Forever Gettysburg

Ranking near the top 5% of all nouns used, community can feel like a buzzword. But what makes its use purposeful in reference to Gettysburg College is that meaning and embodiment align here.

At Gettysburg, community isn’t static like a noun; it unites, aspires, and transforms like a verb.

“It’s a network built on character, curiosity, and a commitment to making a difference,” said Mark Hourigan ’81, CEO of Hourigan, an integrated construction, development, consulting, and equipment solutions firm.

Just as our beloved traditions are passed down from Gettysburgian to Gettysburgian, this spirit of connection extends from one generation of thinkers and doers to the next.

Rooted in tradition

Every Gettysburg journey begins and ends between the enduring columns of Pennsylvania Hall—from the procession of first-year students during Convocation to graduates at Commencement.

When Awa Diop ’29, an international student from Senegal, received the key to Gettysburg during the First-Year Walk for the Class of 2029, she felt surrounded by history and hope.

“Being welcomed in that way meant more than just starting my college journey,” she said. “It felt like motivation to keep working hard and staying true to what brought me here.”

From the First-Year Walk to Servo Thanksgiving, Salsa on the Square to Founder’s Day, International Food Fest to Burgburst, students and alumni eagerly anticipate and remember our traditions.

A living curriculum

Through the rigorous, dynamic liberal arts and sciences curriculum at Gettysburg College, students are challenged to engage with complex issues and take bold steps toward meaningful change.

“The College supports these high expectations by providing a huge range of curricular and co-curricular opportunities that let students think harder, try new things, take the lead when they feel ready, and leave campus at graduation prepared for whatever’s next,” said Associate Provost for Academic Affairs Jeanne Hamming.

Experiences through the Cross-Disciplinary Science Institute at Gettysburg (X-SIG), the Civil War Institute, the Eisenhower Institute, the Sunderman Conservatory of Music, and the Garthwait Leadership Center are some of the many opportunities students have to learn by doing.

Campus connections

With more than 140 clubs and organizations, including Greek Life, study abroad, student government, intramural sports, and everything in between, Gettysburg’s community fosters exploration, and students embrace it.

“Over the years, our student body has become more diverse,” said Brad Lancaster, director of International Student Services. “With that, intercultural events, cultural traditions, and cross-cultural friendships have blossomed across campus, allowing students a window into perspectives from around the world.”

Rallying alongside others

Volunteerism is part of the Gettysburg experience from day one. Since 1992, Gettysburg Is Volunteering (GIV) Day has united first-year students, faculty, and staff in serving more than 45 community organizations, including the Painted Turtle Farm, our campus-community hub for food justice.

“You feel it in the energy of campus events, in the way students show up for each other, and in how we engage with the local community,” said physics major Mason McFarland ’27. “Gettysburgians are constantly finding ways to give back.”

McFarland has committed himself to service, from coordinating programs at the Center for Public Service to youth mentoring through Big Brothers Big Sisters of South-Central PA.

The glorious orange and blue

On Orange and Blue Day—the first Friday of every month—the College’s signature colors are on full display. Alumni across the country participate by wearing orange and blue, an outward expression of their shared Gettysburg pride.

From the steady rhythm of the Bullets Marching Band to the spirited chants of fans in the stands, our community also comes together in competition, guided by the same purpose defining every Gettysburgian: dedication, resilience, and unity.

“Athletics plays an important role in providing a well-rounded student body, supporting enrollment initiatives, and building culture and community,” said Executive Director of Athletics and Recreation Troy Dell ’95. “It’s a space where you can rally alongside others and share in the pride of being part of something bigger than yourself.”

A unifying thread

The connections students form here become the foundation of a vast global connection.

“It’s not just a professional network,” said Hourigan, who has mentored Gettysburg students and offered internships for more than a decade. “It really is a community that shapes how you lead, think, and serve, both while at Gettysburg and beyond.”

For Cindy Hybels ’91 Johnson P’28, this community is a thread
woven through every stage of life. She married her classmate, Erik (EJ) Johnson ’91, P’28, and has remained close with nearly a dozen friends who have walked alongside each other through marriages, children, health changes, and every peak and valley of life. Now, she and EJ are grateful to watch their son, Carter Johnson ’28, an economics major, shape his Gettysburg story.

“As you get older, you grow to realize how meaningful those Gettysburg connections really are—to have people to share in all moments of life with,” Cindy said.

Through similar experiences that are cherished by countless alumni, there are layers of truth in the often-said phrase “the people make the place.”

“It’s part of the DNA of Gettysburg to want to remain connected, to help, to respond, and to leave the world a better place,” said Billy Ferrell P’28, director of external relations for the Center for Career Engagement.

In that enduring cycle of showing up, lifting others, and carrying Gettysburg forward, the community reveals itself as not only something you’re part of, but also a core part of who you are.

by Molly Pavlovich
Posted: 03/11/26