The Collegian, March 13, 2026

Collegian

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Paul to speak at graduation Conservative’s values align with college’s

Matthew Purucker News Editor

U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., will address students during Grove City College’s 146th commencement May 9.

Now in his third term in the Senate, Paul’s conservative positions on issues and strong Christian belief “align with the College’s longstanding commitment to faith and free-

dom,” according to a college news release announcing that he would be the commencement speaker for the class of 2026.

In the Senate, Paul is the chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. He is also a member of the For-

eign Relations Committee, the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee.

Paul has returned $8.3 million from his Senate office budget to the U.S. Treasury and has never voted for an unbalanced budget, according to his Senate website.

“Senator Paul is an especially fitting choice for our com-

mencement this year,” President Bradley Lingo said. “As we celebrate the 150th anniversary of Grove City College and as our nation approaches the 250th anniversary of its independence, his career in public service reflects a serious commitment to the constitutional ideals and civic responsibilities that have shaped both our institution and our country.”

Lingo to be inaugurated

Matthew Purucker News Editor

The inauguration ceremony of Bradley Lingo ’00, the 10th president of Grove City College, will occur at 11 a.m. Thursday in Harbison Chapel.

Before his inauguration, Lingo, who graduated from the college in 2000, stressed the importance of this event and highlighted his speech.

“The speech matters because it’s a public affirmation of who we are in a moment of celebration and transition,” Lingo said. “It’s an opportunity to renew our strength by recommitting to our mission with clarity and confidence. “

The board of directors will formally install Lingo as president during the inauguration service. The service will also include worship and prayer, and former presidents Richard Jewell ’67 and Paul McNulty ’80 will talk about the college’s history and tradition.

Jewell served as president of Grove City College from 2003 to 2014 after graduating from the college in 1967. He will speak on the subject “Celebrating Our 150 Years.”

McNulty retired as the ninth president of the college in June 2025 after holding the position since 2014. He will discuss “Our Tradition of Faith.”

Former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence will give the benediction. Pence is also a distinguished visiting fellow for the Center for Faith & Public Life.

Senior Hannah Phillips will read Romans 12:1-12, and Stu-

‘Run,

Bradley J. Lingo ’00 will officially be inaugurated as the college’s 10th president Thursday.

dent Government Association

President Julia Sikora will give a salutation on behalf of the student body.

Among students, seniors Emma Danielson, Julia Kis-

hide, fight’ training sessions set

Olivia Massucci Staff Writer

Grove City College’s Student Life & Learning and Incident Management Team (IMT) are leading a series of training sessions on the run, hide, fight model, a framework for surviving an active shooter incident.

The sessions are one hour long and held at various times in rooms in Staley Hall of Arts and Letters, according to a March 3 email to students.

Isaac Cooke, resident director of Hopeman Hall and one of the training facilitators, said the sessions are designed to empower students to respond quickly and confidently in unsure situations.

tler, junior Nathan Kebeck, sophomores Anna Kruppenbacher, Frances Baksa, Tyler Querry and David LaBarbera and freshmen Ella West and Henry Cramer will perform

music in the prelude.

“As someone who doesn’t really like being the center of attention, I hope the focus re-

“My hope was to invite someone who could thoughtfully speak to the enduring importance of faith and freedom in both our college and our country,” Lingo said. “Rand Paul emerged as a particularly fitting choice, especially because his thinking has been influenced by former Grove City College economics professor

College switching to digital IDs

Sam Mayfield Contributing Writer

Grove City College is transitioning to a new digital form of physical authentication technology.

Digital Near Field Communication (NFC) on smartphones will replace physical proximity cards, which will be phased out by Oct. 5.

When the scanners in Chick-fil-A and other buildings changed to the rectangular scanners with a bar light, it meant that the college was preparing to change student IDs.

The Collegian heard complaints surface concerning longer scan times and difficulty in hearing the scanning sound, but these scanners are not the only recent hardware on campus that contains the new NFC technology.

Scanners outside of the library and dorms, and inside various buildings, use NFC technology as well. In fact, all scanners on campus can now read this new form of ID.

The main reason for the IDs 9

The training initiative grew out of the after-action assessment of the swatting incident in September, according to Mandie McCreadie, director of Student Care.

“Anytime anything happens, folks will come together. … (They will be) assessing what went right, what went wrong, what could’ve been done better,” McCreadie said. “None of us are perfect all the time, but the difference is what we learn from that and how we assess and engage and create actions

FIGHT 10

“We aren’t giving a plan, but something that applies to the classrooms in HAL, STEM, their residence halls, that can just be ‘OK, something’s happening, here’s what I can do. I don’t have to process, I can just act,’” Cooke said.

Bridging history with a continuous legacy

The snow has melted and students are across the quad studying, playing Spikeball and enjoying the long-awaited warmer weather. Grove is green again. Spring has arrived at the college and, along with it, a season of celebrations.

On Thursday, the college will inaugurate its 10th president. At the ceremony, Grovers past and present will anticipate a bright future under the leadership of President Lingo while remembering the rich history that formed the college to be the institution it is today, with speeches from former Presidents Richard Jewell ’67 and Paul McNulty ’80.

Grove City College has a lot to be proud of and to praise God for. These past few weeks, The Collegian has highlighted some of the college’s milestones, such as the founding of its first fraternities and sororities, a landmark court case with national implications and even the institution of The Collegian’s first female editor-in-chief.

Throughout the generations, the college has witnessed shifting times. It has seen alumni serve in two world wars, it has watched 28 U.S. presidents come and go, witnessed both the institution and the overturning of Roe v. Wade and it even managed to keep its doors open during a global pandemic.

The college has also seen its culture grow and change over its history. Greek groups no longer must meet in secret, women are not held to a strict curfew and let’s not forget, we can now walk on the grass.

Along with preserving its historical legacy, the college has also remained strong in its convictions. Grove City remains a campus where faith and conservative thought flourish. We remain committed to the pursuit of vocational excellence, fostering Christian fellowship and studying Biblical truth.

In the college’s 150th year, we’ve come together to honor the people who came before us and shaped the college into the institution it is now. We remember the tenacity of Isaac Ketler, the philanthropy of the Pew family, the reaffirmation of our commitment to faith under Charles Mackenzie and the generosity of David Rathburn ’79.

As we commemorate the past, we also celebrate our present. In recent years, we’ve welcomed a former vice president turned Grove City College professor to campus. This fall, President Lingo launched a merit-based scholarship and mentorship program for incoming freshmen. Soon, we will honor the accomplishments of the senior man and woman of the year and of students’ achievements in their disciplines at the recognition convocation.

The 150th anniversary celebration bridges the past and present of Grove City College. We’ll gather to recognize the great character and integrity our college has built, first at President Lingo’s inauguration and then at the Celebrate 150 reception and musical tribute at Carnegie Hall in Pittsburgh. We’ll catch up with alumni and current students, and most importantly, we’ll remember the legacy of the college that ties us together.

Emily Fox Editor-in-Chief

Collegian Staff

Emily Fox

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Matthew Purucker

News Editor

Anastasia Brown

Community Editor

Christa Bashinski

Entertainment Editor

John Hatzis

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Mia Gallagher

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Staff Writers

Mara Brak

Madelyn Braho

Randall Elvin

Alexandria Fox

Natalie Hanna

Andrew Hutchinson

Julia Kramer

Olivia Massucci

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Art & Photography

Luke Paglia

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Mara Barrick

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THE GREEN EYESHADE AWARD

This week’s award goes to Vivian for copy editing her assigned section’s articles early so that we could get a head start on finishing up the copy editing process! We are grateful for Vivian’s consistent and thorough work!

Through the years, shared experiences bond Grovers

Mia Gallagher

Celebrate 150 Correspondent

Most religious students. Friendliest students. Happiest students. Best quality of life. Four labels. One incredible college community they represent.

At the outset of the 20252026 school year, the Princeton Review ranked Grove City College highly in the four categories listed above. To an outsider, it may be difficult to understand how one small, liberal arts college in Western Pennsylvania could cultivate such an esteemed community.

But to Grove City College students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends, the answer is quite clear. With its historical emphasis on intentional fellowship and Christian formation, the college has created an inviting community — one that truly feels like a home away from home.

How exactly did the college build this tightknit, renowned community?

Celebrating a legacy of faith and freedom

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

Kathryna Hoyman Managing Editor

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Anna Kasianides

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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.

An easy answer would be its on-campus living requirement, whereby all undergraduate — non-commuter, non-married — students must live on campus during their four years at the college.

This modern staple of the Grove City College student life tradition, however, did not begin for most students until the 1930s. In the college’s early years, there were no dormitories, so students either lived in town or rented rooms in boarding houses.

