The Collegian, Jan. 23, 2026

Grove to celebrate 150

Mia Gallagher

Celebrate 150 Correspondant

Grove City College, it’s time to party like it’s 1876!

The college’s 150th anniver sary has arrived at last, and such an occasion calls for a birthday celebration sure to be an absolute blast.

From its humble founding as the Select School at Pine Grove on April 11, 1876, to its official christening as Grove City College on Nov. 21, 1884, to its monumental stand for faith and freedom at the Su preme Court on Feb. 28, 1984, Grove City College’s commit ment to education and excel lence defines its 150-year his tory.

“It’s so easy for us to be focused on our own world today, and as students, our future,” Melissa MacLeod, senior director of alumni and college relations, said. “But I strongly believe that understanding our past, learn ing from our past and under standing that we are part of a community, past, present and future, is so important. I en courage students to take the time to read, participate and share in this year-long cele bration.”

MacLeod has been working with campus leaders and or ganizations since mid-2024 to devise a celebration worthy of the college’s legacy.

“We want our campus to help us find ways to celebrate our history in everything that is done this year,” MacLeod said. “You’ll begin to see more and more popping up on cam pus visually.”

According to MacLeod, the sesquicentennial festivities reception and concert in Pitts

“It feels like coming home

Throckmorton book debuts

Madelyn

Braho Staff Writer

Former Grove City College professor Warren Throckmorton debunks common myths about America’s founding in his new book “The Christian Past that Wasn’t.” Throckmorton, previously of the Grove

City College Department of Psychology, has been a historical fact checker for over a decade now.

“Getting Jefferson Right,” now in its third edition, written with current college professor Michael Coulter, focuses on the claims David Barton, a political activist and figure in Christian homeschooling circles, made about Thomas Jefferson and the Christian

10

Olivia

Massucci Staff Writer

U.S. Sen. David McCormick, R-Pa., visited Grove City College on Dec. 15 to meet with college officials and civic and political leaders to discuss revitalization efforts in Mercer County.

McCormick said he wanted to “talk a little and listen a lot” to learn how his work can benefit Western Pennsylvania. Regional leaders advised him on the area’s challenges and opportunities.

Grove City College received

year

Lady Lingo

at exactly the right moment. I think of this season as a kind of vow renewal for the college,” Lingo said. “It’s an occasion to remember why we were founded, to celebrate God’s faithfulness and to recommit ourselves to the values that make Grove City what it is.

“It’s also an opportunity to look forward and think about how to strengthen the college for the next 150 years. This new season of leadership is the perfect time to both renew our historic commitments and to dream about our future.”

Following these formal festivities, the college will host an on-campus birthday party on April 10 to coincide with the 1876 founding date (as Gala will take place on the official birthday, April 11, the following day). While plans for the event have yet to be finalized, cake will certainly be part of the equation.

The year-long celebration will culminate with the celebration of Homecoming 2026, which happens to be the 100th anniversary of this beloved tradition as well.

According to Director of College Archives and Galleries Hilary Walczak, the college has a long history of marking anniversaries.

“If you look through the archive, Isaac Ketler and the founders were the ones who settled on the date and when to celebrate,” Walczak said. “They did so pretty early on, celebrating founders’ day on April 11 every year, and did so even after the name change.”

“As the college grew older and the student body larger, they focused on milestone cel-

CELEBRATE 2

President Moore dies

Julia

Kramer Contributing Writer

Grove City College’s seventh president, John H. Moore, died Jan. 8 after serving the campus from 1996 to 2003. Faculty and alumni still remember his presidency and personal impact.

“As a student during his presidency, I witnessed firsthand his principled and intellectually serious leadership,” President Bradley J. Lingo, a

2000 graduate of the college, said. “His legacy continues to shape the college today, and he will be deeply missed by the entire Grove City College family.”

Moore guided the college through departing from government funding, as decided in the 1984 U.S. Su-

A small part of a 150-year legacy

The concept of celebrating a college’s 150th birthday is a dizzying one, especially for a four-year undergraduate student. It is almost like showing up to the party of someone you’ve only known for a few months – how can you stand alongside their life-long friends and claim to appreciate who they are?

Throughout this semester, we hope to bless our readers by providing intriguing bits of Grove City College’s context, figuratively introducing its new friends to its old friends and acquainting them with the past.

While this history is informative and exciting, our lack of context does not change the wonder of our experience of the college in its present state. The current student body is the figurehead riding the bow, getting an influential front seat to the college’s encounter with the world as it is now, not as it was.

We, who are a part of this school, have the honor of taking up the relay this college has been running since its founding, a race characterized not by physical exercise, but by the exercise of its values of faithfulness, excellence, community, stewardship and independence.

Rarely has the maxim “brick by brick” been more appropriate to reflect on than now, as we four-year students celebrate an institution whose age extends past ours by many decades. We are a small piece of the college’s history, but still important to its legacy. After all, the students who came before us spent four short years at Grove City College, and each of their experiences has contributed to the character of the college we study at today.

It sounds cliché, but Grove City is vastly different from other colleges and even other Christian colleges. The culture and values of the college have developed and built upon each other as each class has entered the doors of the dorms for the first time and walked across the quad for the last with their hard-earned degree. We say this a lot, but our time here matters.

This spring, we’ll gather with alumni and look back at how far the campus has come since its beginning 150 years ago, remembering the people and events that have shaped what it stands for today. That legacy has been passed down to current students, and we have been blessed with the responsibility of continuing to influence this institution so that future students can look back at our history with pride for the next 150 years.

Emily Fox Editor-in-Chief

Kathryna Hoyman Managing 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

Olivia Massucci

Art & Photography

Luke Paglia

Photo Chief

Kathryna Hoyman Managing Editor

Editing

Olivia Emerick

Copy Chief

Copy Editors

Anna Kasianides

Kendall Lambrect

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 new Community editor, Anastasia Brown, for her willingness to jump into the position mid-year and starting off the semester strong learning a new software program and reviving the “word on the street” column her first week! The Green Eyeshade Award honors

CELEBRATE

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ebrations,” Walczak said. “We do have record celebrations on the 50th, 75th and 100th celebrations — the last of which was tied in with the bicentennial of the U.S. The 125th was probably the largest thus far and included various lecture series, events across the country and campus-wide branding and marketing for the events.”

With so many readily available opportunities for engagement — including a special anniversary story series here in The Collegian — it’s an exciting time to be a member of the Grove City College community. To stay up to date on all things anniversary-related, be sure to visit the Celebrate 150 website at gcc.edu/Celebrate-150.

“This anniversary isn’t just something happening around you. You’re part of it, and your story is part of the college’s story. Celebrate the traditions, show up to the events and lean into the community that makes Grove City special,” Lingo said. “Before you know it, you’ll be the one looking back and telling future students why your time here mattered. So, make some memories that you can pass on when we celebrate 175 and 200.”

First lady around campus

Natalie Hanna Staff Writer

With a new president comes a new first lady, and Grove City College’s new first lady is Yvonne Lingo, a woman who has jumped right into the large role and has immediately gotten involved in Grove City’s community.

One of her main contributions on campus is leading the senior women’s Bible study, which she has continued with Amy Frank in Brenda McNulty’s wake. Lingo and Frank worked with seven senior women during the fall semester, training them to lead small groups for the spring study. “Working with these women has been such a joy, and I feel very blessed to be able to walk alongside, pray for and encourage these young women during such a pivotal year in their lives,” Lingo said.

