By Olivia Emerick · Copy Chief
As the school year begins, the class of ’29 continues to adjust to the ins and outs of life on campus.
You’ve had your first taste of the Grover experience, but now, with upperclassman around, new information is thrown your way each day. So, freshmen, here are a few tips to help you acclimate.
First off, don’t be confused by the many building names you may be hearing. Most people don’t say “Staley Hall of Arts and Letters.” Instead, refer to it as HAL.
The bookstore and Chick-fil-A are in the Breen Student Union, which everyone just calls SAC. And that fancy, newly renovated building right next to the Quad? You’ll soon realize that most upperclassmen know it as Rockwell, not Smith.
Unlike some other Christian colleges, guys and girls are allowed to interact at Grove City — as long as they follow a few simple rules. Open hours, which are on Wednesday nights and the weekends, are a pretty big deal here.
If you walk by your neighbors’ room and the door is propped open by a shoe, it means there is a guest visiting. But on days when there aren’t open hours, watch out: you’ll definitely see some serious PDA taking place in Ket Rec, MAP Lobby, and even the commuter lounge.
Grovers take “ring by spring” very seriously. After the initial “freshman frenzy” (when new students immediately seek their future spouse), life will begin to settle down. Prepare to be invited to many, many weddings during your junior and senior years.
Similarly, if you hear chanting and see a large group of people carrying a male student towards lower campus, it means that you’ve run into a “creekingdent towards lower campus,” in this unique tradition, a man who has successfully proposed to his girlfriend gets kidnapped by his friends and tossed into Wolf Creek. When he gets out, his fiancé is waiting on the bank with a towel and a kiss.
This college is known for many things, one of them being academics. The stereotypical Grove City College student slaves away at classwork and tests, hence the idiom “Grover-achiever.” However, they are also known for being extremely polite and friendly, often staying after class to thank the professor and almost always holding the door.
Life at Grove City College has many perks to offer, but there are also some downsides. In these early weeks, when the weather is still warm, there is a chance that a bat will sneak into the dorms.
Girls, be prepared for the fire alarm to go off at the most inconvenient of times. And most importantly, watch out for stray Nerf bullets from the Urban Gaming Club.
