Rathburn Hall: Open for Business New Building Provides Space for Campus Ministries
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The Team GCC weighs in Pg 4 Collegian August 31, 2012 The Grove City College Student Newspaper Rathburn Hall: Open for business New building provides space for campus ministries Kristie Eshelman and other meeting spaces News Editor suitable for Bible studies or ministry groups. The construction on Rath- “This space is not intended burn Hall has been completed, to become a classroom or a and it is now open for student study hall. Our intent is that use. this building will be a resource “Our hope is that the many for students as they seek to different ministry groups on grow in their spiritual life and campus will take full advantage as a student body,” Keehlwet- of this building,” Dr. Keehlwet- ter said. He added that other ter said. campus groups outside of Bob White, assistant director campus ministry groups are of Campus Ministries, believes welcome to reserve and use that students will quickly the space as well. realize the benefits of the new “It is also wonderful to have space. a space specifically designed “Will there be a time for to accommodate the needs adjustment? Absolutely. But of all but our largest campus I think once students realize fellowship groups … I also what this building has to hope Rathburn Hall will serve offer, they will use it to its full as a place where students can advantage,” White said. meet for small group Bible The building features the study and personal reflection,” Moreledge Great Room which Larry Hardesty, vice president can accommodate over 100 of Student Life and Learning, people for worship, lectures or said. receptions,;the Grace Room The idea to build a Chris- which resembles the Great tian activities building arose to Room in the Student Union; provide student groups with a offices for Campus Ministries meeting place and Chapel staff; a prayer room RATHBURN 3 Photo: Kevin Hanse High enrollment leads to off-campus housing Nicole Wizorek tion with their patience and solution. the already charming look of housing group allowed its News Copy Editor excitement. “They want to The next step was finding a the house, complete with two members to be consolidated. be here,” Hardesty said. “I’m resident assistant and a group kitchens, a family-sized table, Jamie Swank, director of Freshman move-in is Mr. excited about them.” of guys willing to commit to a a claw-foot tub, a diamond residence life, said they were Hardesty’s favorite day. Everything started about move. window, old-feel décor and a “so accommodating, generous However, this year was a bit two weeks before move-in. “The RA is a good guy,” Harry Potter-like nook under and excited.” The five fresh- more complicated than usual. Retention rate on campus was Jamie Swank said about Jason the stairs. men, self-proclaimed "The Just two days prior to move- right where it was supposed to Rodemoyer. “We’re confident The house was purchased in Sardines" (“we’re packed in in, Mr. Larry Hardesty, dean be until the number of males Jason [will] be a great represen- Sept. 2011 for eventual use as there!”) occupy two-and-a-half of students and vice president confirming a place for rooms on the Zenoids’ hall in for Student Life and Learn- their accep- guests or Hopeman. ing, made an early morning tance failed professors in Acceptance and enrollment phone call to Andrew Johnson to drop to the There are 670 freshmen in the class of 2016. residence, so numbers present a unique of Elk River, Minn., one of same level as it the amenities challenge every year. Dr. John five freshmen who began the has held in previ- tation of the College.” are appropri- Inman, dean of enrollment drive to Grove City College not ous years. The Student Life Soon after finding the RA, ate. The school does not intend services, explained that models knowing where they would be and Learning office began to six more students agreed to join, to shift to more student houses, used in daily tracking involve housed. evaluate options to deal with showing great willingness and but according to Swank it serves large amounts of informa- “We found a place for you in the overflow. flexibility. Renovation of the as a “good way to gauge what tion and analysis to accurately Hopeman Hall!” Hardesty said. The College already owned house was finished just one day would happen if we moved to predict the final number of stu- Facing high levels of uncer- a house on East Main Street, before the students moved in. smaller communities.” dents who will attend. It’s not tainty, the freshmen and their and shifting upperclassmen into Rewired electricity, refinished In order to keep the freshmen an exact science families impressed administra- the house proved to be the best walls and fresh paint add to together, the Zeta Xi Omega and is largely