Alaina Donnell, one of these seven senior women, said she is looking forward to connecting with other senior women through prayer and their study of Philippians. She says it is very important to meditate on concepts such as prayer and community directly through the word of God to gain a biblical understanding of them. Donnell really enjoyed

Kathryna Hoyman Managing Editor

Even with the past week of temperatures being in the single digits, on Feb. 13, students of the college plan to jump into a freezing water tank parked right on campus.

Undaunted by the weather (or at least determined despite the weather), these plungers will represent their teams of students who have been fundraising for the Mercer County branch of Special Olympics Pennsylvania (SOPA). SOPA’s mission is to provide opportunities for children and

spending time with Lingo as she worked with her and the other Bible study leaders last semester, saying Lingo was a blessing to her personally.

“Mrs. Lingo is a delightfully friendly and outgoing person who … cares deeply about helping those around her to understand the confidence they can have in God’s good plan for them and His deep love for them,” Donnell explained.

The Bible study is entitled “Joy for the Journey” and is written by Frank herself.

“As seniors finish their final semester and prepare for life after college, we want to remind them that after they leave this place and pursue God’s calling out in the real world, their identity will need to be firmly rooted in Christ,” Lingo said.

Lingo invites all senior women to join her and Frank as they officially begin their study of Philippians in Rathburn between 7:30 and 9 p.m. this Sunday.

In addition to the Bible study, Lingo is also co-leading her first-ever Fiver this semester with Katie Van Dam, director of student engagement. They are walking through the book of Ruth together and already explored the signif-

icance of Ruth in Scripture during the first week, meditating on the theme that God loves to redeem.

“He loves to use ordinary people to bring His plan of redemption to the world. Ruth was the great-grandmother of King David and mentioned in the lineage of Jesus in Matthew 1. I am excited to unpack all the wisdom in the book of Ruth and God’s heart for the outsider with these students,” Lingo commented.

Lingo is continuing to get involved in various aspects of campus life and is loving getting to know students. She has especially enjoyed meeting with students over coffee or lunch and building friendships and praying together.

Harker and MAP North also hosted two women’s dorm nights in the fall, and Lingo is working with resident directors to set up more of these evenings in MEP, the rest of MAP and the Colonial Hall Apartments. She said the students are amazing and bring her lots of joy.

Make sure to follow our first lady on her Instagram page @ firstladylingo_gcc and keep an eye out for her on campus and say hello!

Chills and charities

adults with intellectual disabilities to train and compete in Olympic-type sports. These events provide opportunities for these individuals to experience the benefits of athletics and participate in an encouraging community.

All money raised for the campus’ Polar Plunge will be donated to Mercer County Special Olympics to assist with funding equipment and

What’s

facility costs, elevating SOPA’s work in our neighboring county. The college’s fundraising goal for the event is $28,00o, and if this goal is met, President Lingo and his wife have agreed to plunge themselves, hand-in-hand. Students can sign up as fundraising participants or registered plungers within teams they form. Many of the teams that have already registered have sprung from campus clubs and organizations, including Young Americans for Freedom and the Student Government Association. For a little over a year, His

Power DISplayed has been supporting the disabled community in and around Grove City College. This club is one of many expressing enthusiasm for the Polar Plunge and how it aims to love those in the college’s surrounding area.

“This fundraiser is exactly the type of event that we want to be involved with. Our group is all about supporting people with disabilities, so we are so excited to help with a great cause!” club president Senior Jackson Hays shared. Students are still encouraged to register and to spread the word to friends, family

fresh at the Grove?

In MAP Dining Hall... 100 Days Out Dinner

January 28 5 p.m.

All seniors are invited to a class dinner with President Lingo to celebrate 100 days left until graduation. You’ll have a chance to win raffle prizes and seniors who pledge $100 or more for the senior class gift will get an alumni mug and an extra raffle entry!

In Ketler Auditorium... Orchestra Concert

January 30

7:30 p.m.

Come see winners of the fall Concerto/Aria competitions perform with the orchestra at their winter concert next Friday at 7:30.

members and those in the community.

“We’d love for students to get behind this because it is a good cause. So many different clubs and organizations look for different ways to support the local community, and honestly, I can think of no way that’s better than being part of something that contributes to the common good,” Eric Fehr, the assistant dean of student life and learning, said.

The college’s plunge will take place between 2 and 5 p.m. in the Physical Learning

CHILLS 4

In Crawford Auditorium... Faculty Follies

January 31

7 p.m.

ODK hosts their annual Faculty Follies event next Saturday. Come see your favorite professors outside the classroom as they perform hilarious skits and songs for the student body.

Doctor Love

Chapel the new MAP South?

“As a luckless-in-love college student, Grove City’s intense dating culture can, at times, rub salt in a wound. For the most part, I just try to ignore couples around campus, and I have learned what places to generally avoid in the evening – the Harker lounge, any of the sidewalks on the perimeter of campus, and, of course, the infamous MAP South. But last semester, I noticed that even the CHAPEL has begun to fall victim to the craze. I can’t stand the idea of being on a Christian campus and needing to avoid the chapel, and I am wondering if it is my duty to put this to a stop. What should I do?”

- Salty in the Chapel

I’m going to be frank with you. As Dr. Love, I cannot throw my support behind stopping the love stories on campus. I’d be out of a job, and you would be out of entertainment to read. No one wants that. I don’t think they do…

Ignorance is bliss, isn’t it? I’d say stick with your typical program of ignoring it and NOT go on a mission to disrupt the happy couples. I see your point. It can be hard to watch everyone fall in love while you’re just trying to pass Civ Arts or worship in the chapel. However, it’s just like you said -- it’s a Christian campus. It would be odd not to see a surplus of couples around. Put in some earbuds and listen to “Vienna” by Billy Joel. It won’t solve your problems, but it might take the edge off.

In full honesty, the last thing I need this semester is some sort of anti-love vigilante skulking about campus ruining my hard work. I’ve spent years trying to help these lovely souls find the one that they’ll spend the rest of their lives with! PLEASE don’t take matters into your own hands. Focus that energy on something that will move you forward. While you haven’t found that lucky person to date yet, you still have your friends. Build those relationships, and don’t begrudge others their happiness just because your love story hasn’t happened for you just yet. College isn’t the only place in the world you might find your person. You’re basing this so-called wound on the demographic of a small bubble. I wouldn’t worry about it for now.

The best piece of advice that I can give you right now is to put your blinders on if you aren’t seriously looking for a relationship. Don’t look left, don’t look right and don’t look into the eyes of the couple fighting in the lounge. You know, I’m always looking for an assistant to find the best stories on campus. It could help you find the positive side of things if you look a little harder :)

Auspiciously, Dr. Love

Created with purpose

Design program expands to equip students for dynamic fields

Madison Fossa Contributing Writer

In under 15 years, Grove City College’s design program has expanded tremendously. From the addition of a design and innovation major to the hiring of a new professor, the program continues to rapidly progress.

This year, the expansion has peaked as faculty look to refine and solidify the purpose and presence of design and innovation on the college’s campus.

Design and innovation was not always the robust and thriving major that students witness today. In an interview, Nate Mucha, design professional, entrepreneur, professor and founder of Grove City College’s design program, explained the history of design and innovation at the college.

“It formed kind of organically, about 12 or 13 years ago,” he said. “We have students who are highly talented, thoughtful and creative, and I (developed) this program because I thought it would do well at Grove City.”