Gradually, Colonial, Memorial, MAP South and Ketler were built, which allowed students to move onto campus and establish the campus living tradition. Once enough dormitory space became available to house the entire student body, living on campus became a requirement.

“Even after WWII, they created veteran’s housing roughly where PFAC is now. They were basically small quickly built houses for the married veterans and their families to live so they, too, could be on campus,” Director of College Archives and Galleries Hilary Walczak ‘09 said.

“Very rare exceptions were made. There was only a small window of time in the late ’60s early ’70s where there was some off campus housing, mostly for Greeks. But it wasn’t much. And this ended in 1981,” she said.

“The effect it had is that it created a community on campus. The students live and grow together. When you are

eating, studying and living together, you get to know each other. You form a community and a bond. That isn’t really something you have at a larger school where people are living in apartments and only showing up for class and may only know a few people who are in their major,” Walczak said.

While the on-campus living tradition gradually took hold over time, another key aspect of the college’s vibrant student life — its clubs and extracurricular organizations — are as old as the institution itself.

“Clubs flourished in the early 1900s, but they were around from the start. They started with the founding of the college; we just don’t know much about their history because we don’t have a ton of records,” Walczak said.

A few of the earliest student organizations were the Webster Debate Club and the Shakespeare Club, which were both founded in 1878. The Collegian, first published in 1891, grew out of a publication by the Webster Club.

The college’s varsity athletics tradition kicked off with baseball in 1884 and football in 1892. And in the 1910s, Greek life officially began with the recognition of fraternities (Pan Sophic and Adelphikos) and sororities (Tri-Sigma and Gamma Chi).

While other organizations have since added and have had time to evolve, these early extracurricular communities have helped cultivate the unique student life tradition the college enjoys.

For decades in the 20th century, a tradition of gentle freshmen hazing provided a bonding experience for students. Well into the 1970s, all freshmen were required to wear a “dink” – a tiny red cap with a white G – and a sign around their necks with their name, hometown and dorm assignment for the first six weeks of the fall semester. It looked silly, but it was a shared humiliation that built community.

Because of the tight-knit community on campus, it’s easy to slip into the “Grove City is a bubble” mentality. In truth, however, the college has been greatly shaped by world events taking place around it.

During World War I and II, the college partnered with the federal government to help train recruits for the battlefield, which affected campus life at the time.

“After Pearl Harbor, we lost nearly 50% of the campus population. The college, knowing the impact it could have, having already done so during WWI, contacted the government and became a war training school,” Walczak said.

“Every three months, about 1,000 guys would come on campus train for three months then leave for the war. We also started to train nurses towards the end. Due to the efforts, we had a Victory ship named after the college.”

Later, during the 1960s and ’70s, the college felt the effects of the cultural revolution — al-

Choir tours to Nashville

Emily Fox Editor-in-Chief

Spring break has ended and the annual tour of the Grove City College Touring Choir has concluded, but the college has not run out of opportunities to hear the singers perform this semester.

The choir is hosting a concert in Harbison Chapel at 4 p.m. Saturday, and they’ll also be performing at President Lingo’s Inauguration March 19, the college’s 150th Anniversary Celebration at Carnegie Music Hall March 20 and at the senior baccalaureate service May 8.

While the choir anticipates a busy few upcoming weeks, they just got off a buzzing spring break on tour.

Last week, 49 choir members performed for churches

in seven states, spreading the gospel through song as they traveled.

The choir started preparing for their tour during the early weeks of the fall semester, learning a total of 15 pieces and representing many time periods, genres and composers. What they all have in common though is that they offer praise to the Lord.

“We sing entirely sacred works each year for the purpose of glorifying God and sharing the truth of the gospel through song to the people that come to our concerts,”

Touring Choir President Owen Hershberger said.

The choir has a tradition of including both a women’s piece and a men’s piece in their repertoire each year. This year, the women performed “Ubi Caritas” and the men

sang “Hold Out Your Light.” Their first song of the second half of the concert is always a surround-sound selection. For this piece, the choir encompasses the congregation in a circle as they sing. This year’s surround-sound piece was called “The Lamb.” Touring Choir alumni are given the opportunity to sing with the choir again as they sing their closing song, “God Be in my Head.”

“Being part of Touring Choir has been a huge blessing to me during my time at college,” Hershberger said. “Choir tour has always been a time where I experience much spiritual growth because of the interactions I have with others, devotional times and pieces we sing. Because we are interacting with people every hour of tour, ample opportunities

arise to show Christ’s love and learn ways in which we need to grow as followers of Christ.”

Performing on tour presents a new set of circumstances to which the singers must adapt.

“Performing on tour is different than performing at GCC. Firstly, performing at GCC typically means you know many of the people in the audience. On tour, the vast majority are strangers, and you are pleasantly surprised to recognize fellow students (although they somehow appear at nearly every concert!). Secondly, performing at GCC means performing in familiar spaces.

On tour, each space provides a new acoustic and often a new standing arrangement so we all fit on stage, both of which we can only adjust the dayof,” choir member Tim Heiser said.

Along with singing at churches, the choir also gets to explore a city mid-way through the tour. This year, the choir spent the day in Nashville. They visited iconic locations such as the Country Music Hall of Fame, Broadway Street and the Tennessee State Museum. They also enjoyed their fair share of side quests.

“A large group of us went to this hole-in-the-wall restaurant called Big Al’s, run by Big Al himself and his son out of his own home in the middle of a neighborhood. Because it was so small and there were 17 of us, we thought we’d have to split up, but they pulled out a folding table and set it outside on the sidewalk for us! It was such a nice day, and they had the best sweet tea I’ve ever

CHOIR 4

Student’s sourdough business grows

Luke Paglia Photo Chief

Don’t you wish that you could have homemade bread in the dining halls every day? Perhaps it could even be stocked at the bread station in MAP. Well, you may not be able to get it in the dining halls, but worry no longer, because you can get bread made by a Grove City College student any time you wish. And not just any bread: fresh, homemade sourdough bread, as well as pastries and desserts.

Grove City College senior Jonalyn Wharry is operating a sourdough baking business, called Jesus Loafs You, out of her apartment this year. She began this journey during the fall semester, when she had hip surgery and was unable to do much, including her varsity sport, softball. Because she had to take time to recover, she decided to start a sourdough starter and go from there.

When she made her starter, she didn’t expect the business to grow into what it is today. “Not being able to do anything really took a toll on my mental health, so having time to bake and actually being able to was something I truly leaned on,” Wharry said.

When she realized she could

make money from this business, her first thought was to help others with the profit. “I ended up using the bulk of the money to help pay for Bibles to distribute on spring break with the softball team,” she said.

Wharry runs this business mostly on her own, with some assistance from her roommates and parents with handling deliveries at home. The Jesus Loafs You menu has a

variety of products beyond just normal sourdough loaves. You can purchase bagels, sweet breads and other baked goods like cinnamon rolls, cookies and brownies.

Jesus Loafs You is more than just a business to Wharry. “While I do love baking bread, I love serving others. If I can make someone’s day with some of my time in the form of something delicious, I

will gladly do that.”

Initially her plan was to raise money for Bibles for her softball team’s spring training. She knew that she could fundraise by selling sourdough but intended to stop once they hit their goal. However, it was so popular that she continued baking bread for people. Currently, 25% of her profits are being donated to St. Jude’s Research Hospital. She is also looking to sponsor a child through Compassion International using the money from her business.

After she graduates, Wharry plans to continue this business beyond Grove City College. She will be attending medical school at Liberty University, so unfortunately, she will not be taking Grove City orders unless she happens to be home on break. While she plans to fill orders at Liberty, it is unlikely that she will be able to keep up with the same volume that she is currently making due to the time commitment required for medical school.

If you are interested in ordering some of Wharry’s baked goods, the top items that she recommends are the regular, jalapeno cheddar and maple oat loaves. She also suggests trying the cinnamon rolls. To order, you can reach

out to her via Instagram (@jesusloafsyou) or order by email (jesusloafsyoubakery@gmail. com). When you go to place an order, mention that you are coming from The Collegian to receive an extra $5 off your order on top of the typical 20% off student discount.

Wharry has a fantastic and successful business here at Grove City College. Students and faculty have the opportunity to support a good cause through purchasing her products, and they get to eat some great bread too.

“I have always loved baking cookies since I was little, but sourdough is truly something special,” Wharry said.

Scan to order and redeem your Collegian discount!

Doctor Love

Should what happens on ICO, stay on ICO?

“I went on an ICO trip this spring break and had the best time. I was trying to keep my mind on the community we were serving, but I couldn’t help but notice that one of the girls serving alongside me on the team was so cute and had such a great servant’s heart. But I am nervous – was I just on a spiritual high, or am I falling in love? Should I try continuing this relationship now that we are back on campus?

