By Madeline McMahon · Contributing Writer
This year, Grove City College launched its first club created to support those with disabilities.
“His Power-Displayed” meets for dinner every Saturday at 6 p.m. in Hicks cafeteria. All are welcome. This time is intended to build a community and encourage relationships.
Their chaplain, Jessica Pratt said, “Building community takes time.”
However, over time, the goal is that the community will grow into much more than just those who have disabilities.
Once a month on Mondays, His Power-Displayed meets to address issues and struggles they face as individuals with disabilities. Vice President Isabella Dennison said that the hope for the meetings is to “Bring to light what normal people might not be aware of as an issue.”
The club originated when the president of the club, senior Jackson Hays, recognized there was a gap in student organizations that focused on serving disabled students.
“The mission of this club is to foster a community of fellowship, support and advocacy with students who have disabilities,” Hays said.
Both Hays and Dennison felt as though this was a clear call in their life from the Lord.
“Our goal is to encourage wider awareness of people with disabilities and what the struggles are that we go through…and to (ultimately) serve others,” Dennison said.
The club seeks ways to ensure that campus is safe and accessible for all who come here.
By creating a space for students to share what would best serve them, Hays and Dennison hope that they will have deeper connections and relationships with others.
“You can’t have change without people being aware of a problem,” Dennison said.
The club leaders recognize that despite struggles and problems, they cannot and will not allow themselves to be trapped in the sorrow of their past.
They continue to move forward. The leaders of the club are now looking to find ways to make changes: Their first step includes finding a place to create a needed sensory room for students on campus.
The sensory room would be for people, not just ones with disabilities, to step away from campus for a quieter space designed specifically with lighting, textures, sounds and different kinds of equipment to help calm the senses.
