Issuu

G R A N D VA L L E Y L A N T H O R N

Year in Review 2020-21

Graduates see Page 9 M O N D A Y, A P R I L 2 6 , 2 02 1 // VO L . 5 5 N O. 2 8

@ GV L A N T H O R N

LANTHORN.COM

A2 | NEWS

APRIL 26, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

VOTING

2020 election shows unprecedented

voter turnout in Michigan BY KYLIE ELWELL NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

With the 2020 election being one of the most important elections for the United States in recent years, Michigan voters showed up at poll locations, sent in absentee ballots and exercised their voting rights. The state of Michigan received more than 5.5 million ballots — including over 3 million absentee ballots, making the turn out for the election a historic event for the state. Michigan’s 2020 voter turnout was so significant that it beat out the previous record from the 2008 election when around 5 million people voted. In total, 82 out of the 83 counties in Michigan reported votes for the election on Nov. 3, 2020. In many counties around the state, there are statistics showing that there was a significant increase in voters this election compared to the last. “During the March presidential primary, about 40% of the ballots cast in Ottawa County were absentee,” said Steven Daitch, Elections Coordinator of Ottawa County. “For this election, that figure is closer to 60%.” Michigan received the majority of their ballots from absentee voters dropping them

in drop boxes around their cities and mailing them into their county clerk. The current pandemic had a definite impact on this election, but it is hard for counties to tell just how much of an impact it actually had against people choosing to vote or not vote, even with the option of an absentee ballot. “This is by far the highest number of absentee ballots ever cast in Michigan,” Daitch said. “This is partially a result of Proposal 18-3 in 2018 that allowed voters in Michigan to vote absentee without providing a reason. It’s hard to tell how much of an impact the pandemic had on our absentee numbers, but I think it’s safe to assume that it greatly increased the interest in voting absentee.” Biden was named the winner of Michigan by late evening on Nov. 4 despite there still being some uncounted votes. The majority of these votes came from absentee ballots and were expected to aid Biden’s lead even more. All of the Ottawa County precincts were reported by the early morning on Nov. 4. Some counties of Michigan that stuck out from the others with outlier votes were Wayne, which had 85.7% of precincts fully reporting. Oakland, Macomb, Genesee, and Kent county all had 100% of precincts fully reporting. Kent

UNPRECEDENTED: Michigan’s voter turnout for the 2020 presidential election was the largest in years despite the challenges presented during the pandemic. COURTESY | THE OAKLAND PRESS

County had a 72.25% turnout, with 362,074 total voters out of the 501,117 registered voters the county has. Daitch said Ottawa County had 169,405 ballots cast in this election. Of those, 100,078

(59%) were cast absentee, and the county had a total voter turnout of 76.76%, with 221,421 total registered voters. For more information regarding voting and the election in Ottawa and Kent County,

2020 ELECTION

President elect Biden defeats Trump, pledges to unite America BY NICK MORAN & OLIVIA FELLOWS NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

UNITY: Joe Biden and Kamala Harris beat out former president Donald Trump and Mike Pence. COURTESY | JAY GODWIN, LBJ LIBRARY

After a five-day affair, Joe Biden has been elected to lead the U.S. as its 46th president alongside running mate and vice president-elect Kamala Harris. While votes are being finalized and ongoing legal disputes are still unfolding, projections across the board have named Biden the country’s next president. Missing chances to sweep the race early on Election Day, it was key flips from Wisconsin and Michigan that allowed Biden to move through the week in a stronger position than incumbent President Donald Trump. Biden would eventually secure states like Arizona and Pennsylvania to push him over the 270 hump and beat out Trump in a race that featured record voter turnout. While results are waiting confirmation and pending legal action through the end of the year, the signs seem to clearly name Biden as the president elect. A victory speech featuring both Harris and Biden on Nov. 7 outlined a hope for