-Lovesick on spring break

To me, one of the most attractive qualities a person can have is a servant’s heart. I understand how noticing a hardworking girl could sway your concentration.

Falling in love? That might be a little much, considering your ICO trip covered the span of 10 days … and at least two of those you were traveling. We all know that days spent traveling don’t reflect the true nature of a person (at least definitely not for me).

I think I can speak for most people on campus when I say that we all want someone with a servant’s heart who desires to give back to others and spread God’s ministry. That’s high up in the list of criteria for the person I want to marry one day. However, there is such a thing as too soon.

I don’t think you can say you’re falling in love with someone you’ve only known for a few days. I love romcoms as much as the next person, but realistically, it’s unlikely that either of us is going to fall into the arms of the love of our life by happenstance and marry them three months later. Plus, an ICO trip is a very specific environment. You only get to see one or two sides of a person: their heart for service, which this lovely gal clearly has, or their sense of adventure, judging from all the excursions you go on outside of serving.

I suggest asking her out on a date that puts you both in an environment where you haven’t been before. Getting to know different aspects of each other’s personality can help strengthen your (presumably) mutual interest. A spiritual bond with each other is a beautiful thing, but your connection is only a fledgling relationship at this point. Give it time to flourish and do things to fan the flames of love.

If it was just a spiritual high, then you still have a new friend who has experienced the same spiritual growth that you have from that trip. People bond over much less.

There are few negative outcomes from this situation. As long as you don’t tell her you’re falling in love with her on the first date, there’s potential for a positive relationship to bloom right before your eyes.

I’m rooting for you!

Dr. Love

Folksy Fielder comes to Crawford

Mackenzie Di Cello Contributing Writer

Indie folk band Fielder is coming to our very own campus tomorrow!

Grove City College is familiar with Christian musician and writer Andrew Peterson, having had the pleasure of hearing him perform in concert and speak on campus as the 2025 Christian Writer’s Conference keynote speaker. The college now welcomes his daughter Skye Peterson and duo band partner Addison Agen for their first Grove City concert performance, having released their debut album “Fielder” in August 2025.

In addition to their new album, Peterson is known for being a Dove award nominee and Agen was first runner-up on season 13 of NBC’s “The Voice.”

“Last year, we had a student ask about bringing Skye Peterson to campus for a concert after we hosted her father, Andrew Peterson,” Assistant Dean of Student Life & Learning Eric Fehr said. “Since the same management company worked with both Andrew and Skye, it was easy to start the conversation, and it resulted in us deciding to bring Skye with her bandmate, Addison Agen, who together make up the band Fielder.”

Opening for the concert is the band Lost & Found, with members Brooke Garrett, Haddon Canfield, Maya O’Dell, Max Ware and Sam Brown, all students from the college.

Choir

continued from 3

tasted and the biggest portion sizes I’ve ever seen!” Heiser said.

As they experience the joys of traveling to new places, their ministry continues offstage in the communities and cities they visit.

“We have the opportunity to share the gospel through our singing, but I also heard multiple stories of people sharing the gospel and praying with their hosts or people they met on the street in Nashville and elsewhere,” Heiser said.

When the Touring Choir

“Fielder’s music is absolutely gorgeous, and I am so excited to get to see them live!” O’Dell said. “They have such beautiful harmonies and incredible instrumentation. Their sound is so unique and fun, and their lyrics are so meaningful. It is an honor, and I am so excited, to get to open for them!”

Recent years in Grove City have seen the college campus and broader community welcome similar performances from The Arcadian Wild, The Gray Havens, Andrew Peterson and others, as noted by Eric Fehr. “We are pretty excited to bring this up-andcoming band to campus and believe that they will be a hit, like many of the bands we have

hosted recently,” Fehr said.

The concert is presented by the Grove City College Student Involvement (SIC) Council’s Stonebridge Concert Committee.

“I am so excited to be able to work with this talented acoustic group and am looking forward to hearing their close harmonies live!” SIC member Ana Monroe said.

“It’s fun to see how different groups use their music to praise God, and I’m glad Grove City is able to host a variety of bands for that purpose. Fielder will be a great show, and I can’t wait for Saturday!” Monroe added.

Tomorrow’s concert will be held in Crawford Auditorium from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Tickets are

for sale at $5 for students, $10 for Grove City College employees and family members and $15 for the public. Tickets can be purchased online or at the door.

Get ready to hear the folksy Fielder band tomorrow -- it is sure to be a performance you’ll be blessed to attend.

stops for a performance, members of the congregations they visit host them in their homes.

Host families not only give the choir meals and a place to stay, but they also form a bond with the choir, trading stories and sharing their lives with them.

“One of my host families had a daughter whose job was to program pinball machines. They had five pinball machines in their basement (Jaws, King Kong, Terminator 2, an older baseball machine and a classic pinball machine with no paddles and no electricity), and we played with them for some time, as did our host parents!”

Word on the street

Heiser said. Going on a tour also means riding the bus. The choir passes the time through what they affectionately call “tourditions.” These include singing silly songs, telling each other stories about their experiences in their host homes, honoring members who did good deeds and daily devotionals. They also are given packets with coloring pages, a scavenger hunt and mad libs to entertain them during long drives. The choir has a special bond with their bus driver, Randy. He spends a lot of time with the choir on the bus, sings with

What is left on your senior year bucket list?

Wading in the creek (I’ve never been in there).

them and makes sacrifices to support the group. This year, he gave up tickets to see Journey perform so that he could drive the choir on their tour.

“This year, Randy was unable to drive us back to the college after our final concert, so we wrote him a letter and sang him a thank you song. He teared up, which caused the rest of us to tear up, and then he sang for us, which left us in an emotional mess. Seeing our influence on him has had such an influence on us, revealing the power of music and God’s love to and among us spilling over to others,” Heiser said.

‘... Disco, Occasionally’

Andrew Hutchinson Staff Writer

Harry is back! With the release of his fourth studio album, “Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally,” Harry Styles builds off the European techno sound and production of the lead single, “Aperture,” and shows a softer, more adult version of the former One Direction member. Styles travelled to Germany and danced in techno clubs, but along the way found maturity. The album is a party, but rather than blacking out at a bar, it’s dancing until dawn with all your best friends.

“Aperture” functions as a true lead single, opening the album with a unique, but muted, energy. Next is “American Girls” a fun but serious track about friends dating and marrying girls abroad. Although some “Harry’s House” tracks, like “Matilda” or “Grapejuice,” focused on the struggles of growth and maturity, “Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally” highlights the loneliness of change and maturity, and the sound of the album reflects upon it. Exuberance remains nevertheless, and “Pop” channels Styles’s joyful, sunny mood. Better yet, Styles is four for four on albums without explicit lyrics! His lyrics are bizarre, and occasionally contain innuendo, but he remains proof a good discography doesn’t need to be tainted by vulgarity.

Styles and his producer de-

serve a great deal of credit for the cohesion of the album. After “Aperture” was released, it was uncertain whether the rest of the album would follow the slightly avant-garde model of the non-traditional lead single, or would be more like his brilliant third album, “Harry’s House”, which featured soft rock, disco-lite synth and whatever category of music with which “Music for a Sushi Restaurant” is best described

(Ramen EDM?). Those questions were put to rest the moment the album released.

There are few albums that try to bring a completely new sound to an artist or genre, and many that do fail so spectacularly that they gain notoriety, like some unnamed “country albums.” One or two songs with instrumentation commonly associated with a genre does not ensure a true appreciation or mastery of it.

From screen to stage

Christa Bashinski Entertainment Editor

This is truly the season of awards. Between the Grammy’s, the Writer’s Guild and the upcoming Oscars, the Actor Awards are in substantial company. Formerly known as the Screen Actors Guild Award, the Actor Awards honor outstanding performances in movies and television dating back to 1995. They are highly respected due to the nature of their choice, and the winners are chosen by fellow actors. Its celebration is often associated with the way it acts as a predictor for the Oscars. March 1 noted the big night as Kristen Bell, a major 2025 winner, returned to host for the third time. Some notable presenters also consisted of Gwyneth Paltrow, Jacob Elordi, Jenna Ortega, Odessa A’zion, Mindy Kaling and Sarah Paulson.

The Actor Awards are known for their annual presentation of the SAG Life Achievement Award, which recognizes an actor’s career accomplishments and humanitarian work. This year’s ceremony recognized Harrison Ford and his lifelong contributions to the field. From his

expansive career in film, ranging from Han Solo to Indianna Jones, to his work with the Conservation International to promote environmental advocacy, he is more than qualified for the honor.

