Campus Events

Join ASGCU for another Movie on the Lawn (located on the Quad in front of the GCU Arena) on Friday, November 18 at 8 p.m.

Home to more than 130 international students representing more than 46 countries, Grand Canyon University has a diverse student population worth celebrating. Beginning Monday, November 14, the Center for International Education is collaborating with both ASGCU and the International Student Club to celebrate the diverse GCU campus with International Education Week. Students are invited to a different event each day of the week.

GCU’s recent growth as an institution was on display Friday for a record number of high school students from across Arizona at the annual Health Sciences and Nursing Day. An estimated 2,500 students — an increase of 1,000 over 2010 — visited campus, attending a number of breakout sessions and touring points of interest such as the cadaver and simulation labs. About 60 high schools were represented, from as far as Prescott, Bisbee, Tucson and Nogales. Dr. Cheryl Roat, associate dean for the College of Nursing, had a standing-room-only audience for her early morning talk on “The Top 10 Reasons to Be a Nurse.”

GCU was invaded by pirates, monsters and a few cute little bugs Thursday evening at the annual Fall Festival on the Mariposa Lawn. Children and their parents from all over the community came to campus to enjoy some safe, Halloween-style fun, with many dressing up in costume. Jennifer Girl of Event Services, who planned and organized much of the festival, said the event was a huge success, bigger and better than ever. Over the course of three hours, an estimated 6,000 visitors came to campus.

A formula for success has emerged in GCU’s student lip-sync contest, a full-on spectacle that moved into the Arena on Thursday night. To score points with the crowd and the judges, contestants are advised to have (a) a killer look, (b) some smart dance moves or, preferably, (c) both. The Frothy Boyz, who performed to the gone-but-not-forgotten “Ice Ice Baby,” brought the complete package and took first place before an enthusiastic crowd of about 800.

The much-anticipated Run to Fight Children’s Cancer 5K/10K took place Saturday at GCU, and the outcome couldn’t have been better. Thanks to sponsors, volunteers, walkers, runners and countless supporters, GCU was able to present a check worth $20,000 to the Children’s Cancer Network, the event’s beneficiary. “With over 900 runners registered and 1,500 people on campus, it’s safe to say this was a huge success,” said Community Outreach Manager Jose Moreno.

Maybe you can run in a race, but can you run a race? Jose Moreno, GCU’s community outreach manager, insists he’s not a good candidate to run five or 10 kilometers, as hundreds will do on Saturday morning in the inaugural Run to Fight Children’s Cancer on campus. “This is not just a race,” says Moreno, who has been with the University since January. “It’s a family event that supports a great cause. And we get to utilize our brand-new Arena.”

When runners take off on Saturday, Oct. 15, at the start of the Run to Fight Children’s Cancer on the GCU campus, they will do so after a horn is blown by the honorary race starter, Olivia Baumgardner of east Phoenix. To the casual observer, Olivia is just like any other 4-year-old. But Olivia isn’t a normal 4-year-old. She’s dealing with something that no one — let alone a child — should have to deal with. Olivia has cancer.

GCU AzHOSA and the Red Cross will host a blood drive on campus, Monday, October 31 from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. To schedule your appointment or for more information contact the American Red Cross at 520-230-7295 or go online to www.redcrossblood.org and enter Sponsor Code: GCU. All presenting donors will receive a T-Shirt from the American Red Cross. For donor eligibility questions, call 1-866-236-3276.

Insisting that “there’s never a good time or a bad time to be in the arts,” Phoenix Symphony music director Michael Christie gave an insightful talk Tuesday night at Ethington Theatre, sharing career tips with the student audience. Christie, only 37, is already in his eighth season as the symphony’s maestro. A former trumpet player from Buffalo, N.Y., he went to school at Oberlin (Ohio) College and his career took off from there. When he won a conducting competition in Finland as a college junior, his path became clear.