HOUSING 2 The Collegian Vol. XXI No. I Life E! Perspectives Sports News..................................2 New professors. New ma- Is ‘A Bug’s Life’ the best Freshmen: Want to succeed New starting quarterback Life.....................................4 jors. New minors. Get the Pixar movie ever? Ethan at Grove City College? Read a Brian Pell’s new off-the-field Entertainment....................8 scoop on page 4. Mitchell weighs in. Pg. 9 senior’s advice. Pg. 10 inspiration takes his leader- Perspectives.......................10 ship to a whole new level. Sports.................................11 Pg. 12 2 News August 31, 2012 New Admissions Director HOUSING from page 1 focused on connections based on history, but when According to Inman, that’s a Elise Homan families through the difficult argues, they first try to picture the College does something to good problem to have. At a time improve retention, “that changes when nearby schools are report- Managing Editor process of finding the right themselves there. They try to college. “find their tribe and whether things,” Inman said. ing enrollment slumps and After 10 years as director Zwinger stayed in the they can see themselves in that This year, the retention rate empty beds, Grove City College of admissions at Waynesburg western Pennsylvania area after tribe,” she added. Zwinger plans was 91 percent as opposed to is clearly thriving. Consider- University, Sarah Zwinger now graduating, earning her master’s to utilize this by visualizing last year’s 88 percent. ing missed enrollment targets holds the post as Grove City degree in communication and family in the marketing for the For incoming freshmen, the at local schools, the College’s College’s new head of admis- information systems at Robert College. numbers are even more impres- accuracy thus far should be sions. Zwinger plans on going Morris University. In her Other new implementations sive. From the time students commended. in a new direction while main- studies, Zwinger learned the in admissions for the College confirmed acceptance letters, all Ultimately, Inman prefers taining a holistic approach to importance of the visual aspect include creating a greater social the way through move-in day, coming in above over coming admissions for the College. of marketing--in particular, the media presence and connecting the College did not lose a single in below the class-size goal. “It’s not just about the psychology behind informa- with students early on, especial- freshman. “I’d rather be over than under, scores,” she said and empha- tion design. Her master’s project ly children of alumni. “We want “That's kind of unheard of,” because I know we’ve given sized that the focus remains on included building a website to start talking to sophomores,” Hardesty said. more students an opportunity finding the right students. from scratch for her church, Zwinger said. The situation also results from to attend.” Zwinger’s career in admis- Victory Family Church, in Zwinger and her admissions the administration’s commit- sions began at Geneva College Cranberry, Pa. team will also begin going ment to same-gender housing. while she pursued a Bachelor Since starting at the College to Christian music festivals Planning acceptances and of Arts in communications in the spring 2012 semester, to recruit students. They are housing must be more strategic. with an emphasis in theater and Zwinger has begun to transfer looking to join young profes- This year’s freshman class has visual art. While working in these techniques into admis- sional circles as well as connect eight empty female beds, which the admissions department at sions, especially the visual with the local Grove City com- could have easily caught the Geneva, she realized she had a aspect. When prospective munity. overflow with the inclusion of a passion for helping students and students look at the College, she co-ed hall. RATHBURN from page 1 tailored to their needs better For the interior of the build- than the classrooms in the ing, the College “wanted to Hall of Arts and Letters, to continue in the vein of Tudor give student leaders a place architecture,” Dan Russionello to house their administrative of Archer & Buchanan Archi- files and to provide the entire tecture, LTD, said. This archi- campus ministries staff with tectural style characterizes the sufficient office space in the interiors of most of the build- same building. ings on campus. But modern Rathburn Hall is composed furniture and Rathburn Hall’s of stone from the same quarry place as the first fully high- used to build Harbison Chapel, definition building on campus and the windows of Moreledge blend the traditional with the Hall center on the apse and altar modern. of the Chapel in order to relate With the “Change and Com- the two buildings together visu- mitment” and current “Grove ally.