The respective awards for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role and Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role sported particularly competitive pools. The former consisted of Timothée Chalamet, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ethan Hawke, Michael B. Jordan and Jesse Plemons. Michael B. Jordan won the big title for his portrayal of the twins Smoke and Stack Moore in “Sinners.” He was widely praised for capturing their distinctive personalities despite the split role. The female counterparts consisted of Jessie Buckley, Rose Byrne, Kate Hudson, Chase Infiniti and Emma Stone. The award was presented to Jessie Buckley for her role as the wife of William Shakespeare in “Hamnet.” She was praised for her passionate portrayal, particularly given the grief-stricken tragedy (the death of her character’s son) that she depicted.

The next major category features an Outstanding Per-

formance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role and likewise an Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role. For the males, Miles Caton, Benicio Del Toro, Jacob Elordi, Paul Mescal and Sean Penn were all in the running. But it was Sean Penn who earned the distinction for his role as “One Battle After Another’s” antagonist Colonel Steven J. Lockjaw. For the women, Odessa A‘zion, Ariana Grande, Amy Madigan, Wunmi Mosaku and Teyana Taylor. In one of the great upsets of the night, Amy Madigan took the title for her role in the horror film “Weapon” as Aunt Gladys, a character with unsettling connections to a series of disappearances. The 2026 Actor Awards were a smashing success. The night’s big wins and occasional upsets are keeping the people on their toes ahead of the upcoming Oscars. Films like “Sinners” and “One Battle After Another” dominated nominations and highlighted some of the year’s most talked about films. These winners, directly recognized by 100,000 of their peers, are truly at the top of their game, with each award signifying the highest level of respect.

“Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally” is not that. Styles’s time in Europe, dancing at the Berghain nightclub in Berlin, living in Italy and even marathon training, gives him a personal connection with the techno scene. The differences from one song to the other could be greater, as several of the songs lack a distinct hook or chorus, but this is a whole album of a new sound for the U.S. pop music scene. If this brings albums like “LUX” by Rosalia into greater popularity, Styles will have done a great service to American pop. However, having listened through the entire album, this album is not just about a new sound. Rather, Styles is contemplating life, love and growing into adulthood. The change in relationships in transitioning to college last fall brings about the same kind of discomfort Styles describes in his 30s. While I, like many fans, may miss the craziness of “Harry Styles” and songs about fish (“Adore You”), which we enjoyed in now nostalgic summers, as we mature, our tastes refine.

This album is all about that refinement. Fun changes, hope may dim, we lose our ignorance. Like Styles, we see friends move away, we see the world harden and this album will resonate with many people. It’s musically creative in a way that reaches back to the days of the ’90s and sounds from across the pond, far better than many other similar albums, like Bruno Mars. It allows us to reach back to times many in Gen Z never experienced, with the honesty that makes it relatable. It may not reach the level of success the more stereotypical pop albums guarantee, but if more of the world marches to the beat of “Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally,” we may find a brief window into the happiness that exists through the struggles.

Bruno’s back

Randall Elvin Staff Writer

Earlier this year, anticipation was building around Bruno Mars and his next solo album that fans had been waiting for since 2016. His album “24K Magic” was released 10 years ago, and fans were wondering when the Grammy winning pop star would finally return with a new project. The excitement stemmed from his growing online appearance, thanks to a huge collab with Fortnite and several global hits. Mars finally dropped “The Romantic” on Feb. 27 of this year.

Surprisingly, the album runs only 31 minutes across nine songs. This makes it a tight and energetic listening experience but also leaves many fans questioning how it took 10 years for 31 minutes of music. However, even with a limited set list, Mars delivered a collection of songs that are drawn from pop, R&B, disco, funk and Latin pop, all with classic soul influences.

Momentum is high throughout the album, allowing it to move quickly from one style to another without feeling cluttered or inclusive of “filler” songs.

“The Romantic” opens with “Risk It All,” a dramatic introduction that touches nicely on his most common element of romance. It succeeded in being grand and emotional by utilizing sweeping horns and Latin inspired undertones. One of the most exciting songs on the track list was “Cha Cha Cha.” Its upbeat rhythm and playful energy draw parallels to his fun side shown in songs like “Bonde do Brunão.” It’s a colorful song that calls even the most reluctant of dancers to bust a move or two. Mars was clearly re-inspired by Latin dance music blended with his classic mix of disco, pop

and funk.

The album’s lead single “I just Might” felt like a taste of retro disco-pop. Guitar riffs, energetic basslines and rhythmic handclaps fill the song that encapsulate the ’70s dance floor type. One of the most infectious melodies runs its course on this song and summarizes the romantic spirit that flows throughout the whole album perfectly.

Toward the conclusion of the album, “Something Serious” and “Dance With Me” slow things down and focuses more on atmosphere and melody. These songs seem to be going for a traditional romantic pop ballad, and they certainly hit the mark. A soft finish ushers the fans out of the experience of the record and completes the romantic picture painted throughout.

Early reactions to “The Romantic” have been largely positive, with critics praising the album’s polished production and Mars’ continued ability to produce radio hits. Throughout his career, he has built a reputation for reviving classic sounds that range from funk, disco, soul and R&B, reshaping them into music that feels modern. He doesn’t deviate from that pattern in this album. It had years of anticipation and speculation, but the album reminds listeners why Bruno Mars has remained one of pop music’s most recognizable performers. With a fresh record and strong fan reception, attention will likely shift to his next tour where he’ll perform “The Romantic” along with other favorites. All and all, Bruno Mars has yet again produced an album full of songs you’ll likely hear at the bank, in the car, at the store and everywhere in between because audiences can’t get enough of the funky romantic icon.

Serving in the sun

Luke Paglia Photo Chief

After a grueling start to the spring semester, every student looks forward to spring break. This is an opportunity for rest, recharging and taking a pause from schoolwork. While many people would not consider Inter-Community Outreach (ICO) trips to be particularly physically restful, I think it is one of the best ways to find spiritual rest over break.

Along with at least 150 other people, I participated in an ICO trip over break. During these trips, groups of students go out into different communities across the world, spending time serving others and sharing the love of Jesus Christ.

A few ICO groups go out over the fall and winter breaks, but most groups go over spring break. The international trips include ICO Dominican Republic, which takes place over winter break, and ICO Guatemala and Lithuania, which take place over spring break.

There are also several trips that remain in the U.S. They range as far west as Arizona

and some even remain right in the Western Pennsylvania community, like ICO Aliquippa or ICO Rural Ministry. The past two years, I have been part of ICO Tucson, Ariz. In Arizona, we partner with Life in Christ Church. They feed us and allow us to stay at the church to lower the cost of the trip. Throughout the week, we completed a couple projects at the church to help them out. We did some yard work, painted a couple of rooms and redid a few floors. The work that we did at the church allows them to continue to grow their congregation and to minister to the community in Tucson throughout the year.

In addition to serving at the church, we had the opportunity to go out and serve at a couple other ministries in Tucson. We spent one day at GAP Ministries, an organization that works with the underprivileged, homeless and foster kids and families throughout Tucson. They provide affordable food and clothing for people, as well as occupational development for individuals who are looking for that type

of help. They also have foster house locations for the Tucson youth. Our group served at one of these foster houses, helping to clean up the area and doing yard work for the organization.

The other ministry we served was the Gospel Rescue Mission (GRM), which is a rehabilitation center. The GRM opens their doors to people who are struggling with addictions and helps them through a program that leads them to sobriety. In addition to this rehab program, GRM also offers alternative training programs that teach their residents how to work in different jobs, maintain those jobs and even obtain housing.

At the GRM, we served the residents of the program breakfast. The significance of this was to show them that we care about all of them and that they truly matter. It would have been easy to just go about serving everyone and then sit down and take a break, but that wasn’t the point of what we were doing. We took time with each person that we served to ask how they were doing, share a piece of encouragement or even just say good morning and God bless. This little step goes such a long way in showing the residents that they are loved by others and that they are not defined by their circumstances. More importantly, it shows them that they are loved by God and that

he wants each and every one of them to turn to him, regardless of what they have been through or done.

Over my two trips with ICO Tucson, I have not only been able to see the beautiful desert state of Arizona, but I have been able to give up my time alongside amazing teams that are on fire for Jesus and want to serve others. These trips are spiritually fulfilling and have helped me deepen my relationship with Christ more than I can even explain. While they may be physically exhausting, ICO trips are so spiritually restful. That rest comes from serving others and serving ourselves by devoting an en-

tire week to learning about and sharing the love of Jesus.

If you are not a senior this year, I would highly encourage you to investigate the ICO opportunities that Grove City College has to offer. While I am particularly partial to ICO Tucson, there are many other amazing teams that do wonderful work as well. See all the different options on the college’s Christian Formation website or just show up to the ministry fair next fall -- nearly all the ICO groups have a table where you can sign up if you are interested. The thought of giving up your spring break may be hard to think about, but I believe it is a wonderful act of selflessness to give up your time to serve others, and every Grove City College student should get to experience the spiritual formation that happens as a result of serving the Lord.