First a part of Fine Arts and then grouped with the Communication and Visual Arts Department, the design program was always abiding under different titles. What excited Mucha the most was the creation of the design and innovation major at the college.

“I don’t know how many other majors on campus are really cross-disciplinary like that … it leverages marketing, entrepreneurship, design (and) communication … (the new major) really cemented

CHILLS continued from 3

Center parking lot. It will follow a K-12 plunge in the morning and a community plunge in the afternoon, so there is a chance for anyone interested to get their toes wet and help support those in our local area with disabilities. Use the QR code below to register and track the live countdown for the fundraising goal, and be sure to come by yourself next month to see your friends (and maybe even the Lingos) participate in the college’s Polar Plunge.

design as a thing that’s here to stay, versus just classes we teach,” Mucha explained.

While other institutions have “legacy (design) programs” closely tied to the fine arts and are unable to evolve or develop, Mucha characterizes Grove City College’s program as innovation focused. The college cares about where design “is moving professionally, (which is) highly connected to the idea of innovation. And for us, that’s entrepreneurship,” Mucha concluded.

Developing a program that stands apart from legacy design departments “is a design problem itself,” according to Christopher Pacione, design professional and new professor at Grove City College.

Pacione revealed that, “there’s some things (Grove City College design) want(s) to do … that you can’t do at a lot of larger schools because there is a lot of legacy there.”

Pacione does not describe himself as a visual or fine artist when he works as a designer. Rather, like Mucha, he believes that designers can be categorized as problem solvers and innovators. Their students will be able to work with a wide range of professionals, including writers, CEOs, pastors, entrepreneurs, marketers and engineers, according to Pacione.

“I think the first thing we want to do is try to reposition design as more centered,” Pacione explained from his office in the college’s new building, Smith Hall. “In fact, it’s nice to be in this building because it’s more centered in the college.”

Pacione and Mucha have a vision that surpasses training designers to work in tandem with other professionals. They hope to see their students become multidisciplinary, bringing a unique edge to their skillset.

“I think one of our dreams is to see how design can also be attached to other degrees,” Pacione explained. “So, design and ministry or ministry and design … there’s a lot of opportunity for us to reevaluate what the role of design is … but also how it might link up and support other degrees (and) minors.”

Sophomore Grace Langworthy’s reflected on the major’s expansion demonstrated how Pacione and Mucha’s vision has impacted design learning. “They’ve opened a lot more design classes, especially for freshmen. So, I’m just seeing that people are able to take more design-specific classes at once,” Langworthy said. She explained that not only does this help design and innovation students take their classes earlier, but it also allows other students to participate in the program through design minors, clearly reflecting the vision that her professors shared with The Collegian.

An entrepreneurial focus is not the only factor that sets the college’s design apart from programs at other schools. “How is it that (the) education you get here (is) rooted and saturated in Scripture, saturated in faith? I think that’s what we’re looking for,” Pacione clarified, “and I don’t see

that existing anywhere in the world.”

Design and innovation students feel a calling to honor God in their work, which contributes to the broader mission described by Pacione.

Zack Warrick, a senior design and innovation major, explained that “(through) communication as a designer or a design studio or whatever you do … (a design major’s) main goal is to reflect the Lord and give glory to God through that.”

Warrick also shared Pacione’s passion for making the design program and experience at the college the best it can be, advising underclassmen to work diligently as they pursue excellence in the design field. It is important to be a designer who, as well as coming from a prestigious design program, brings glory to God, Pacione explained. Mucha and Pacione hope to turn Grove City College into a beacon for young Christian designers.

“When you get here, you go through a unique education, and you come out a highly capable, Christian designer,” he said. “And so that’s the work we need to do … that’s the thing I’m excited about, (and) I think Nate’s excited about; where we take this thing next.” With the excitement and devotion of students like Langworthy and Warrick, Pacione and Mucha can work diligently to further expand and refine the college’s design program. Campus excitedly waits to see what the next 15 years of design and innovation will bring to Grove City College.

Campus organizations spring into the semester

What’s your favorite snow day activity?

Entertainment

24k celebrities

Andrew Hutchison Staff Writer

This past week, the 83rd Annual Golden Globes were held in Los Angeles, Calif.

The event marks the first significant award show of the calendar year and is known for its celebration of the best in film and TV. Every January, celebrities of all ages and backgrounds gather to see what productions and actors have appeased other rich and influential individuals in the moneyed enclave synonymous with the entertainment industry. Part of the Golden Globes’ significance is the perception that the outcomes will likely foreshadow the Oscars that occur later in the year.

For this year’s awards,

He’s back

Harry Styles has been MIA for just over four years. That is, until today. After a series of tantalizing hints and cryptic appearances, the former One Direction star officially reemerges with the Jan. 23 debut of his new single “Aperture,” his first release since 2022. Highly anticipated, it is the first single on his upcoming album “Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally,” which will drop March 6. Styles announced his return Jan. 15, the very same week that his three remaining bandmates, Louis, Zane and Niall, announced their own album releases. Read more next week!

comedian Nikki Glaser once again acted as host, and began the show with a monologue that mocked the industry as a whole, the Epstein list, her own plastic surgery and Leonardo DiCaprio’s extraordinarily young girlfriend. These opening monologues are known for their humor, and Glaser did not disappoint. Her ability to mock without insult and avoid political polarization made this among the most engaging and hilarious openers the entertainment awards industry has used in the recent past. Among the night’s most notable wins were several that highlighted both established talent and rising stars. Timothée Chalamet received recognition for his leading performance in “Marty Supreme,”

reaffirming his status as one of the industry’s biggest actors. In television, “Adolescence” was awarded Best Limited Series, with Owen Cooper earning the Globe for Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series. This win was especially remarkable as it made him one of the youngest Globe winners of all time.

Ricky Gervais also won for his TV special “Mortality,” which was no surprise for fans who have long praised his dark comedy. Perhaps the most unexpected victory of the evening was Amy Poehler’s win for Best Podcast with “Good Hang.”

However, some of the nominations and winners were not without controversy, specifically Pohler’s win in the brand-

new category of Best Podcast.

Among the other nominees were Alex Cooper’s “Call Her Daddy” and Dax Shepard’s “Armchair Expert,” but not among the nominees was the infamous “Joe Rogan Experience.” This omission was called out by many on both sides of the political aisle, including liberal comedian and commentator Bill Maher, who argued that whether Rogan’s podcast was the best or not could be debated, but its influence and sociocultural impact are undeniable.

Now that the Globes have wrapped up, the celebrity calendar continues with the Grammy Awards in February and the related Actor Awards presented by SAG-AFTRA in March.

‘Doomsday’

Randall Elvin Staff Writer

Marvel studios recently dropped the latest teaser for “Avengers: Doomsday,” and if their goal was to get people talking about the film, it’s working.

The new footage Marvel is putting out takes an approach they haven’t used before. Teasers, each focused on a different character, are igniting speculation and conversations across the fandom. Fans are dissecting every scene for clues or easter eggs that reveal plans for the upcoming movie. It’s no secret that the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has been tanking in recent years, losing popularity, quality and sales. For the first time since 2019, the trail-

Fire and flop

Jack Davis Contributing Writer

Watching James Cameron’s “Avatar: Fire and Ash” is about as exciting as watching 400-million-dollar paint dry.

The newest installment in the Avatar franchise leaves much to be desired. Despite its stunning visual effects, a weak and unfocused story causes “Fire and Ash” to burn out before it ever finds its spark.

