Grand Canyon University

Most counselors and therapists want to be able to “do good” by their clients, but what does “doing good” really mean? That was the main topic of discussion at Thursday’s continuing education ethics workshop hosted by the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. Speakers from GCU and NAU offered professionals working in the field of counseling and social services a free way of receiving their CEUs (Continuing Education Units) that they are required to renew every two years.

When the Dean of Bethany College in West Virginia resigned in the fall of 2014, all Associate Dean Levi Esses wanted was to become the new dean of students for his alma mater. Unfortunately, there was only one thing in his way: the fact that he didn’t have his doctoral degree. That experience is what drove Esses to pursue his doctoral degree, ultimately leading to his graduation this past April. “God had a plan Honestly, it all happened I think largely part to my doctoral degree, that I had it finished and my experience in higher education,” Esses said.

After starting as a business major in her freshman year of college, having two sons diagnosed with autism inspired Ember Freitas to pursue a degree that would enable her to help others like them.

Five years, 13 operations and yet another leg amputation later, and Eric Gabriel has reached the finish line on his journey to earning his doctoral degree. After living with one leg for the past 25 years, Gabriel learned in November to adjust to life with no legs, all while finishing up his doctoral studies. “If I didn’t have GCU and my schoolwork to do, I would have gone crazy. You know I don’t even know where I would be today,” he said.

Learning and Living Communities are designed for GCU freshmen who prefer to share a residence hall room, suite or floor with students of similar academic interests. Along with the connections they make organically, there are organized activities in Juniper Hall, the building housing six LLC’s: Honors, Colangelo College of Business (CCOB), College of Science, Engineering and Technology (CSET), psychology from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS), and nursing and athletic training through the College of Nursing and Health Care Professions (CONHCP). “It has a different feel,” Kayla Warren said of her freshman year in Juniper. “It is academically centered, where we were all in the same mindset.”

A mission trip designed to connect the people in Cape Town, South Africa, to their local churches instead transformed the faith of 15 GCU students. By spending their spring break in the township of Khayelitsha, they were able to gain a new perspective on how God’s love is found in faith rather than worldly things. Students participated in prayer walks and home visits and assisted with the Vacation Bible School program. “We encountered people who literally had nothing and had some of the strongest faith in God that I’ve ever seen in my life,” said one of the leaders on the trip, Sydney Wastradowski.

The Theater Department works hard to provide the best opportunities they can for their students. One of those opportunities was in the form of a workshop that took place over spring break to allow students to learn how to prepare for a professional audition outside of GCU. Robert Kolby Harper lead the workshop and helped students get a better understanding of how to feel more comfortable in an audition setting, as well as letting them know that it is ok to be yourself in an audition. “The biggest thing I take away from everything I’ve seen in what we’re doing here is just to be ourselves and try and shed the performance skin that we’ve all been built up to over the years,” said COFAP student Mykhal Polite.

The premier of “Godspell” hits Ethington Theatre tonight, and offers a colorful musical experience, that showcases a modern interpretation of the book of Matthew. The music, composed by Stephen Swartz of Pippin and Wicked fame, provides a unique take on the stories, integrating forms of rock with adapted hymns. “We are singing the word of God and passages from the bible because we just feel an immense amount of joy about it and I feel like that’s what makes music in this show different than other shows,” cast member Charlotte Perkis said. The show will be performed March 22-24 and March 29-31. Friday and Saturday Shows begin at 7:30 p.m., while Sunday shows begin at 2 p.m.

For the seventh year in a row, the Dance Department has successfully had a piece selected to be featured in the American College Dance Association’s West Region gala. Three pieces of choreography were chosen for the weeklong conference, and Madison Knutson’s “The Sun Will Rise, and We Will Too” was among the 10 featured works in the gala. “I think it’s a testament to the strength of our program, which is still under 10 years old,” said Susannah Keita, Director of Dance.

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.