

The Grove City men’s basketball team’s Senior Day victory over Waynesburg brought them to a 10-13 record on Saturday, two games out from the end of the regular season.

Prior to the 94-73 win, which closed out their home schedule, Grove City honored its four seniors — guards Kyle Randle and Mike Christenson, as well as forwards Christian Suceveanu and David Olinger.

“My experience at Grove City, and especially with this team, has been such a tremendous experience. One of the best things about this place is the people, and my teammates have been nothing but supportive and uplifting during my time here. The relationships I have made with my teammates are ones that are going to last a lifetime, and I would not have wanted to do it with anyone else,” Suceveanu said.

It was also a big night for the Grove City record books. Randle not only tied the men’s basketball single-game threepoint record, but also recorded a career-high 32 points, greatly contributing to the win with over one third of the team’s points.

He went eight for 16 from behind the three-point line, chalking up 24 points strictly from three-pointers.

“It was really special to have my career high on senior night. I couldn’t have asked for a better game for myself or from the team on a better night. Being able to tie a record and have my name in the record books is something I never had in mind, but I’m grateful for it,” Randle said.

In addition to Randle’s outstanding performance, junior center Austin Johncour recorded a career-high 21-point, 10-rebound double-double, and Christenson put up 19 points in the triumph over the Yellow Jackets.

The Wolverines led 30-15 midway through the first half after consecutive shots from junior guard Colton Martin and Johncour. Waynesburg clipped the lead to 45-38 by halftime, but Grove City was able to stay on top in the second half.

They maintained the ad-

“Once we get to playoff time, we need to play 40 minutes of great basketball to put ourselves in a position to win.”

vantage at 72-64 with six minutes remaining and then broke away with a 19-2 run sparked by a putback from sophomore guard Anderson Skelton.

Martin drained a jumper, Johncour contributed with a three-point play completed at the free throw line and junior forward Caleb Haller scored a basket in the paint.

Grove City finished out their 19-point surge with four Christenson free throws, two from Martin and a dunk from Randle.

“One thing we did really well as a team was rebounding offensively and defensively. We only gave up three offensive rebounds to our opponent and grabbed 24 offensive rebounds ourselves, which really gave us control over the game,” Randle

— Mike Christenson

stated.

Haller and Randle each recorded eight rebounds, and Christenson and Martin each contributed seven. The team’s 24 offensive rebounds led them to finish with an overall 55-21 margin on the glass. Their plus-34 margin is the largest for the Wolverines since a 65-27 edge on Jan. 14, 2023, against Washington & Jefferson.

Grove City closes out the regular season at 3 p.m. tomorrow against the Thiel Tomcats in Greenville, Pa., with the PAC playoffs soon to follow.

“In order to win in the playoffs, you have to play two good halves. Our first half against Waynesburg wasn’t as good as our second half. Once we get to playoff time, we need to play 40 minutes of great

Wolverines secure victory over Yellow Jackets

Reagan Thomas Staff Writer

The Grove City College women’s basketball team delivered a dominant Senior Day performance Saturday afternoon, rolling to a 76-45 victory over Waynesburg in PAC interdivisional action at the Grove City College Arena.

The Wolverines stormed out to a 13-0 lead and closed the first quarter ahead 24-3, powered by an early surge from the senior class. Senior forward Katie Hoff opened the scoring with two strong finishes in the paint and said the moment was meaningful for reasons far beyond the stat sheet.

“I wasn’t really focusing on the move or the shot — I was just happy to be on the court with the other three seniors playing the game we love,” Hoff said, noting that it was the first time all four seniors shared the floor in the starting

lineup.

Senior center Meredith Sherrerd added a layup and two free throws during the opening stretch, and senior guard Reese Hasley knocked down a jumper before sophomore Kailey Devlin capped the run with a three-pointer.

Juniors guard Alexa McDole and forward Brooke McCoy contributed late first-quarter baskets to extend the Wolverines’ early control. Grove City’s lead continued to build in the second quarter, eventually reaching 36-9 after McDole’s second three-pointer and a smooth mid-range jumper from senior center Emma Ulmer.

“It always feels amazing to help and contribute to the team’s success in any way. We couldn’t have gotten to that point without the hard work from every single person on our team,” Ulmer said.

Grove City’s defense

overwhelmed Waynesburg throughout the half, limiting the Yellow Jackets to just three of 33 (9%) shooting in the opening 20 minutes. The Wolverines also dominated the boards, finishing with a 6133 rebounding advantage. Hoff credited the team’s rebounding effort to its mindset and preparation.

“There’s a quote by Bill Russell that applies to rebounding: ‘Defense is all about wanting it more than your opponent.’ Coach has emphasized doing the dirty work, and everyone really wanted it today,” Hoff said.

Ulmer added eight rebounds, three assists and two blocks while anchoring the defense.

“Defense is my favorite part of basketball, and playing for my teammates is the best part of that. Playing with them and