By Matthew Purucker · Editor-in-Chief
If you have heard the news elsewhere or read the front page of this edition of The Collegian, you know that Sam Stanton, a political science professor at the college, has died.
Given how recently he died, and how close the Grove City community is, saying this is a difficult time may feel like a gross understatement. However, we know God has saved Stanton, as he will save us as believers.
We can’t fault anyone for being sad, especially considering the sudden nature of his death, but we would like to offer some encouraging words.
God has a plan for each of us. It often confuses us, especially in a circumstance like this one — the death of a man whom we believe has served his college, his community, his country and, most importantly, his God, in reverent faith.
But ultimately, God is in control. We can point to a myriad of Bible passages to confirm this thought, but we invite you to find a passage meaningful to you and reflect on it, especially in this time of grief.
We would guess most students have experienced at least one death near to them, like a grandfather or great-aunt, but none that they did not expect. We want to offer our condolences to those who have suffered the loss of a loved one close to them, but we, in the Tower, questioned whether death has really impacted us. Fortunately, we found it did not affect us closely, but we have tried to find some ways to cope with a loss like this one and share them.
In addition to reflecting on God’s Word, we encourage you to pray for Dr. Stanton’s sons, his wife, his father, his sister and others connected to him. We can only imagine the sadness they are suffering, and if you know them, we encourage you to reach out to them when the time is right.
The Collegian’s staff also seeks to honor Stanton as much as possible through articles in this week’s newspaper and now online at stuorgs2.gcc.edu/thecollegian/.
The Collegian published Ricky Andrews’ front-page news article on Stanton’s passing (“GCC mourns prof’s death”) and Perspectives Editor John Hatzis’s piece on loss (“Wondering together”). The Collegian also published political science professor Michael Coulter’s remarks about Stanton (“Remembering Sam”) during his memorial service Tuesday. The latter two articles are on page eight in the perspectives section.
