Student Engagement

Caleb Duarte was growing a beard, playing video games and petting his dog in California during the pandemic quarantine when GCU called the new graduate. Campus leaders ask the popular emcee of major GCU events to come back and do his own GCU talk show. He shaved. He filmed. And every Friday, a new episode of “The GCU Lope Show with Caleb Duarte” drops on YouTube.

GCU’s newly elected student government leaders say they want to lead with love. That means helping students who don’t have a lot of money get food and clothes, and giving food waste to the wider community of refugees outside campus. Dylan Mahoney, president, and Noah Logan have other ideas to lead ASGCU, too.

Danielle Rinnier’s promotion to GCU’s first Assistant Dean of Students is among three staff changes in Student Affairs. Rinnier was the Director of Spiritual Life, and her position will be filled by Braelyn Armenta, who was Life Leader Manager. In addition, Christine Pemberton was named the new Director of Student Care.

Donald Glenn wanted the GCU community to hear the words Martin Luther King Jr. penned to church leaders while sitting in jail in 1963. So the Multicultural Manager, played them over the speaker on the Promenade Friday to note Monday’s national holiday. “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

The top 25 students in the Honors College’s PAC Professional Development Program were invited to an etiquette dinner Tuesday night to find out the top 10 while also brushing up on their formal dinner etiquette. Although students were challenged to collect the most PAC points, Honors College Associate Dean Breanna Naegeli said the program is less about competition and more about students bettering themselves.

GCU senior Gavin Thompson liked to shop in thrift stores. He knew other people didn’t like to spend the time but liked the merchandise. That’s how his Wear Old secondhand clothes business was launched. His story highlights the path more students are taking in addition to classes — hustling to start their own business.

GCU students pledged to stop sexual assaults during It’s On Us week-long awareness campaign. The national organization that leads the event on campuses across the country reports that 11.2 percent of all college students have been raped or assaulted. “So we are trying to motivate students to intervene when they have a chance to,” said Josue Olivas, Associated Students Program Coordinator at GCU.

Donald Trump Jr. came out firing at opponents Monday night in the “Culture War” event by Turning Point USA at Antelope Gymnasium, and an enthusiastic crowd cheered his message of less government and more free markets. Some GCU students who didn’t agree with his message still came to listen, but most appeared to be enthusiastic supporters who wanted to selfies afterwards with Trump Jr. and Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point. It was billed as the largest crowd for a campus event for the organization, drawing 1,300.

Family Weekend at GCU keeps growing and growing. This year, 7,000 have registered for three days of fun that will include some new events, such as Tour de Thunder Bolt and Guided Prayer Tours. “We put out the welcome mat for them, per say, to just have a great time,” said Robyn Hord of the Office of Welcome Programs.

Move-In gets the year started off right for incoming GCU students, but it has the same effect on the volunteers who help them. Whether they’re helping for the first time or are seniors and have done it every year, they treasure the excitement. “It’s my third year, and it’s always the same energy,” said one.