Photos by Luke Paglia

Paul is the right pick Commencement speaker emulates GCC values

Eli Wick Contributing Writer

When we analyze the ethos of a commencement speaker, especially one in a position to impact a large number of graduates, there are three facets to consider. First among them is whether the speaker aligns with Grove City College’s values and virtues.

If you know me, you likely know how much I love the political world and the amazing things people have done to change this country and the world. Upon hearing of this year’s commencement speaker, I was enlightened to how little I truly know about politics.

U.S. Sen. Rand Paul came from a relatively political family, regarding his father, former congressman Ron Paul. But he didn’t initially follow in his father’s footsteps.

“Before entering public office, Paul practiced medicine as an ophthalmologist after earning his medical degree from Duke University School of Medicine. He founded the Southern Kentucky Lions Eye Clinic to provide eye care to underserved patients and has performed numerous pro bono surgeries in Kentucky and abroad. A devout Christian, Paul remains active in his local church,” the Grove City College press release announcing Paul’s selection noted.

This particular passage directly emulates at least three of the college’s five core virtues: community, indepen-

dence and stewardship. Paul is known best in Kentucky for his devotion to his community, the same value that Grove City pursues with its student body.

Paul’s accomplishments in lowering wasteful spending and consolidating Kentucky’s tourism industry directly reflect Colossians 3:17: “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

Paul’s consistent commitment to his constituents leads to a pattern of stewardship of God’s creation, specifically in loving his neighbors and pursuing independent thought before approaching a public position.

The second facet when considering a speaker’s ethos is whether he will have a sig-

nificant impact on the student body as a whole.

Grove City College students tend to have a large pull either towards or away from politics, and Paul appears to have potential to be either polarizing or uniting for the student body. His consistent conservative approach, though aligning with the core doctrine of the college, may alienate some students.

However, should he bend his speech away from his traditional political rhetoric and instead use his experience in public life to give backbone to his speech, I have no doubt that student body unification remains possible despite his current occupation.

The final facet of a speaker’s ethos is whether he will have a significant impact on the specific class graduating

from Grove City.

This past senior class has been defined by a series of major events, displaying athletic prowess and academic enrichment in a journey that will conclude with their graduation. Is it possible to summarize four years in forty minutes? Paul has the opportunity, and, I think, the ability, to do so.

Paul’s broad background lends itself to expertise not in law, medicine or politics (though I mean not to devalue his success in those fields), but rather in people. His vision of people as a lawmaker from a 40,000 foot view coupled with his face to face interaction with patients gives Paul a vision that might easily lead to one of the most memorable commencement speeches in the 21st century.

Commencement gets political

Madelyn Braho Staff Writer

Get ready Grove City — another politician is coming to town. This year’s commencement speaker is U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky. Paul hails from Pittsburgh and has been involved in conservative politics and the tea party since his childhood, attending the Republican National Convention with his father, presidential candidate and Texas Representative Ron Paul.

Of course, like any politician, Paul has said and done a variety of things that do not line up nicely with anyone’s idea of the perfect political stance. He is pro-life, anti-gay mar-

“Considering all the political chaos happening in the country, why are we as a college trying to tie ourselves more closely to it?”

riage and has sided with Bernie Sanders and Democrats, as well as been a repeat guest on Alex Jones’s Infowars. He has advocated for federal level medical cannabis legalization and has consistently broke the party line on bills, sometimes blocking legislation because of the potential financial cost. While Paul will likely be a fairly inoffensive choice to many Grovers, the question remains: Why another politician? Former Vice President Mike Pence has taught classes at the college, and our own President Paul McNulty was deputy attorney general under President George W. Bush.

Grove City College has been a politically minded campus for a long time, but in the context of other recent changes, the choice of speaker is notable.

Between the statement of faith controversy and the new presence of Turning Point on campus, Grove City College is becoming even more politically vocal than before. But what is the point? Are we still fighting a culture war?

Trump is in office, the army kidnapped the president of Venezuela and Roe v. Wade has been overturned for years. Conservatism is not the underdog. And yet it seems like conservatives are posturing and

afraid.

Moves like trying to rename the Department of Defense to the Department of War and making it more difficult for the fewer than 10 trans college athletes to play do not seem like the actions of fearless people.

Christians are not called to act in fear or to lash out. When Peter cut off the ear of a man arresting Jesus, Jesus told Peter off and healed the man. Even when his life was in actual danger, Jesus did not retaliate. Attempting to get one up on political opponents or to win some kind of one-sided war with them is un-Christian.

Paul being our commencement speaker is not the problem, nor is it necessarily a problem at all. But considering all the political chaos happen-

ing in the country currently, why are we as a college trying to tie ourselves more closely to it? Why could we not have had a businessman, a pastor, a writer or some other notable person speak?

Do we really need more politics at Grove City? Could we not instead lean on our history as a Christian academic institution, and not push for further politicization? For me, when I don my cap and gown to receive my degree from Grove City College, my hope would be for a commencement speech that encourages a brighter future that we can make together, not more political division.

Chapel speaker was wrong: Talk was empty platitudes

Madison Fossa Contributing Writer

Kimberly J. Miller’s chapel message on Feb. 25 in Harbison Chapel thoroughly discouraged me. At best, the speaker’s words were grossly vague. At worst, they engaged the student body in errant prayer.

My immediate reaction to the service was skepticism, because Miller is a woman. As a woman myself, I do not believe that women are incapable of speaking or are any less spiritual than their male counterparts; however, the Bible commands them to remain silent in church (see 1 Corinthians 14 and 1 Timothy 2). Unless we are to assume that college-age males are not yet men, a woman assuming this position of authority behind the pulpit was wholly inappropriate.

I understand there are arguments against my position, particularly in the chapel setting. Indeed, if the service had been a special presentation, a guest speaker promoting her book or a highlight from a women’s ministry, I would understand a female speaker, especially since chapel is not church. However, Miller’s message was a sermon, and as such, it is unbiblical that she should have been the one delivering it to the entire student body.

Furthermore, I take issue with the vague platitudes in the message, which are difficult to define and thus difficult to argue with. Phrases such as, “God is emotionally available,” or “with the help of God’s spirit, you can lead your inner world,” are confusing. Exchanging verses for psychological platitudes fails to sufficiently equip students with biblical truth and instead confuses them. What do these phrases even mean?

Miller also used many Scripture references during her message, and I do not want to overlook this.

Letter to the Editor

Chapel

music meeting

“In the February 13 issue of the Collegian, Alec Durfee reflected on his interviews with students who desire more historical expressions of music in chapel. Durfee highlighted a few ideas that are important to discuss as a community, if we are going to serve one another well in chapel. I invite anyone to join me on Friday, March 13, at 3 p.m. in the Rathburn Seminar Room to learn about the mission of chapel and explore ways to further enrich our musical worship.”

- Daniel Snoke Chapel Worship Coordinator

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try to look out for each other and take care of one another because of this,” Scalise said.

“I’m not sure what to expect in terms of winning this weekend, but I know that every time we play these teams, we come back stronger and more skilled. The most important thing to our team is improvement. I expect that we will be challenged this weekend, but it will make us better for the coming games against the Eastern teams,” Scalise said.

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As a senior leader, Tesch said she focused on keeping the team grounded in tight moments, including the

The following are responses to marriage and family therapist Kimberely J. Miller’s talk in Harbison Chapel on Feb. 25. The message was titled “From Burdened to Beloved.” The full service can be found on the Grove City College Vimeo page.

In fact, I thought that the message was strongest with these passages! I wish that lines about our “inner voices” and physiological generalizations about God’s character would have been replaced with more Scripture.

For instance, I think that 1 Peter 3 and 4 would have suited Miller’s talk phenomenally.

Even substituting out a quote from the fictitious Jesus in “The Chosen” with a quote from the living Christ in the Gospels would have enhanced the lesson. However, instead of speaking clearly and biblically, there were many times that Miller opted to use confusing phrases that stunted her message.

My final plight with the service was the “simple contemplation” segment. The reference to Ignatius made before the prayer did little to ease my concerns; as an ardent defender of orthodox faith, it seems quite the interpretive leap to posit that Ignatius’ method of prayer could be correctly translated into such a modern, mystic practice. Without a better citation or further context, I struggle to accept this.

Ignatius aside, the Bible clearly portrays meditation as filling one’s mind with God’s word. The prayer in the chapel service was more akin to Eastern mysticism or even Freudian emptying of the mind than Biblical meditation and had no place in the chapel service.

