College of Theology

Having a song chosen for a Canyon Worship album is quite an honor, but it’s not at all like a competition for Center for Worship Arts students. The final story of the GCU Today series on the 2018 release, scheduled for Monday, focuses on the camaraderie in the Recording Studio. “It’s an amazing community. You can tell that God is the center of everyone’s focus within our friendships,” sophomore Chris Calderon said.

For some student artists, getting on Canyon Worship 2018 represents a nice honor. For others, it’s the first step toward what they hope will be a career in the music industry. Logan Myers falls in the latter category — she’s going to Nashville in December to produce some of her songs. Part 4 of the GCU Today series on the album, which will be released Monday, features Myers, Chris Calderon and Johnny Harris.

Writing a song isn’t a simple process, and the inspiration for some of the music for Canyon Worship 2018 happened when the student artists least expected it. Part 3 of the GCU Today series provides an inside look into three more of the songs on the Center for Worship Arts album, scheduled to be released Monday.

Canyon Worship 2018 begins with “Rhythm,” a song that “is just upbeat and makes you want to dance,” said Eric Johnson, manager of the GCU Recording Studio. Part 2 of the series on the album, due to be released Monday, looks at how Harrison Russell created “Rhythm” and “Come to Me” for the album and what into the songs of two repeat Canyon Worship artists, Katie Brown and Kristyn Marie.

The trend in Christian music is toward corporate (aka congregational) worship songs, and Canyon Worship 2018 has a lot of them. But the Center for Worship Arts student artists also came up with a variety of other sounds. “There are so many creative and talented students here,” said one of the producers, Geoff Hunker. On the album’s release date, Sept. 10, Harrison Russell will sing “Rhythm” at Chapel.

Ray Carawan’s path to GCU wasn’t without obstacles. This online student pursing a bachelor’s degree in Christian Studies hopes one day to be a pastor for people like him — people who have disabilities. “In our weaknesses, His glory is revealed,” Carawan says.

GCU is always evolving, with new buildings rising up and offices and colleges moving to new spaces. All the change makes for an interesting first-day of class. The GCU News team fanned out on Monday to talk to students, professors and even the Success Patrol and Academic Career Excellence Centers, who there there to make sure students found their classrooms.

You wouldn’t normally expect to find onesies, high-heeled shoes or Burt’s Bees at a college retail store, but you will find those things peppered among the notebooks, binders and a sea of purple T-shirts at the new Lope Shop. The store, which touts Champion and Nike concept areas, a tech area, boutique and more, opened Wednesday at its new 9,500-square-foot space on the Promenade. With its floor-to-ceiling glass display windows and modern, open feel, it’s a far cry different from its much smaller space — only one-fifth as big — on Lopes Way.

For the second consecutive year, GCU made the top 10 of Niche’s Best College Campuses list, scoring a No. 7 ranking (up from No. 8 last year) for its college life — and the accolades don’t end there. The University also is No. 6 on the Best Dorms in America list and No. 7 in Best Online Colleges.

The terminology might sound the same, but when it comes to “nonprofit” and “not-for-profit,” there are subtle differences between the two. So when it comes to referring to Grand Canyon University, it’s important to use the correct terminology: We are a nonprofit.