gcu

It was a day of sadness and celebration on GCU’s campus Friday after classes were moved online and students were encouraged to go home. Seniors tearfully said goodbyes and an impromptu “grad walk” filled Lopes Way late Friday afternoon. “I feel like this was a big last hurrah as a senior, and I was glad to help people leave with positivity in these dark times,” said senior Caleb Palmen, who organized it.

ASGCU President Sam Yonan and his student government team have been busy already this year, working to improve campus shuttle routes and organizing events to encourage recycling and raise awareness about harassment. “We want to keep an open ear to students on anything they need to be changed,” Yonan said. “We do represent students.”

There are plenty of new ways to get outside and stay fit this year, thanks to GCU Campus Recreation. There are new Intramural sports, such as indoor soccer, this fall. There are dozens of new hiking trips, led by GCU Outdoor Recreation. And there are new facilities and fitness equipment on campus. “These are all opportunities to be ‘non-digital’ and connect with people,” said Matt Lamb, GCU Director of Campus Recreation.

There’s a reason GCU’s signature event, Move-In, runs smoothly. Event Services, Student Affairs, Residence Life and other teams work hard to make it the most memorable experience possible for first-time Lopes, and they often do it from behind the scenes … and with Uncrustables at the ready.

GCU and GCE volunteers fanned out to two homes in the neighborhood on Friday, digging into painting and landscaping projects and defying the July heat. Homeowner Mira Nava recalled the first time Habitat visited her home eight years ago to fix the roof. Her mother was battling cancer at the time and told Nava: “This is a reminder that God is still here.” Andrea Northup, Habitat for Humanity Faith Relations Manager, told Nava: “That’s what GCU lives by — faith.”

Dusti Powell is one of 14 members on the Parent Council, which strengthens connections between GCU students and their families. “Yes, they are young adults, out on their own, but parents still have a role,’’ said the mother from Queen Creek. One of the events where the Council makes a difference is Fuel for Finals, scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday at four locations on campus.

The College of Science, Engineering and Technology’s Forensic Science Department has done it again, this time with the addition of some new booths at Forensic Science Day on Tuesday. The forensic odontology booth showed the visiting high school students how to use bite marks to solve a crime, and there also were new fingerprinting and impression-evidence booths. The visitors also watched a live police dog demo, met with the Phoenix Police Department’s Special Assignment Unit and heard from guest speakers in the field.

Hagir Elsheikh, one of five inductees into the GCU Hall of Fame on Saturday, is a domestic violence activist and TV and radio talk show host in Pennsylvania and has founded a staffing agency and a nonprofit that helps victims of violence. But long before she accomplished any of that, she had to flee the political violence in Sudan and survive domestic violence in her own life. She was an online nursing student before getting her degree in 2012, and she visit campus for the first time Saturday.

The recent Honors College Leadership Conference helped those students build connections with business professionals and better prepare themselves for the future. “I think it was a great opportunity to meet established individuals in the various fields, whether it be business or different markets of leadership, but also meeting other motivated individuals that are students as well,” Honors student Elisha Fronda said.

A mid-February trip to New York gave 11 Honors College students the opportunity to meet other young adults from around the world and discuss world issues. They also got to see some of the city’s most iconic destinations. “It was a very incredible experience. It was worth it,” Sara Cordero said. “It was just a really great opportunity to just listen to professionals all over the world and how they all tackle these humanitarian issues.”