The movie follows the Sully family as they defend their home from the human colonists who have allied with the bloodthirsty Mangkwan forces. However, the plot of “Fire and Ash” is a half-baked rehash of the cliché story from the first two movies. The movie is a tangled mess of plot points and dull stakes.

Storylines are never given a chance to develop, disappearing the minute that they are introduced. Rarely throughout the film does any conflict feel meaningful, as problems are either resolved within minutes or forgotten completely.

The characters’ motivations change to whatever is convenient to the script. “Fire and Ash” also tries to tell far too many stories at once. The central conflict rarely anchors the film, which instead follows convoluted family drama and political intrigue. While both elements could be compelling on their own, cramming seven or eight separate plotlines into such a short stretch of the film makes the story feel scattered and unfocused.

Worse still, the plotlines are not just excessive but also boring. Each feels more melodramatic than the last, dragging out every minute of an already-padded three-hour runtime.

There are a few redeeming qualities in this slog. As with the rest of the “Avatar” films, the visual effects are the movie’s most impressive feature. There isn’t a single bad-looking shot in the film. Additionally, the performances are solid across the board, with Jack Champion as Spider and Oona Chaplin as Varang standing out in their roles.

“Avatar: Fire and Ash” may deliver breathtaking visuals, but it is ultimately dragged down by a story that is both half-baked and bloated, leaving the film visually stunning yet narratively hollow.

has arrived

The long-awaited Avengers trailer has officially debuted

ers for “Doomsday” have fans feeling that Marvel is building towards something big again, and something they don’t want to miss.

When the trailer for “Avengers: Infinity War” dropped, Marvel had both obsessive fans and casual viewers diving into theories on the film. Fans argued about when the numerous members of the Avengers would meet, which characters would die and if it was even possible to beat the mad Titan known as Thanos. The trailers for “Infinity War” had the MCU flying high on ticket sales, social media, views and deals across the world. However, after its high in 2019, the MCU took a nosedive, releasing lackluster films and Disney+ series. What once felt like an interconnected uni-

verse began to feel like a bloated collection of lacking heroes and villains.

The “Doomsday” trailer is taking a page out of the “Infinity War” playbook. For fans, “Avengers: Doomsday” may be an important course correction for the MCU, and so far, Marvel has been treating the film as such.

Unlike traditional trailers that lay out a rough plot for the film, “Doomsday” has stayed deliberately selective, opting for its trailers to focus on tone, character and implication.

The first trailer centers on Steve Rogers in a rural setting holding a baby in his arms, reminding the audience of who has been the emotional backbone of the MCU. The next trailer shows Thor down on one knee, gripping his axe,

calling upon his father to give him strength to fight whatever is coming. This small scene indicates that the god of thunder does not seem to be in his comedic persona, perhaps hinting at higher stakes for the movie. Surprisingly, the next trailer includes the Fantastic Four in Wakanda. These groups have never interacted before, and by doing this, Marvel appears to be trying to debloat their universe by blending previously separate groups together.

Perhaps even more significant than the Fantastic Four, the X-Men also got a moment to shine in a “Doomsday” trailer. X-Men, a property previously owned by Fox, was bought by Disney in 2019, and the group has not featured in an MCU movie until now. Fans

are excited by the prospect of iconic characters like Cyclops, Magneto and Professor X joining the much-anticipated “Doomsday” film. All of these characters may have to team up to fight against the villain of the film, Doctor Doom, played by Robert Downey Jr., who previously stole the MCU spotlight with his role of Iron Man. Due to its apparent return to form and its impressive roster of characters, “Avengers: Doomsday” may be poised to be the most important MCU film of all time. The question remains, however: Will “Doomsday” lead the MCU to return to the box office charts, pop culture and to its former glory?

‘cross the pond

Luke Paglia

Photo Chief

Over the 2025-2026 winter break, I traveled to France and Germany to complete the college’s required course, Studies in Science, Faith and Technology (SSFT). Grove City College offers the opportunity to take travel courses

throughout the year during the intersession periods. Since the beginning of college, I have wanted to study abroad. As I planned out my schedule, I realized it would be tough as a molecular biology major to find enough time to spend a whole semester abroad. This was very disappointing to me. I thought it

would be an amazing experience to be immersed in a new culture, learning its language and traditions and exploring new places.

Then, toward the end of my sophomore year, I was trying to find time in my junior year schedule to take SSFT and was struggling to move classes around to fit it. That’s when

I received an email advertising the SSFT travel course to France and Germany. I had never heard of a travel course previously, but I saw the opportunity and took it.

For each travel course, students and professors travel to an international destination for two weeks to complete a Grove City College course. Normally, it is one of the humanities classes or another required class.

Throughout my time in France and Germany, I learned so much about their cultures. I ate a lot of French

and German cuisine, which differs dramatically from ours. I attended a Protestant French church service. This was an amazing experience that was even better than I imagined it would be. Worshipping the Lord surrounded by a gathering of people who didn’t speak the same language as me, who don’t know who I am and, quite frankly, who I have nothing in common with at all, showed me the ability for Christians to come together and recognize their brotherhood and sisterhood with one another under

our Father, God. This was one of the most rewarding experiences of the entire trip.

In addition to this, I was able to build strong relationships with the other students. I went into the trip knowing one other person and came out of it with several good friends. Spending two weeks

with the same people 24/7 forces you to grow close to one another. I think everyone should learn how this experience happens at some point, especially when in situations like navigating a new place. I was also able to build good relationships with both professors on this trip, both of whom I would have no interaction with during my time at the college if not for the course. Because of it, I was able to get to know them as people, as fathers and as God-fearing mentors. This is a unique relationship that, again, you only get to experience if you do everything with

Students debate the

SoF gives institutional clarity

Anastasia Brown Community Editor

The debates surrounding the new statement of faith rattled the campus at the end of last semester, and, despite being a study abroad student and living over 3,000 miles away, I was quickly hearing snippets of the conversation.

While I understand the need for these dialogues about the diversity of perspectives held on this campus about the nature of God, human identity and the definition of marriage, I would like to frame our thinking on this topic by asking why a Christian school like Grove City College would need something like a codified statement of faith.

The creation of such a document, which seeks to concisely define the core beliefs of the college, was unavoidably des-

“The statement of faith is simply living out scriptural commands to apply truth to our daily lives.”

tined to result in controversy.

After all, one of the strengths of our school is the passion and intentionality that faculty and students bring into conversations around faith. I am thankful that my teachers and peers see their faith as something requiring serious contemplation, conversation and debate.

Our generation too often attempts to avoid hard conversations. “You do you!” we tell others. But if we believe that our faith is of ultimate importance, avoiding tough conversations about the points on which we diverge does not serve our communities the way w e hope they will.

Our current cultural climate makes a statement of faith necessary for a school like Grove City College. Our culture and its perspective towards Christianity is not unprecedented,

and the trickiness of navigating a world that opposes the truth is not a new struggle for Christians.

In fact, the early church was called to make similar decisions as they walked the line between maintaining unity and conviction. Take the Council of Nicaea, which created one of the oldest Christian confessions of faith — a creed that most Christians today would claim to embody the truths held by every orthodox church.

But the creed was not written out of a place of unity — instead, the council was called to deal with a controversy commonly called Arianism, which questioned the divine nature of Christ. The heresy had a large following, and the council’s decision to codify the church’s beliefs in opposition to that group necessarily

brewed controversy and division.

Looking back 1700 years later, we must agree that the decision to write a confession that both solidified common gospel teaching and directly confronted cultural controversies was ultimately necessary for the unity of the church.

