Grand Canyon University

Kirk Cameron’s Fall Commencement keynote address underlines the importance of perseverance. The former “Growing Pains” star and now prominent Christian actor addressed GCU’s most recent group of graduates with congratulations and a powerful message of overcoming fear, fulfilling their mission and finishing the race. “This was really exciting,” Cameron said. “I was a little nervous, I’ve never done it before … I knew with all these Christian families, it was just really a special blessing to be part of this day that they’ll remember for their whole life.”

A record-setting crowd of 7,050 at Family Weekend was treated to music, food, games, worship, beautiful Phoenix weather and even a flash mob. But, really, the treat was seeing their loved ones again. Never could you see more love than when daughter lured mother on the karaoke stage. “I told her she didn’t have a choice,” Ambrosia Morris said. The weekend was full of surprises, including what these families sang together.

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.”

Throwing offenders in prison or unruly children out of school is one way to handle conflict. But GCU education and justice students are being trained in another method: restorative justice. It’s a pilot program that matches GCU students with west Phoenix schoolchildren who are in a conflict to talk out a solution instead of authorities handing out punishment. “There is a growing recognition that the punishment system isn’t working as well as they would like,” said Kevin Walling, Chair of Justice Studies, Government and History at GCU.

There were a lot of loud voices simulating gunfire. BAM. BAM. There were simulations of mass shootings at schools. It was grim. But when speaker Jesus Villahermosa had finished his seminar for area educators at GCU on Thursday, there was hope and inspiration, too, on how to help schoolchildren survive the scourge of our times — the mass shooting. Villahermosa asked an important question: “Have you given them permission to fight for their lives?”

Dr. Joseph Hattrick, who received his doctoral degree from GCU earlier this year, will appear on “Wheel of Fortune” on Friday night. Interestingly, he said the pressure of defending his dissertation prepared him well for the stress of solving word puzzles on the popular game show.

Dr. Owen Anderson had a perfect peg to talk about religious liberty on Constitution Day at GCU on Tuesday. An Arizona Supreme Court case decided for plaintiffs who refused to supply wedding art for a same-sex marriage. Anderson, a philosophy and religion professor at Arizona State University, said discussions that put religion into context is part of what the Constitution is all about. “It’s why we need the First Amendment. There are divisions about these things,” Anderson said.

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.

The younger generation has led a growth in enrollment in Social Work studies at GCU, from 40 students on campus to more than 275 this year. Generation Z has a desire to help others and be fulfilled with a purpose, not just to count their worth by material riches, senior students say. “I think our growth speaks to this generation wanting to connect with people in the community and to give back,” said Dr. Kathleen Downey, Director of Social Work in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, the subject of our continuing series on each GCU college.

Pursuing a doctoral degree is one of the most challenging endeavors in academics. But Dr. Michael Berger, Dean of the College of Doctoral Studies, and his staff have developed a program that gives learners multiple ways to receive assistance. “We can’t make it easy, but we try to make it easier by the addition of all the great support services that we have,” he said.