a reborn America that restores a sense of hope, opportunity and civility. A president bent on restoring the soul of America “My fellow Americans, the people of this nation have spoken,” Biden said as he opened his victory speech. “They have delivered us a clear victory. A convincing victory. A victory for ‘We the people.’” President elect Joe Biden, who was last featured in a similar spotlight as vice president-elect for former President Barack Obama, focused this speech on unity and rebuilding the country. Touting record votes cast and an appreciation for America’s support, Biden made a clear promise: to create respect at home and abroad. “I sought this office to restore the soul of America,” Biden said. “To rebuild the backbone of the nation — the middle class. To make America respected around the world again and to unite us here at home.” He also took time to thank those who supported the election – including elected officials and poll workers – as well as a

diverse voting base. Biden made an early promise to converse that support into a diverse administration that reflected the country. “I said from the outset I wanted a campaign that represented America, and I think we did that,” Biden said. “Now that’s what I want the administration to look like.” Acknowledging races he’s lost in the past, Biden made a point to extend his hand to supporters and voters of Trump, whose disappointment he said he empathized with. Instead of looming on harsh rhetoric, Biden took a productive approach in his speech, vowing to lead and work for Americans across the aisle, not just his base. “Let’s give each other a chance,” Biden said. “It’s time to put away the harsh rhetoric. To lower the temperature. To see each other again. To listen to each other again. To make progress, we must stop treating our opponents as our enemy. LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE

APRIL 26, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

CONTENTS NEWS

| A2

OPINIONS

| A7

GRADUATION

| A9

PHOTOS

| A21

ARTS

| A22

LAKER LIFE

| A24

SPORTS

| A26 VOL. 5 5

NO. 28

Lan thorn EDITORIAL STAFF

Layout Editor VIVIANA RUBIO

Editor-in-Chief NICK MORAN Associate Editor OLIVIA FELLOWS

Layout Designer KHOI TRAN PROMOTIONS

Associate Editor XAVIER GOLDEN News Editor MARY RACETTE

Promotions Manager ALEX DAGOSTINO ADVERTISING STAFF

ACTIVISM

Former Detroit police chief shares his story for MLK week: “Policing from the Inside” BY HAILEIGH HUBER NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

The week of Jan.18, Grand Valley State University celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. and his legacy. Students and faculty throughout campus come together to commemorate the achievements of one of the most influential American civil rights leaders by attending events and presentations where influential speakers share their stories. Former Detroit police chief Isaiah McKinnon will be leading his event “Policing from the Inside”, virtually, on Thursday, Jan.21, at 7 p.m. He will be sharing his experiences of racism firsthand when he was a young police officer and how he dedicated his life to creating change. As former chief of police and deputy mayor of Detroit, he rose to positions of power and through his voice has implemented change. Jakob Bigard, program manager of the Hauenstein Center’s Common Ground Initiative, is one of the organizers of McKinnon’s event. Bigard said he wanted to create an opportunity for people to learn and engage with one another, and McKinnon’s story “exemplifies how to take something bad and turn it into good.” After experiencing brutality firsthand, McKinnon made it his mission to ensure that others would never have to go through

Advertising Manager SHANE MCATAMNEY

Sports Editor ZACK GOODROW Laker Life Editor YSABELA GOLDEN

A3 | NEWS

Business Manager RACHEL MCDOWELL

Image Editor MEGHAN LANDGREN

Asst. Business Manager DAYTON HAMMON

McKinnon suffered brutality, bigotry, and was even shot at by his fellow police officers. “The same things that I went through 50 years ago, are still occurring today,” said McKinnon. In light of 2020 and the death of George Floyd, people around the world are demanding change. Protesters are demanding that conversation about the role of police and the context of how we came to be where we are today be had. LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE

Students, professors still struggle with COVID-19 learning adjustment BY ELIZABETH SCHANZ NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

At the Lanthorn, we strive to bring you the most accurate news possible. If we make a mistake, we want to make it right. If you find any errors in fact in the Lanthorn, let us know by calling 616-331-2464 or by emailing editorial@lanthorn.com. The Grand Valley Lanthorn is published weekly by Grand Valley State University students 31 times a year. One copy of this newspaper is available free of charge to any member of the Grand Valley Community. For additional copies, at $1 each, please contact our business offices.