In this moment, it is necessary for Christians to implement their Christian faith in cultural dialogues — thus, Grove City College’s choice to include a range of topics within their statement of faith, including tough topics of marriage and gender, is simply living out scriptural commands to apply truth to our daily lives. By “rightly handling the word of truth,” we are “do(ing) our best to present (ourselves) to God as one approved, worker(s) who have no need to be ashamed” (2 Timothy 2:15).

This is not to say that our salvation is at stake when we disagree on some of these

topics — God’s grace is extended to all of us each day. But when a university takes on the name of Christ, that title should tangibly affect how that institution functions. The name “Christian” can already mean so many things to different people, and so we should desire this institution to be transparent in what they mean by that adjective. Remaining vague on our definitions and allowing our culture to decide what we mean when we say we are a “Christian” university will only tarnish our witness. An honest reality of life in a fallen world is disagreement — especially on issues of eternal importance. If we can keep our disagreements from devolving into pettiness, rage or hate — if we can stay true to our faith while also being charitable and loving towards those who disagree — we will be consistent witnesses of a faith that prioritizes both love and objective truth.

Training Christians with chests

Sarah Karns Contributing Writer

Psalm 16:6 says, “The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me.”

Grove City College is, I believe, one of these pleasant places. We have a rich community that educates men and women in our heritage, roots us deeply in a beautiful kingdom and lets the light of that kingdom shine into our respective fields. If this school is to continue equipping men and women with a truly Christian education, then the new statement of faith is exactly what Grove City College needed.

In an article entitled “Go with God,” Stanley Hauerwas expresses the way in which college education and Christian calling intersect: “Physics, sociology, French literary theory: All these and more — in

“Training the chest would not be possible without professors who share the foundational views of Christianity outlined in the statement of faith.”

fact, everything you study in college — is bathed in the light of Christ. It takes the eyes of faith to see that light, and it takes an educated mind to understand and articulate it.”

There is so much of Christ’s light and beauty covering every field of study. It is the Christian’s calling to proclaim that light to the rest of the world. Every major can, in some way, shape or form, be used to further the kingdom of God and shine the light of Christ.

Grove City College is a very unique institution. The education here not only prepares men and women to excel in their fields, but also to proclaim God’s dominion over that field.

This intersection between higher education and the Christian calling is part of the very nature of what this college stands for, and it would not be possible without hiring professors who believe in a

truly Christian education.

This school has professors who are not only experts in their fields and good at teaching, but who are also dedicated to their faith and bring that faith into everything they teach. There is an expectation that professors will be spiritual mentors as well as professional mentors, which is why it is so important that professors have a standard to which they and their beliefs are held; they are not just instructing on the mind, but on the soul and the spirit as well.

The new statement of faith provides this standard. It is Grove City College putting into a physical document the ideals and beliefs that this college has affirmed as true since the beginning of the school’s existence. To have professors who do not affirm these truths teaching here at Grove City would undermine the very idea of a Christian education.

Our faith ought to create a lens through which we view any field of study, whether that be politics, economics, physics or business. Each one of these fields has a part to play in the kingdom, and having professors that guide and direct students in how to play that part is crucial to a Christian education.

Therefore, this statement of faith is an encouragement to the kinds of professors who will bear this job well.

C.S. Lewis draws from Plato and many other philosophers to make the argument that intellect without virtue is worthless. If a man has all the knowledge in the world but does not have the virtue or morals to use that knowledge the right way, then that knowledge means nothing.

Lewis believed that virtue and morals are housed in the chest, which is why he explains in “The Abolition of Man” that many educational systems are creating “men without chests,” men who are not trained in moral virtue.

Grove City College is the opposite; this school is raising up men and women with chests — men and women with virtue, who know how to combine this virtue with their intellect to proclaim the light of the kingdom. This training of the chest would not be possible without professors who share the foundational views of Christianity outlined in the statement of faith.

We live in a society today that views Christianity in a very negative light and hates what is true and beautiful. Therefore, an institution like Grove City College, one that stands for the truth and beauty of the kingdom, is bound to be attacked.

A Christian education, one that proclaims the King’s dominion over every field, is destined to be condemned. By adopting this statement of faith, Grove City College is taking a difficult but necessary stand to protect the Christian education that many of us chose to come to this college for.

statement of faith

SoF focused on factionalism, not faith

Madelyn Braho Staff Writer

The college’s proposed statement of faith is not a sign of dedication to freedom or faith, but factionalism.

Much of the statement of faith is standard Christian orthodoxy. It takes occasional steps into more Protestant theological interpretations, such as saying Christ died a vicarious and atoning death, which does not line up with Catholic and Orthodox interpretations.

However, in the statement of faith, one thing stands out. In a document that talks mainly about mission and theology, there is a clause about gender and sexuality.

Admittedly, gender and sex-

Eli Wick Contributing Writer

“Having diversity of thought makes us a better college and more truly emulates our love of freedom.”

uality have become increasingly large parts of the American Christian conversation. As queer representation and rights have increased in the last hundred years, so has conservative Christian backlash.

During the AIDS crisis, when gay men were disproportionately dying and the U.S. government was not doing much about it, Jerry Falwell, the founder and leader of the Moral Majority, said “AIDS is not just God’s punishment for homosexuals; it is God’s punishment for the society that tolerates homosexuals.”

Especially in the current political landscape, where Attorney General Pam Bondi recently suggested posting cash bounties on people who support “radical gender ideology” (by which means those who

support transgender causes, or are trans themselves), Grove City College planting our flag here might not be a wise choice.

The college is most definitely conservative, and our policies generally line up with that, but requiring professors to sign this statement to keep their jobs is a new level of dogmatism. In the past professors knew the culture of the college they were working for going in, but they did not have to sign a document saying they agreed with all of it.

Despite the argument for a unified faculty, having diversity of thought amongst professors makes us a better college, and one that more truly emulates our love of freedom.

Choosing to include a gender and marriage clause in the

statement of faith is telling. Why do we care more about talking about why a marginalized and vulnerable minority is sinful than talking about caring for the poor and the foreigner amongst us? Why more about premarital sex than about how accumulating wealth is shown to be incompatible with following Christ, as shown with the rich young ruler? Is it because these are all considered political?

Perhaps we are so concerned with appearing right that we aren’t focused on doing right. It may be easy to include this clause as a way to win points with the conservative crowd, but in doing so we are also harming our witness to those outside the camp.

Defining ourselves as people who don’t approve of “those people” is hardly going to make us a friendly presence. If

what we want is to hide away within our walls, constantly imagining more and more people besieging us, then the statement of faith is a good way to do so.

Paul says that we should “... stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.”

Placing boundaries on what Christians can believe about gender is definitely an obstacle for many pursuing the faith.

Should our ideas about gender become required for a relationship with Christ? Should politics be so closely intertwined with salvation?

If we “aspire to love each other and our students the way Christ loves us,” I don’t think the current statement of faith is the way to do so.

Cementing GCC’s innate doctrine

For 150 years, the college we call home has upheld a tradition rooted in evangelical faith and classical liberalism, shaping the academic and spiritual development of its students with the aim of cultivating a thoughtful, united and diverse network of minds.

Insofar as the college has held a common goal, the benefactors of such an academic group have expanded, but there now lies a danger to this benevolent presence. The lack of a concrete doctrine could quickly lead to an ambiguous identity throughout the faculty, causing irreparable damage to the learning environment.