Trusted Christian institutions like Grove City must guard themselves against the world’s empty philosophies. Furthermore, we should reserve space at the pulpit for men of God ready and willing to equip students with biblical truth through clarity and orthodox Christian preaching.

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Hans Senholtz.”

Paul’s father, Ron, served three stints as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas over four decades.

The elder Paul, who also ran for president, is a well-known advocate for libertarian ideals.

Before running for public office, Paul was an ophthalmologist after receiving his medical degree from Duke University School of Medicine. He also founded the Southern

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change is security. Proximity card technology is old and has “very obvious” and “exploitable” security flaws, while NFC tech is more secure and trusted.

Vice President for Information Technology Vince DiStasi, who has worked for over two years to help implement this technology, stressed how the safety of the student body is his primary concern when implementing this change.

Since ID technology is designed to allow access to different buildings on a person-to-person basis, any system that allows the ID to be copied (which is possible with proximity cards) would allow the ID hardware to be shared, and the security and safety

SUNY-Delhi extra-inning win and Chestnut Hill battle.

“Reminding everyone that they are on this team for a reason … Sometimes we just need a reminder that we can do this. The freshmen blew me away,

Chapel speaker was right: Stop ignoring your feelings

Johnny Adkins Contributing Writer

What do you do with the voice in your head that says, “I’m not good enough,” or “I don’t deserve to be loved” or “I’m pathetic, and it’s my fault”?

Perhaps you feel the tug of anxiety in your heart throughout the day; it swells when life is quiet and subsides when you keep yourself busy. Perhaps you tell yourself a quick maxim, like “the heart is deceitful above all things, so I don’t need to listen to it,” or “fake it ‘til you make it.” Maybe, at your best, you turn to God in prayer and ask, “Jesus, make me stop feeling all these bad feelings and thinking all these bad thoughts.”

If this describes you, I have a word for you. You don’t need more discipline. You don’t need more solutions to get rid of your feelings, tasks to do or ways to think. You need more kindness.

On Feb. 25, licensed therapist and Christian speaker Kimberly J. Miller delivered a message at chapel in Harbison entitled, “From Burdened to Beloved.” To summarize, in her reading of Christ’s baptism in Matthew 3, Miller challenged us: Do we allow ourselves to feel the love of God, the good pleasure of the Almighty?

Then, Miller encouraged us to practice Ignatian meditation (a spiritual discipline of the church for over four centuries), imagining ourselves in the gospel story with Jesus, our embodied senses and all. She asked us to imagine the parts of ourselves within us that say all the things we hear in our head, whether that be the inner critic, the scared child or the self-protective manic, baptized with Jesus in the Jordan. “This is my beloved child,” the loving voice of the Father announces over those ashamed parts of ourselves as the Spirit anoints us with his dove-like presence.

The reason why I am writing this

Kentucky Lions Eye Clinic.

“Dr. Paul’s entrance into politics is indicative of his life’s work as a surgeon: a desire to diagnose problems and provide practical solutions, whether it be in Bowling Green, Ky., or Washington, D.C.,” his website says.

Paul has written six books, with “Deception,” “The Great Covid Coverup” and “The Case Against Socialism” being his most recent works.

Paul continues a recent spell of high-profile Republicans giving commencement speech-

that comes with said technology would be compromised.

Although NFC technology can be implemented in physical cards, students will need to add the digital card (called Crimson Card+) to their mobile device’s wallet, becoming the only way of scanning in the future. Apple Wallet, Samsung Wallet and Google Wallet will all be supported.

This change will happen officially and in full effect on Oct. 5, but students satisfying requirements can get a physical card the — main exemption being not having a compatible device. However, they will have to pay a fee.

The older proximity card technology will cease to work on Oct. 5, and students will need to use their digital ID — or their physical NFC card, should they qualify — to scan

every single one of them can contribute on the field and in the batter’s box,” Tesch said. Anthony echoed that sentiment, reflecting on the team’s depth and early chemistry. “As a senior, the first week

article is because I can sense some hesitation among Grove City students to engage with their inner emotional life. After all, the objections go: Ought we follow the voice of Jesus and not our sinful hearts? Isn’t it unbiblical to give in to our feelings and give them a platform? Isn’t “self-care” or “mental health” just an excuse to feel all we want to feel?

I’d like to address these understandable sentiments by sketching a quick picture of Christianity’s treatment of the inner life of humanity. Its teaching of Creation means that God has created us, all of us, including our emotions and feelings.

Emotions and feelings were meant to be embodied signposts of our inner life, indicators of what is going on inside. Sin introduces fractured relationships with each other, with God and even among the parts within us. This is the root of shame, a sense of the fractured self. We learn to hate the feelings we feel because we don’t know what to do with them.

What if, through the power of the cross, Jesus invites you to attend to your feelings?

What if it is God’s kindness that draws us to repentance (Rom. 2:4), not a sense of inner guilt and turmoil? The ironic thing is that attending to ourselves is like attending to another person; the psalmist recognizes this complexity when he asks God for truth in the inward parts, the parts of his own hidden places with which he himself is unfamiliar (Ps. 51:6).

My desire is to see the Grove City College community be a more emotionally vulnerable and open place. There is much more that I could write about Miller’s refreshing style, a disposition which ought to embolden each of us to be more honest with ourselves. What I will say today is that God has created all of us, our heart, soul and strength, and he longs to see us whole. This includes our inner emotional life.

es for the college. Former Vice President Mike Pence was the 2017 commencement speaker, and former presidential candidate Ben Carson spoke in 2016.

Ethan Magness of Grace Anglican Church will be the baccalaureate speaker.

Lingo said he is looking forward to his first commencement as college president during the college’s sesquicentennial.

“Commencement is always one of the most special times of the year for me. I love to cel-

into dorms, dining halls and all other facilities on campus. Additionally, if a student adds the digital ID card to their wallet before Oct. 5, their proximity card will then stop working.

There are a few problems with the digital ID cards, however. The Collegian has tested it for a few weeks to understand how it works, and although it is “nice” not to have to carry the physical card, the digital ID sometimes does not scan as quickly in some situations and requires a second or two to register with the scanner.

This may be relegated to the scanning hardware and could improve with time.

Digital IDs usually require the mobile device to be on, though some devices may work for up to eight scans after the device dies, which has

really showed me the depth of talent we have on this team. Everyone brings a unique skill set, I’m really hopeful about the success we will have this season if we keep building on this start,” Anthony said.

ebrate students’ achievements and be a small part of launching them into their callings and the work God has prepared for them,” Lingo said.

“This year, that sense of celebration is heightened because it’s such a milestone year for the college and my first Grove City commencement since I graduated in 2000. I look forward to sharing the day with our graduates, their families, our faculty and staff and the entire Grove City College community,” he said.

happened in The Collegian’s testing. Another problem The Collegian experienced was, occasionally, phones must momentarily disconnect from speakers to scan into a building.

Other scenarios, like leaving an ID at Student Life & Learning to claim a snow shovel, are impossible with a digital ID. A plastic card without NFC tech inside could be printed for free, in that case, Dr. DiStasi told The Collegian.

However, students with Apple Watches or Samsung Galaxy Watches and the brands’ respective phones can also use their watches to scan without having their phone with them.

After a week of rest, Grove City will return to action on Friday, March 20, for an away doubleheader against Carlow. They will then travel to Thiel Saturday, March 21, to kick off PAC play.

Collegian a is (Keystone) award-winning newspaper

The Collegian was awarded three Student Keystone Media Awards by the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association. The Keystone Media Awards recognize student journalism that “provides relevance, integrity and initiative in serving readers.”

News Editor Matthew Purucker was awarded first place in the general news catagory for his coverage of the September swatting incident.

Staff Photographer Mara Brak won first place for her feature photo of a float built by the Sigma Delta Phi sorority and Phi Tau Alpha fraternity for the Homecoming parade (right).

Former Managing Editor and Perspectives Editor Grace Scheller ’25 won an honorable mention for her columns “A big leap backward for womankind” and “A country divided by passion.”

Staff Editorial Buy Girl Scout Cookies!

Tava Derr

Social Media Manager

I remember standing outside my local Sam’s Club and Walmart in the cold winter and early spring months, trying eagerly and desperately to convince unsuspecting shoppers to buy Girl Scout Cookies. Sometimes, I would even wear a cookie costume. I ran around yelling, “Get your Girl Scout Cookies! We have Girl Scout Cookies! GIRL SCOUT COOKIES!”

Or, when we did preorders, we would get cardboard boxes full of Girl Scout Cookie packages. Cookie boxes would line our dining room. My mom and I would take time to organize them so that we could give each friend and family member their order. I enjoyed organizing the orders and making people’s day. Almost everyone likes cookies and gets excited about them.

