Campus Life

Some Chapel talks quote Bible verses. Some deliver a message in a creative way. But Josh McDowell’s style centers on a very direct message based on a very difficult personal experience. The Christian apologist and evangelist told a story Monday morning that had the audience’s rapt attention.

TEDxGCU, scheduled for Feb. 22 in Ethington Theatre, was previewed Friday night in ways that showed off the creativity of the students producing it. With a set styled after “The Tonight Show” to the addition of Caleb Duarte as emcee, the event had the look and feel of work done by professionals. Moving the preview to GCBC also proved to be a wise decision.

When GCU celebrated the grand opening of the Colangelo College of Business Building on Wednesday morning, it was an opportunity to reflect on just how much Jerry Colangelo has brought to the University — and to the entire Valley. As Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey put it, “It’s been said, ‘What’s the difference between Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Phoenix, Arizona?’ And I would say this: Jerry Colangelo.”

Being a part-time Christian isn’t nearly enough, GCU President Brian Mueller told Chapel on Monday. We all are full-timers, he said, and then he explained what that means. “We’ve got to get that word ‘part-time’ out of our vocabulary,” he added.

It’s another big year of construction at GCU: Pita Jungle … Taco Bell … Canyon Activities Center … Student Advising Center … three more apartment buildings plus a pool … another parking garage … which will include a new Mail Center. All are on the docket for this year, and the grand openings of the first three are imminent.

Sports Business students were busy last month volunteering at several major events, but that’s nothing new — GCU’s alliance with Position Sports makes those types of opportunities possible regularly. But what’s really interesting is what happens when students fully utilize their chances to participate and learn. “GCU is the place to be if you want to have any sort of experience in the sports world at all,” said Darby O’Leary, who worked events on opposite sides of the country within a week.

The spring semester schedule for Chapel includes five first-time speakers, including one who has close ties to the University. Justin Unger, who will sing and speak at Chapel on April 1, has placed numerous GCU students in worship arts positions across Arizona through his Likewise Worship Collective.

It’s been a big year so far, but there’s more to come in 2018-19. The spring semester will kick off with the grand opening of the new 150,000-plus-square foot Colangelo College of Business Building on Jan. 9 and will barrel forward through April and May with signature events such as the Canyon Challenge, Mr. GCU, the Theatre Department’s presentation of Holocaust drama “Who Will Carry the Word,” Serve the City in February, the Roadshow Tour at GCU Arena, basketball and much more. Check out some highlights from GCU Today’s 2019 Winter-Spring Calendar.

According to Ebenezer Scrooge, “Every idiot who goes about with ‘Merry Christmas’ on his lips should be boiled with his own pudding and buried with a stake of holly through his heart.” Harsh. Don’t count on anyone being boiled in his own pudding on the spirited GCU campus, where employees embraced the joy of the season in their Christmas decorations, from themes on the fourth floor of the 27th Avenue office building that ranged from a Phoenix Zoo ZooLights-inspired aisle of cubicles to a “12 Days of Christmas” aisle, to the College of Science, Engineering and Technology’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas” and Santa’s Science Lab hallways.

Demolition began Wednesday morning on Building 18, also known as the Media Arts Complex. Most passersby on the Promenade probably have no idea how many interesting uses the building had — even the worst of the Valley heat was no match for one of its features. The new Student Advising Center will be built on that site.