The weight borne by the college teeters visibly on the administration’s shoulders, lending every considered action an outsized gravity. But that same weight can just as easily collapse upon the students who rely on the college for nourishment and direction if not steadied with care.

The vision of our institute, constructed by Pew and MacKenzie and carried along by each subsequent pass of the baton, has allowed the current administrators a chance to chisel in stone a doctrine innate but finally cemented.

Brae Sadler Contributing Writer

I support Grove City College’s statement of faith. One of the primary reasons I came here was the college’s explicit mission of “faith and freedom.”

Each of us needs to renew our dedication to the faith at critical moments. The same is true of institutions like Grove City College. As we approach our 150th anniversary, we need to dedicate ourselves to Christian excellence within our institution.

At the same time, no person or college is perfect, and reconciling our beliefs with our actions is part of the Christian

The issue with a lack of documentation regarding an expectation of faith doctrine from faculty members is that the prolonged exposure to worldliness has tainted a well-meaning congre gation. As students who have chosen a Christian institution precise ly be cause of its com mit ment to biblical teaching, we must ask why instructors were previously given leeway, whether intentionally or not, to support behaviors that fall outside the college’s own stated doctrine. It is not as though those currently employed by Grove City College were particularly

snuck up on by this. In fact, the contracts signed by each member of the faculty this past year strongly alluded to, if not plainly stated,

lies not only in the intentions behind it, but also in how it is received by the community it seeks to guide. It remains to be seen whether the board’s

an expected affirmation of the college’s goals and beliefs, perfectly consistent with those at its founding. Granted, the effectiveness of any institutional statement

For some, the statement of faith may serve as a welcome affirmation of what Grove City College has always stood for; for others, it appeared to raise questions concerning the diversity of thought being exhib-

A house divided cannot stand

life. One area where Grove City College can improve is by ensuring college policies follow the spirit of our new statement of faith. Currently, The Crimson Student Handbook contains policies that contradict the statement of faith. The college should change The Crimson to align its policies with our values. The Crimson contradicts the statement of faith on the first page. The “Student Responsibilities” section encourages students to have “freedom from discrimination or prejudice.” Today, we tend to view discrimination negatively, and prejudice carries connotations of bigotry.

But this is far from the truth; certain kinds of discrimination and prejudice are good. For example, many of you are dating

with the end goal of marriage. One important part of compatibility is finding someone who shares your faith. As Christians, you ought to date another Christian, thereby discriminating against non-Christians. Nor is prejudice always bad. Paul tells us, “Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good” (Romans 12:9). In other words, we are supposed to be automatically opposed to immorality and ungodliness. Of course, we should never discriminate against someone based on race or sex, but to say that discrimination or prejudice is never appropriate is untrue.

In fact, Grove City College engages in prejudice and discrimination. All faculty and certain staff must sign the new statement of faith to remain at the college, and all new faculty

hires will be required to sign it as well.

Even before the statement of faith, the college discriminated against non-Christians and maintained prejudice against other faiths, violating the same advice it gives to students.

Additionally, Policy K in the “Civility and Respect” section of The Crimson (located in the Community Life chapter) threatens the expression of ideas found in the statement of faith. The policy classifies “language or symbols that denigrate race, sexual orientation or religion” as contrary to the college’s mission of being a “Christ-centered living and learning community.”

However, the statement of faith denigrates other religions as untrue by asserting the singular truth of Christianity. Ad-

ited by the faculty.

Many are of the opinion that a documented statement of faith could lead to forcing out a large population with a strong, dissenting paradigm. However, it is important to distinguish between the indoctrination of a student under an ideology and a healthy acknowledgment of its existence and influence on the world.

On paper, it appears that the college has no intention of pushing out the people who disagree, considering that no student will ever be made to sign this document. Simply put, the presence of an ideology on campus can just as easily live through a textbook as it can through a practitioner.

The agenda of the college is made clear and complete in the statement of faith, leaving no room for doubt for an incoming student or a new hire.

It is abundantly clear from both the words and actions of the board of trustees that the statement of faith was presented to the faculty in good faith, with the intention of establishing a unifying and rallying creed. However, it remains to be seen whether this intention aligns with the document’s actual reception.

The students at Grove City College now look ahead with heightened interest, anticipating the developments that soon follow this significant chapter in the college’s history.

ditionally, by supporting marriage as between one man and one woman and affirming the creation of only two genders, the statement implies that homosexuality is sinful and that transgenderism is false.

The beliefs expressed in the statement of faith, therefore, denigrate other religions and lifestyles, placing them in violation of Policy K. I am unaware of how Policy K is enforced, but similar policies at other colleges have been used to shut down discussions surrounding faith and ethics.

What should the college do? The policies in The Crimson were created with good intentions, but they contradict the college’s statement of faith. Grove should revise these policies to align them with our stated goal of Christian excellence.

DOWNTOWN

MOORE

continued from 1

“As a private, Christian college, we have legitimate concern about federal interference in what we teach and how we teach it,” Moore said. “This was the most compelling reason for deciding to withdraw from the program.”

This decision left many students with a financial deficit, but Moore committed to keeping college costs affordable and initiated the Change & Commitment capital campaign. The largest campaign the college had seen until that point raised over $60 million and exceeded goals for student financial aid.

That overflow is still enjoyed today in buildings like Staley Hall of Arts and Letters, Breen Student Union, Pew Fine Arts Center and Carnegie Alumni Center, which were constructed or renovated thanks to the campaign’s success. However, buildings are only part of his legacy.

During his term, Moore also developed the college’s international department, encouraged greater emphasis on studies abroad and advocated increasing its exchange student population. Aa an avid traveler, a student of two dif-

THROCKMORTON

continued from 1

continued from 1 preme Court case Grove City College v. Bell. Although the process and its ultimate decision began before his time, Moore stood by it.

a $179,500 grant in May from the Richard King Mellon Foundation to fund a community revitalization plan for downtown Grove City. According to Grove City’s senior director of development, Brian Powell, the meeting provided an opportunity to update McCormick on the latest developments in Mercer County, including the downtown Grove City plan.

“For revitalization to succeed long term, it’s crucial to start with local private support,” Powell said. “We also keep our state and federal officials informed, as their involvement and resources can benefit the project’s future progress.”

Powell said that briefing McCormick does not alter the project’s trajectory but helps raise awareness and generate momentum among public officials and stakeholders.

continued from 12

to get some passes into the middle and have many of my teammates finish in the paint.”

Hasley’s court vision provided stability on a day when Grove City had trouble generating consistent looks, finishing 20 of 52 (39%) from the field. Meanwhile, Chatham posted 49% shooting and maintained a 38–34 rebounding edge, using their efficiency to prevent the Wolverines from making a sustained run. Still, Hasley believed the Wolverines’ offensive reads improved as the game progressed. “In a zone, there are always holes in the defense,” she said. “When we were working the ball around, getting it to the middle and kicking it back out, as well as attacking the gaps off the dribble, we got the zone out of position and created opportunities for our offense.”

Defensively, Grove City saw strong rebounding efforts from juniors Bethany Thomp-

“In the past six months, our community has actively collaborated to create a sustainable plan for downtown revitalization,” Powell said. “The next steps involve sharing this vision with local stakeholders, building a team to execute the plan and applying for a grant to build capacity.”

The five-year revitalization plan is expected to begin in 2026 and aims to encourage students to visit downtown Grove City and support local businesses. Assistant Borough Manager Taylor Pokrant said the borough hopes to strengthen connections between the college and the downtown area.