My favorite part of Girl Scouts was selling cookies. It would make people’s day if they wanted the cookies but didn’t know a Girl Scout personally. We learned the joy of selling something that people wanted, but we also learned the pain of getting rejected.

So many people complain that Girl Scout Cookies are too expensive. But think, buying that box of Girl Scout Cookies is a win-win situation. The Girl Scouts are happy because they are selling more cookies. In return, you get a box of cookies and the knowledge that you made a little Girl Scout’s day.

The more money they raise, the more they can afford to go on trips, camp or do other group activities. Additionally,

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mains, as it should, on the God and college I serve rather than me personally,” Lingo said.

Representatives from academia across five states will attend the inauguration, including presidents of five combined colleges and universities: Ronald Cole of Allegheny College, Kathy Brittain Richardson of Westminster College, Wayne Lewis Jr. of Houghton University, Jon Stuckey of Messiah University and Chris Brussalis of Point Park University.

K. James Evans, who graduated from the college in 1970, will also attend. Evans retired from Pitt-Bradford after serving there as vice president and

the Girl Scouts learn life skills that can help them long term.

According to the Girl Scout Cookie Program, Girl Scouts learn five life skills through selling cookies: goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills and business ethics. Learning these skills from a young age can help them secure a more successful future.

“The net proceeds from Girl Scout Cookie sales stay local with the originating council and troop to fund Girl Scout activities and impactful girl-led community projects year-round,” according to the official Girl Scouts website, girlscouts.org.

The money raised from selling cookies funds your local Girl Scout troop’s activities and experiences. The memories and skills that Girl Scouts gain from trips and projects are important. Without money, Girl Scouts’ impact on the community would be limited, but with funding,

dean of student affairs. John Sparks, a 1966 graduate of the college and retired dean of the Calderwood School of Arts and Letters, will represent University of Michigan Law School at the service. Lingo emphasized his excitement over having his parents at his inauguration.

“I’m glad that my own parents will be able to attend,” Lingo said. “I know that it will be special for them to see their son become the president of the college they dropped him off at as a freshman in 1996.”

With the college celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2026, Lingo’s inauguration occurs during an important time in the college’s history. Emphasizing that, Assistant Direc-

they get the opportunity to do and learn more.

Most of my troop’s “cookie money” went toward trips, camps, snacks and craft supplies, so parents did not have to pay for everything out of pocket. I went to camp a couple of times, and one of my troop’s biggest trips was when we went to Washington, D.C. We visited the National Spy Museum, Madame Tussauds (a wax museum that closed in 2020) and an escape room.

By selling Girl Scout Cookies, I bonded with the other girls and learned the heart of the entrepreneurial spirit. Today, I am an avid sweet tooth and aspiring marketer.

So, is a few dollars really too much to give up for that?

I don’t think so.

I encourage you not to snub the cookies this season, but to find your local Girl Scout Troop and support the girls’ experience, their learning and their future.

tor of Alumni Programs and Events Tricia Corey emailed students Wednesday to encourage them to attend the service.

“The core of the speech is about the importance of Grove City’s mission and continued faithfulness to that mission in the years to come,” Lingo said. “I try to distill our mission into four defining commitments: Christian, conservative, academically excellent and affordable and explain my understanding of what they mean for our community. The address is also a celebration of God’s faithfulness to the college over the past 150 years.”

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though not to the same degree as other higher education institutions at the time.

“Our students weren’t naïve to the world around them, and the college brought in a diverse group of musicians and speakers. Musical groups like Alice Copper, Simon and Garfunkel, Kansas, Rush and Don McClean performed on campus.

Speakers like Vincent Price and Maya Angelou and members of the growing modern conservative movement, like William F. Buckley Jr. or Austrian economist Ludwig von Mises, also visited and shared their views,” Walczak said.

“The college still had some Vietnam protests, like students wearing black arm bands in protest to the draft and the loss of life of their friends in Vietnam but nothing in comparison to other schools like Kent State. And of course, Grove City continued to have organizations on campus that were mission-based and that were rooted deeply in their faith,” Walczak said.

Faith and freedom has proved to be one of the most enduring aspects of Grove City student life. This tradition — established early by Isaac

FIGHT

continued from 1

to be better in (the) future.”

Cooke noted that the swatting incident already showed that having some trained students makes a difference in emergencies.

“I know for me, in the after action when we were debriefing, seeing that there were some students, RAs especially for me in Hopeman because we were right next to the library, RAs like Noah Byun, who absolutely did everything right and calmed down the situation, took care of people, because they’ve gone through the training,” Cooke said. “If it had been a real situation, it would’ve saved a lot of lives in that area. Now we’ve prepared more people to step into that space.”

McCreadie and Cooke emphasized the importance of breaking students’ mindsets that violent incidents will never affect them.

“I think for me it’s what I said, not living in a mindset of ‘it’ll never happen to me.’ I’ve actually heard those words out of students’ mouths, and that’s just not a very safe or smart way to operate. We live in a fallen world, and all of us are susceptible to the darkness that operates in the world we live in,” McCreadie said. “We have no one plan that’s going to say you’re all going to survive an active shooter event if one were to truly come to our

Ketler, who personally supported missionaries around the world — continues to be a rallying point for the Grove City College community, past and present.

“Yearly, the college would support students and alumni who were on missions. Red Box was founded in 1976. And there have been numerous outreach groups that focus on more locally based work,” Walczak said.

“Young Life and New Life were both founded in the ’70s. Polk Christian Outreach was founded in the 1950s. The list goes on and on. And of course, it’s no new thing for students to spend their spring break on an ICO. That goes back decades as well,” Walczak said.

It is this faith tradition that has helped the college get through the most difficult moments. While one of these moments — the COVID-19 pandemic, which began six years ago today — did its best to bend the Grove City College community, it remains unbroken. And as campus continues to recover from the pandemic’s isolating effects, its vibrant student life tradition will continue to inform how some of the nation’s happiest and friendliest young people train for what comes next.

campus, but what can we do to prepare our students to give them the best shot that they have?

“All those folks at Columbine and Virginia Tech and Illinois; they thought it would never happen to them,” she said.

The sessions also encouraged students to sign up for Omnilert, the college’s emergency notification system.

“If our students don’t have instructions, then we have 2,100 variables meandering around campus either actively engaged in the midst of it, or completely unaware,” McCreadie said. “The more students and faculty and staff that are getting those alerts, the more folks that are all on the same page, getting the same instructions. It’s official notices, and that is of such utmost importance in an emergency situation.”

Cooke insisted that the time attending one of the sessions is well worth it, noting that the tragedies of past shootings make the sessions lifesaving.

“We know what happens when you’re ill-prepared. It’s not good,” Cooke said. “So why not be prepared, even if it’s never going to happen? That’s the impetus of pushing this a little more. We’ve been targeted once. OK. That wasn’t an actual real situation, but why not be prepared now? Lose an hour of time and potentially save your life. That seems like a pretty great deal to me.”

Softball opens 2026 at the Fastpitch Dreams Classic

Reagan Thomas Staff Writer

The Grove City College softball team launched its 2026 season with an impressive 6-2 showing during its eight-game spring break trip to the Myrtle Beach region, combining clutch hitting, standout pitching and consistent leadership from its veteran core.

The Wolverines opened the season with a 3-2 extra-inning victory over SUNY-Delhi, where senior center fielder Noel Anthony went 2-for-4 and scored the decisive run in the eighth on a double from junior first baseman Alexis Jackson.

Junior pitcher Abigail Meadors set the tone defensively, striking out 13 in a dominant complete-game win.

Senior catcher Kristin Tesch also made an immediate impact, recording a double and a single while guiding Meadors through her 13-strikeout performance behind the plate.

“Hitting has always been a mental game … something I’ve learned to do while hitting is sing worship songs to calm my mind and nerves,” Tesch said.

“Everyone brings a unique skill set, I’m really hopeful about the success we will have

this season if we keep building on this start.”

Grove City improved to 3-0 Tuesday after rallying for a 3-2 win over previously undefeated Wilkes and exploding for a 19-9, five-inning victory over St. Elizabeth. Against Wilkes, sophomore catcher Sydney Shay and freshman third baseman Emma Vok delivered key sixth-inning RBIs. Sophomore pitcher Alivia Lantzy earned her first win as a Wolverine with a seven-inning, one-run effort.

In the win over St. Elizabeth, six Wolverines produced multi-hit games, with freshman Zoey Lindner tripling twice and driving in four runs.

Freshman first baseman Cora Myers added a triple and three RBI, while Anthony, Shay, Meadors and Myers all drove in runs during a nine-run second inning. Tesch also contributed to the big frame by working a bases-loaded walk that extended the rally — continuing her steady offensive

— Noel Anthony

presence throughout the trip.

