Community

Walk just about anywhere in the Milwaukee Brewers’ complex in Maryvale and you’re going to see purple-shirted GCU students working in the concession stands — they make up about 80 percent of the staff. Many of them are hospitality management majors, but they come from programs all over the University and have two things in common: They like to serve, and they’re getting great experience while also enjoying the opportunity to be at a ballpark every day.

Photos by Ralph Freso and Elizabeth Tinajero GCU News Bureau The ninth annual Run to Fight Children’s Cancer brought out another big crowd Saturday for the 10K, 5K and Cancer Survivors Walk.       

Lopes Leap to Teach always draws a lot of school district representatives eager to hire GCU students. The vibe at Thursday’s event centered on the importance of creating teachers who are leaders and can fit into a faculty well — a specialty for GCU’s College of Education. Howard Paley of the Isaac School District said he has found that GCU students are “much more willing to accept a broad variety of colleagues. … They’re looking for a good team.”

Mark Snyder, President of Snyder Nationwide Real Estate, spoke to graduate and Hospitality Management students Thursday about he injects his faith into the business world. “I’m going to do what’s right every time,” he said. “I pursue God daily. God’s the kingmaker, not your talents.”

Worship Arts student artists sing their songs over and over in the Recording Studio, but they don’t get that many opportunities to perform onstage for an audience. That made their experience valuable Friday night when they sang at the first Canyon Worship East, designed to bring their talents to the community.

Far from the hospital, the clinics, the spinal taps and chemotherapy treatments, the Children’s Cancer Network family spent a couple of hours at GCU Arena for something a little more fun. Alongside the live-wire Havocs, the families were special guests at the men’s basketball game Wednesday night as they threw out a Lopes Up or two before being introduced on the court. It was a welcome break for the families, who are readying themselves for the ninth annual Children’s Cancer Network Run to Fight Children’s Cancer, headed to campus March 16.

TEDxGCU drew a sellout crowd to Ethington Theatre and more praise for how the students manage the annual event. Most evident was the way they increased their coaching of the speakers, who truly appreciated it. “I didn’t view them as students. I just viewed it as a professional providing me with very valuable feedback, constructive feedback, on how I can better my story,” said one of the speakers, Amy Kao.

Student enterprises have become an important part of life on the GCU campus, and for good reason: Not only do they provide students with great experience; they also give them a ton of responsibility. “They’re either running the business or they’re part of the business, and they’re doing it in an environment that’s fairly safe because the new business has the backing of a large enterprise,” GCU President Brian Mueller said. Reprinted from the February issue of GCU Magazine.

TEDxGCU, managed completely by students, will be back in Ethington Theatre on Friday. It will be hosted by Caleb Duarte, the GCU student who has shown his talents at Lip Sync and Mr. GCU, and will feature eight thought-provoking speakers.

The annual Valentine’s Day dinner in the Student Union drew its largest turnout ever Thursday night. Students were treated to a six-course meal of roasted New York strip steak, garlic shrimp, broccolini, baked potato, bread rolls followed by a chocolate dessert.