“We want to see that connection and that the students don’t just stay on the campus, that they come and visit our local merchants and infuse capital into those merchants,” Pokrant said.

The specifics of the plan are still being refined, and both Powell and Pokrant are

son and Brooke McCoy, along with sophomore Alexis Hudson, who each collected five boards. But the Wolverines also faced difficulties protecting possessions, finishing with 23 turnovers compared to Chatham’s 15.

The Cougars received a standout performance from Alyssa Laukus, who poured in 25 points to lead all scorers.

For Grove City’s seniors, the loss — combined with a challenging stretch of PAC play — offered perspective more than discouragement. Sherrerd emphasized long-term resilience, saying, “We played two of the best teams in the PAC backtoback which is never easy. The team is looking at the past week as an opportunity to learn and improve as we head deeper into PAC play.”

The Wolverines remain focused on the broader season picture. “Losing is never easy, but it’s important to have the bigger picture in mind,” Sherrerd added. “Our season is not determined by these past two games … Taking these set-

looking for feedback from the Grove City community.

Powell encouraged community members who missed earlier focus groups or public open houses to contact him with feedback.

“Our aim is to transform downtown into a magnet for entrepreneurship, growth and investment, making it an appealing place for students to choose to stay after graduation,” he said.

Pokrant said he is “thankful to have a partner in Grove City College.” Much of the campus borders the downtown study area, and borough officials are seeking guidance from the college community.

“We really would like to see input from the college, whether directly from students or through members of the college staff on the committee, on what types of entities downtown would bring students off campus and into the downtown,” Pokrant said.

backs and viewing them for what they are, which is a learning opportunity, I think will ultimately benefit our team.”

Hasley echoed that message of consistency and leadership. “The perspective I try to bring after a tough loss like that … is that it’s still early in conference play and we need to focus on getting better from this game,” she said. “We want to be playing our best basketball in February, right when playoffs begin.”

Even in difficult moments, Hasley stays committed to keeping her teammates anchored. “If we’re up by 30, if we’re down by 30, it doesn’t matter,” she said. “I try my best to continue to encourage, communicate and hold others and myself accountable to the standards and expectations that we have for this team.”

The college did not have long to dwell on the outcome. The Wolverines returned to play at home this past Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. as they hosted Thiel in PAC North Division play.

ferent universities and a wellversed international educator, Moore believed being introduced to other cultures and their education systems was important.

“When I think back to John Moore’s years as president of Grove City College, certainly among the many highlights were his emphasis on academic research and scholarship, his promotion of international opportunities for students and faculty and his strong Christian commitment,” Andrew Markley, professor of international business and college faculty member since 1991, said.

Director of College Archives Hilary Walczak echoed this statement, saying, “(Moore) had the mindset that when you see the world, you have a better understanding of your place in it.”

Moore’s desire to introduce the college to the world also translated into a push for Grove City College to be a more nationally recognized institution. But perhaps his greatest impact was on the lives of those he touched.

Known for knowing the names of faculty and their family life, “Moore had a deeper effect on the staff and faculty on this campus,” Walczak said. “The faculty who were here during Dr. Moore had a really, really good relationship with him.”

founding of America. Throckmorton and Coulter’s book was so influential that the publisher of Barton’s book, “Telling Jefferson Lies,” pulled it for inaccuracies.

“The Christian Past that Wasn’t” expands on the fact-checking and myth-debunking of that previous work, taking on a wider range of Christian nationalist stories. The book has a series of seven myths following America chronologically, from the Puritans onward.

“I start with the idea that America was a covenant nation, that the Puritans were a kind of new Israel,” Throckmorton said.

Other stories investigated include Benjamin Franklin proposing prayer at the constitutional convention and Roger Williams’s founding of Rhode Island.

Researching Rhode Island was particularly interesting for Throckmorton because his family made a feature in the colony’s history. John Throckmorton converted to Quakerism, causing a disagreement with Roger Williams. Despite that, John Throckmorton was still elected to a government office.

“In civil things, there was complete freedom to follow your conscience,” Throckmorton said. “That was exciting to me.”

But historical research is about more than just family genealogy; it’s about the facts. Considering the landscape of falsified history that Barton is included in, getting to the truth was important, but also not difficult.

“It was so easy a psychologist could do it ... It wasn’t that much of a stretch from how I taught psychology,” Throck-

morton said. “Ultimately, I think as Christian scholars, we’re not looking to produce an outcome in the sense of making sure someone was on ‘team Christian,’ but we should seek the truth about things.”

This dedication to the facts is key to “The Christian Past that Wasn’t.”

Authors like Barton may have “grabbed facts out of context or made up facts and used them for a present political purpose,” Coulter said.

Contrarily, for Throckmorton, getting the facts right is crucial. When asked how readers should approach the book, he said to “read it with an open mind ... check the primary sources.”

And the facts aren’t always kind. A key thread of the book follows the treatment of Native Americans and Africans and questions why that is ignored in the making of a Christian America.

“There is a Christian past that wasn’t; those are the myths, but there’s the Christian past that was, that’s where Christianity was used in vain,” Throckmorton said. “God’s name was taken in vain to do some very bad things.”

But the book doesn’t dismiss America’s Christian past as entirely myth either.

“I’m very open in the book that of course the founders believed in God, of course they had Christian leanings,” Throckmorton said. Throckmorton doesn’t want readers to forget the limits of that.

“America’s sins aren’t justified by America’s virtues, and the virtues are real too,” Throckmorton said. “The Christian Past that Wasn’t” will be available for purchase on May 19th, and Throckmorton can also be found at the Throckmorton Initiative on Substack.

Interested in News? Join our team! For more info about writing for News, email PuruckerMT24@gcc.edu

Men’s volleyball bested in tri-match

Mia Gallagher Sports Editor

After a successful inaugural varsity season, the Grove City College men’s volleyball team kicked off its 2026 program with faceoffs against five regional powerhouse programs, coming away with a 1-4 record to begin year two.

These five matches mark the beginning of a challenging nonconference schedule — one populated with top-20 teams and designed to prepare the young program for PAC play later this spring.

“We do have a pretty tough non-conference schedule to open the season, with several top-20 teams. Despite the challenge, I believe that this will only make us tougher. By competing against these high-caliber teams, we are more prepared and refined by the time we do reach conference play,” junior Andrew Kessler said.

Coming off an 8-4 conference record and a trip to the PAC title match last season, Kessler and his teammates believe the lessons learned last season — coupled with those to be learned against fierce, nonconference competitors —

will help them achieve their 2026 vision.

“Last season was extremely successful, especially considering the fact that it was our first year as a varsity program. I think something that played a large role in that was our team culture. We were very intentional about creating a strong, Christ-centered foundation, which I believe largely impacted our success,” junior Craig Fair said.

“Our goal this year is to be back in the championship game competing for a title, and that starts with never being complacent and feeling content after last year’s success.”

This past weekend, the Wolverines opened their home schedule with a tri-match against Baldwin Wallace and Elizabethtown — resulting in two 1-3 setbacks.

After dropping a hardfought first set to the Yellow Jackets, the Wolverines rallied to a 31-29 win in the second set. This resurgence by the Wolverines, however, came to an end with back-to-back losses in sets three and four.

Kessler led the Wolverines’ offensive charge with 10 kills.

Freshman Evan DiMalanta

and junior Carson Good followed Kessler with nine and eight kills, respectively. Fair supported their efforts with 34 assists. Defensively, senior Tieg Malcom paced the Wolverines with five blocks at the net, while DiMalanta and junior Max Gianneski combined for 15 digs from the floor.

