Campus Life

It was a productive semester for students looking to attend graduate school as the Honors College wrapped up its Pre-Law and Pre-Health Professional, Academic and Career Programs. Both programs, one of which made its debut this semester, played a role in helping prepare students for what they can expect when it comes to graduate school. “From my point of view, it was very helpful and very informative,” said government student Madeline Landes, who attended all of the Pre-Law P.A.C. sessions this semester. “I would recommend this because I think it’s a very informative program.”

After he won the Mr. GCU talent competition in February, Jard Cassell spoke for a lot of people when he said of the fall semester, “I’m looking forward to seeing faces again. Faces at GCU are so warm and welcoming.” Indeed, it is a universal hope and dream that masks will no longer be necessary when the students return in late August. But there are plenty of other things to look forward to as well. Reprinted from the April issue of GCU Magazine.

GCU News Bureau GCU’s first WAC Basketball Tournament title and first trip to the NCAA tournament were historic, and GCU Magazine has the inside story of how it all unfolded. The magazine also includes a tribute to Oscar Frayer, tragically killed in an auto accident less than 60 hours after playing in his first NCAA game.  There’s much more in stories, photos and videos: The excellent season of the GCU women’s basketball team, which reached the WAC final under the leadership of new coach Molly Miller A look ahead to what students can look forward to in the fall semester How GCU continues to show its commitment to the community with its vaccine Point of Dispensing site, food box distributions and Habitat for Humanity partnership GCU’s new tutoring program for online students The surprised reactions of the newest GCU Hall of Famers to getting selected Our annual GCU Year in Review To read it digitally, click here.

The Celebration of Life service Tuesday night was filled with happy memories, the kind of memories that make you smile. That fit the theme of the evening — the nine GCU people who died in the last year were known for their smiles and laughter. “Clearly, you have been impacted by those that we have remembered this evening, and what you do with what you experienced by your relationship with those that we have just referenced will be a tribute to them when you leave,” said Dr. Tim Griffin, Vice President of Student Affairs, Dean of Students and University Pastor.

Singing together at Chapel is a unifying experience, and it was especially so for the senior members of the Worship team who took the stage for the final time Monday. “Everyone was so full of joy but also somber, like, ‘Man, that was it,’” electric guitarist Joseph Vaught said.

The fact that TEDxGrandCanyonUniversity happened at all Friday night was an accomplishment, But the fact that it was so successful made it unforgettable. A sellout crowd at an ideal venue (New City Church) witnessed eight magnetic presentations, but there was a whole lot more that they didn’t see as students got the ultimate pandemic learning experience.

From natural deodorant to COVID-19 research, there was no shortage of impressive student presentations at this year’s CSET Research Symposium and Honors Showcase on Saturday. Honors finalists delivered in-person presentations while CSET finalists presented orally via Zoom. “It just goes to show how active and engaged our students were both inside and outside the classroom this year despite COVID-19 and limitations on what they could and couldn’t do,” Honors College Associate Dean Dr. Breanna Naegeli said.

It’s been a year full of pushing limits, and that’s what will be portrayed Friday through Sunday, March 26-28, at the “Beyond Limits” Spring Faculty Dance Concert. The performance will showcase seven live pieces and five films and can be viewed via livestream. “With all of the challenges that this pandemic has thrown at our students and everyone in this world, this show is really about finding ways to transcend the limits and finding ways to move forward and grow despite all of these limitations that we’ve had,” Dance Director Bekki Price said.

It wasn’t easy — figuring out how to conduct a public event during the pandemic never is. But the group of GCU students who managed TEDxGrandCanyonUniversity came up with a solution: The annual gathering of “TED talks” is scheduled for 5 p.m. Friday at New City Church, 1300 Central Ave. in Phoenix. The large off-campus venue makes it possible for the general public to attend and still maintain the proper physical distancing.

The GCU Theatre Department had another big year at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. Brandon Brown and Abby Yee made it to the finals of the Irene Ryan Acting Competition, and Morgan McCall was offered a $1,500 scholarship to the California Institute of the Arts program. “I really focus on the feedback that they get at this level of performance more than if they get trophies,” Acting instructor Michael Kary said. “We have been doing better and better. I think that our school has grown in reputation because of its presence at the festival over the last few years.”