Grove City picked up another quality win Wednesday, defeating Chestnut Hill 3-1 behind a three-hit game from Jackson and RBIs from Lantzy and Myers. Meadors struck out seven over six innings, while Lantzy closed for the save. The Wolverines’ only loss of the week came in a 6–5 nightcap defeat to Wilson, despite Lindner’s late sacrifice fly. Tesch again fueled the lineup with a 2-for-3 performance and a double — one of her strongest offensive days of the trip.

The Wolverines closed the week in dominant fashion, earning back-to-back 8-0 shutouts Friday against Columbia (S.C.) and Hilbert. Myers opened the scoring against Columbia with an RBI double, and Anthony, Shay, Meadors and Tesch each drove in runs as Grove City put together a five-run fifth inning to end the game early. Tesch’s RBI

Baseball closes successful spring training trip

Mia Gallagher Sports Editor

After a long week of baseball in the central Florida heat, the Wolverines closed their time at the RussMatt Invitational with a 4-4 split.

Grove City rallied throughout the competition, securing key wins over John Jay, St. Olaf, John Carroll and Marian (Wis.) and learning a lot from narrow losses to Concordia (Ill.) and Illinois College.

In the final three days of play, the Wolverines went 2-for-3, narrowly edging John Carroll 8-7 on Thursday and decisively defeating Marian 11-4 on Saturday. These wins were separated by a 14-10 setback against Roger Williams on Friday.

Looking first to the John Carroll game, the Wolverines secured an early 7-0 lead over the Blue Streaks, with junior David Chandler, senior Colin Marinpetro and junior Caleb Backos all notching two-run RBIs in the third inning.

Freshman pitching duo Graham Romer and Jack Guiffre split time on the mound,

pitching 4 2/3 and 4 1/3 innings, respectively. Romer conceded five runs to start the game, while Guiffre yielded an additional two runs and four hits.

Against Marian, the Wolverines recorded 13 hits and 11 RBIs. Backos led the offensive effort with a triple, a single and three RBIs, while Chandler and freshman Johnny Reyes followed with a double and single apiece. Marinpetro went 3-for-5 at the plate, earning PAC Hitter of the Week for his consistent batting perfor-

single highlighted another multi-contribution day for the senior, who provided both offensive production and veteran stability behind the plate all week. Meadors earned the win with a three-hit shutout.

Behind the plate, Tesch praised the entire pitching staff after working with all four Wolverine pitchers throughout the week.

“We have a fantastic pitching staff, the way we stayed locked in was for each other. They were throwing just as good day one to day five,

which isn’t easy. Pitching is a very taxing and challenging position and I’m proud of all of them,” Tesch said.

Lantzy capped the trip with a two-hit, eight-strikeout shutout against Hilbert. Junior left fielder Evelyn Montone went 3-for-3 with three runs scored, while Anthony, Lindner, Meadors and Meidl added multi-hit games. Early RBIs from Lindner and Montone helped Grove City jump out to a commanding lead.

mance throughout the invitational.

From the mound, junior pitcher Bryce Trischler pitched a season-high eight innings, allowing four runs while striking out three batters. Freshman Caz Ostrowski relieved Trischler for the ninth inning and struck out three batters.

After a week of rest, the Wolverines will travel to Greencastle, Ind. tomorrow to face DePauw in a doubleheader. The first game will start at 12 p.m. with the nightcap beginning at 3 p.m.

Sunshine state sweep Wolverines double down during spring break trip

Natalie Hanna Staff Writer

The Grove City women’s lacrosse team earned two exciting early season victories in Florida last week. The team secured a 21-0 decision over Marian University on Monday, March 2, followed by a slightly narrower win of 13-6 against Clark University on Thursday, March 5.

According to juniors Taylor Blythe and Gwen Shilling, the team’s biggest strengths going into the week were its eagerness to win and confident and competitive mindset.

“We were all just super optimistic and very confident in one another and knew that we had the tools needed to win both games,” Blythe said.

Eleven distinct players scored goals during their first match. Blythe and junior Tori Stevenson each tallied three goals and four assists. Freshman midfielder Avery Anderson also recorded three goals.

Senior Jackie Rowell, junior Jess Robinette, sophomore Mia Mygatt and sophomore Maddie LaForte all contributed to the offensive effort as well with two goals apiece. In addition, Shilling, senior Grace Forry, sophomore Ella Krabitz and freshman Addy Porter each scored once for the team.

Freshman defender Gabri Hallam led the defensive front by causing six Marian turnovers, with Anderson, Mygatt and Robinette each adding two. Overall, Grove City owned the turnover margin 34-20.

“In the first game we won by a pretty big margin, but our biggest focus was still on the things we knew we needed to improve. Even though the score was in our favor, we kept working on our execution and the little details. I think that mindset helped us keep getting better as the game went on and prepared us for the second game,” Robinette said. Their second game was marked by their ability to respond after a slow start. They were down 4-0 within the first five minutes and 30 seconds to Clark, but Mygatt and Robinette were both able to score twice in the last 10 minutes. Shilling added a goal as well to give the Wolverines a 5-4 lead

“Even though the score was in our favor, we kept working on our execution and the little details. I think that mindset helped us keep getting better as the game went on and prepared us for the second game.”

at the end of the first quarter. Robinette added two more goals within 52 seconds in the second quarter, bringing her to a total of four goals for the game. Rowell, Porter and Shilling each recorded a goal in the second quarter as well, giving Grove City a 10-6 advantage at the half. Senior Reese Hasley scored in the third quarter. Mygatt fired in her third goal, followed by one from Stevenson in the fourth, bringing the final score to 13-6. Blythe had a season-high five assists, and goalie Mia Gallagher made eight saves in goal for her second win of the week.

Grove City had a 31-23 edge

— Jess Robinette

in shots taken and tallied 18 turnovers to Clark’s 17.

Staying strong both on and off the field is key for the ladies and has allowed them to work better together and to encourage one another when mistakes are made. The team is also intentional in being rooted in Christ as they make their way through this season. With the season just beginning, the Wolverines are looking forward to playing competitive games alongside one another and are optimistic about their chances of winning their third PAC championship in a row.

After facing Fredonia State at home

Water polo secures win

Mia Gallagher Sports Editor

The Grove City College women’s water polo secured three key wins last weekend to improve to 3-1 in Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Division III play. Not only did this successful showing produce the team’s first victories of the season, but it also served as the perfect setting for the Wolverines’ senior day festivities.

The Wolverines opened the two-day competition with a decisive 16-6 victory over Wheaton (Mass.). Later that day, they would fall 13-11 to PAC rival Washington & Jefferson.

The following day, Grove City rallied for a 17-13 victory over Connecticut College. They later tallied a close 15-14 win over Penn State Behrend in the nightcap, securing a successful senior day sweep.

“It felt amazing to win against both Connecticut and PSB. These games were incredibly important in determining how we are seeded at championships in April, so these wins meant a lot,” senior goalie Lea Steen said.

“This was our first time playing Connecticut this season but we played PSB on Feb.

27 and lost by two points. Our win against them goes to show that our team is improving as the season is progressing. As we progress in the season, we are learning how to fully work together as a team and capitalize on each other’s strengths,” Steen said.

Leading the offensive charge against Connecticut were sophomore Frances Baksa and junior Shastyn Tihansky, who each tallied six goals in the victory. The duo also combined for eight assists on the day.

Senior Kiley Sill and sophomore Emma Strahorn got in on the action with two goals apiece, while freshman Amelia Hervey and senior Candace Scalise chipped in a combined three assists.

Against PSB, freshman Emily Addison supplied the game-winning goal, breaking the 14-14 deadlock and ending the match in regulation. In addition to the game-winner, Addison tallied three other goals and two assists in the victory.

Joining Addison were Baksa and Tihansky, who combined for 11 goals and seven assists. Steen notched nine saves and two steals in goal to secure the narrow win.

During this Saturday sweep, the team honored its three seniors: Scalise, Sill and Steen.

Reflecting on her experience with Grove City water polo, Steen shared she will miss the team’s community and Christ-centered culture most.

“The water polo team has provided such a deep sense of community for me at college. Making new friendships and just spending time as a team has been my favorite part of playing here. I will miss being on a team that works to glorify God in all that we do. I truly believe that this Christ-centered group of girls playing water polo together is a unique blessing that I will only experience once,” Steen said.

Looking ahead, the Wolverines travel to Kenosha, Wis. this weekend to take on the CPWA-DIII West teams, providing the team with another opportunity to fine-tune their skills before their conference championship in April.

“The competition in the West is definitely tougher. We will be playing against teams that have travel teams and can sub the bench three times over. In comparison, we only have two subs, meaning we have to have a lot more endurance than our competition and we have to be careful not to let ourselves get injured. We all WATER POLO