Although the Wolverines rallied to take their opening set against Elizabethtown 2519, the Blue Jays came back to clinch the remaining three sets, securing their 3-1 victory.

Pacing the offensive against Elizabethtown was DiMalanta, who tallied 12 kills in the nightcap. Sophomore Keith Otto followed DiMalanta with 10 kills, while Kessler chipped in seven. Malcolm again led the Wolverines’ defense with 10 blocks, and DiMalanta added five blocks and seven digs.

“Despite the losses to both Baldwin Wallace and Elizabethtown, I think we proved to ourselves that we do have the capability to compete with some of these top teams. Obviously, we didn’t do quite enough to win, but we took a set in each match,” Kessler said.

“These games showed us some things that we need to

Chatham outlasts Grove City in key PAC matchup

Natalie Hanna Staff Writer

The college’s men’s basketball team lost 67-61 to Chatham on the road on Saturday, bringing them to an overall record of 5-10 and a 1-4 record in the PAC. Despite the loss, the Wolverines played great defense, allowing only 67 points to a team that usually scores 84.

Junior center Austin Johncour recorded a game-high 10 rebounds, joined by senior forward Mike Christenson and junior forward Caleb Haller’s seven rebounds each. The Wolverines took a 45-37 edge on the glass against Chatham. Christenson also had three steals.

On the offensive front, Christenson shot for 17 points, while senior guard Kyle Randle contributed 16 points.

Johncour and junior guard Colton Martin also fired in 10 points each.

The Wolverines led by eight in the second half, but Chatham managed to rally to a 5454 tie at the five-minute mark.

Grove City’s final lead, 56-54, came from Martin’s layup. The Wolverines shot 34% while the Cougars had a shooting percentage of 40%.

“Our main struggle right now is scoring. We had a drought in the second half where we couldn’t get anything to go. If we would have made a few shots during that span, we would have put ourselves in a great position to win,” Christenson said.

Their drought in the second half consisted of missing 12 of their final 13 shots from the field, ultimately contributing to the eventual loss.

The team has not been dis-

DiMalanta and Malcom served the team defensively.

work on as well as some things that we did well. Overall, I think we have a ton of potential as a team this year, and I am very excited to see what we can accomplish this year,” he added.

After dropping a 1-3 road decision to Mount Union on

Tuesday and hosting Carlow on Thursday, the Wolverines will travel to Erie, Pa. for a two-day quad match against Penn State Behrend, Penn State Altoona and Hilbert next weekend. Action will begin at 5 p.m. next Friday.

couraged by the loss, though, confident that with the incredible defense they have crafted, they can beat any team in the league.

“We have the best defensive and rebounding team in the conference, and the best that I have ever been a part of in my four years. We will be a very dangerous team in the playoffs,” Christenson said. “The two games this week are big, and I’m excited to see what we can do. Thiel is always a tough game, and St. Vincent is loaded with talent.”

After hosting Thiel at home last Wednesday, the Wolverines go on to play another PAC rival, St. Vincent, in Latrobe, Pa. The game will tip off at 6 p.m. Make sure to come out and support the Wolverines as they face many more PAC rivals over the next couple of weeks!

Flyin’ into 2026

Swim sails past Behrend to open second half of season

Mia Gallagher Sports Editor

The Grove City College men’s and women’s swim teams opened the second half of their 2025-2026 program Saturday with commanding wins for both squads against Penn State Behrend.

This latest win only adds to the accolades already generated by this year’s teams — which includes victories by both at the Wheaton Invitational, the program’s big midseason meet.

Reflecting on the squad’s success before the new year and their diligence in training for the second half of their schedule, junior Owen Hancock claims both squads are encouraged by their performance thus far and look eagerly to their final month of competition.

“In the pool, we learned that our team can be competitive at the national level. This level of success takes the entire team working hard every day and bringing a good attitude to practice,” Hancock said. “It’s

“In the pool, we learned that our team can be competitive at the national level. This level of success takes the entire team working hard every day and bringing a good attitude to practice.”

challenging to stay motivated when we are home on Christmas break, and some of us have to swim on our own. The success from the first half of the season definitely encouraged us to keep our foot on the gas and not back off over break.”

The men’s performance at Penn State Behrend was headlined by the setting of three pool records and supported by many individual and relay victories.

Senior Caleb Einolf and Hancock combined for individual five wins on the day, and each notched individual pool records in the 100 breaststroke and 50 backstroke, respectively. The pair also joined junior Bryce Pope and senior Nathan Beukema for a victory in the 200-medley relay, during which they set the

-- Owen Hancock

team’s third pool record of the meet.

Leading the women’s effort was freshman Abigail Vance, who tallied three individual wins in the 100 breast, 200 breast and 200 individual medley to pace the squad. The Wolverines also clinched victories in the 200 medley and 200 free relays.

Further supplementing the Wolverines’ effort was freshman diver Chaeli Keenan, who swept the one-meter and three-meter competitions.

“Now that we are through the hardest part of winter training, our focus has shifted to rest and recovery as we get ready for the PAC Championship in late February. The focus changes from emphasizing training volume to emphasizing training intensity. We are looking to clean up our tech-

nique and ability to race well,”

Hancock said.

“Out of the pool, our team is looking for new ways to share our faith with the other swimmers/teams in the PAC. This year at PACs there will be a time of prayer and testimonies open to all swimmers,” he said.

The Wolverines will look to continue their dominant 20252026 program this weekend at the Carnegie Mellon Western Pa. Invitational. Both squads will travel to Pittsburgh this evening, where the meet is set to start at 6 p.m.

Grove City falls at Chatham

Reagan Thomas Contributing Writer

The Grove City College women’s basketball team struggled to find early offensive rhythm Saturday afternoon, falling 84–54 to Chatham University in PAC interdivisional play at the Chatham Athletic Center.

The Wolverines, entering the matchup at 10–5 overall and 4–2 in conference play, opened the afternoon ice cold, converting just two of their first 13 field goal attempts. Chatham capitalized quickly, racing to a 22–4 lead behind an efficient first-quarter shooting display. The Cougars ultimately finished the period 11-of-18 from the field, a blistering pace that set the tone for the remainder of the contest.

Despite the rough start,

Grove City battled throughout, leaning on the composure of its veteran players. Senior center Meredith Sherrerd anchored the offense with 17 points, helping steady the Wolverines after the rocky first quarter.

“Once the team got acclimated to the pace and aggressiveness of Chatham’s playing style, we were able to work the ball around and get into a bit of a rhythm,” Sherrerd said, reflecting on that early push.

Sherrerd’s back-to-back buckets early in the second quarter trimmed the deficit to 27–17, showing the kind of resilience Head Coach Chelle Fuss has emphasized all season. Although Chatham rebuilt its lead to 43–24 at halftime, Grove City continued to compete on both ends, working to counter the Cougars’ tempo

and activity on the boards. Sherrerd noted that while the scoreboard didn’t swing Grove City’s way, she saw meaningful positives. “Chatham is always a hard environment to play in, but this year I was really proud of our team’s attitude,” she said. “We were able to stay together through the adversity and compete the whole game.”

Senior guard Reese Hasley added 10 points and delivered a seasonhigh seven assists, repeatedly finding teammates in pockets of space within Chatham’s zone defense. “Chatham plays a zone, and the only way to beat a zone is to work the ball around, especially when it’s to the middle,” Hasley explained. “I was able