The Lanthorn is published on recycled paper and is printed with soy bean ink. This means that our newspaper is entirely compostable. Help us do our part to be kind to the environment by recycling or composting this newspaper after you enjoy reading it. POSTMASTER: Please send form 3579 to: Grand Valley Lanthorn 0051 Kirkhof Center Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI 49401

what he did. With his abundance of knowledge about the fraught relationship between the black community and law enforcement, he’s the exemplar of community-focused policing, Bigard said. “Chief McKinnon’s story represents the change you want to see in the world,” Bigard said. “He had experienced racism and oppression as a young man and made a decision that he was going to be that change.” In 1957 when Chief McKinnon was a fourteen-year-old boy, he was severally beaten without reason by two Detroit police officers. Ten years later as a young police officer, CAMPUS

BUSINESS STAFF

A&E Editor MARY DUPUIS

CIVIL RIGHTS: GVSU is celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. by hosting events and speakers. Police chief Isaiah McKinnon spoke about his firsthand experiences with racism on duty. COURTESY | GVSU

MASKS ON CAMPUS: Students wear masks and follow COVID-19 protocols to help keep everyone on campus safe. GVL | SHEILA BABBITT

March 13, 2020, was marked as a day of chaos when the world was completely changed by the start of the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns in the United States. People rushed to the stores to find empty shelves, borders were closed and students packed their belongings to leave the schools for what they thought would be only two weeks. Professors and students were thrown into a new virtual world over the remaining months of the school year. With some teachers having never taught online and the lack of preparation with the technology necessary to support university-wide virtual learning, the adjustment was harsh for all parties. Now the world is a year into the pandemic which has changed our lives from what it once was to a “new normal.” Professors and students have been adapting their routines and workflow to interact with virtual platforms such as Blackboard Collaborate, Zoom and Panopto. Grand Valley State University students

had the opportunity to return to campus for this 2020-2021 school year with many adjustments from what college-life previously looked like. “Last year, I danced in my bedroom,” said junior Clara Crossley, a double major in dance and biomedical sciences. “I moved my bed to the side and I had a tiny spot, so it’s really nice to have that studio time (this year) — though it’s half the time we usually have — and to just be around people and in a studio.” The changes in the classroom setting with many different options for classes: online, hybrid and in-person. Even with these opportunities, there are concerns with how these methods are impacting various students. “Very motivated, experienced students do well in this new environment, but students who are new to college or may lack skills that they need to succeed tend to fall through the cracks in the online classroom,” said history professor Grace Coolidge. LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE

APRIL 26, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

A4 | NEWS BUSINESS

Former GV employee takes part in ‘Black business legacy’ with family BY JACOB DEWEERD NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

Daddy’s Dough Cookies is one of many Black-owned businesses in Grand Rapids that have been forced to make major adjustments to survive during the COVID-19 pandemic. But, for a business that went from baking out of a family home to working in commercial kitchens and selling cookies in markets all over the city over the span of just a few years, Daddy’s Dough is no stranger to big changes. Everything started when the then-fiveyear-old daughter of Daddy’s Dough’s founder and owner, MarcQus Wright, pitched a business proposal to her father. “I would bake cookies every now and then and my daughter said, ‘Daddy, you should sell these. You could have a business and call it Nothing but Cookies!’” Wright said. “I was like ‘Eh, I don’t know if I would do that.” That small suggestion led to Wright taking his cookie-baking skills more seriously. He decided to see if they were really as good as his daughter said they were, and he gave cookies out to coworkers that he supervised while working at Grand Valley State University.

“Everyone said they were really good, but I thought ‘They might be lying, so let me try giving them to my brothers and sisters,’” Wright said, “When they said the cookies were good, I knew it was legit. If they were nasty, my siblings would have said, ‘Dude, don’t even try to sell these.’” Wright started Daddy’s Dough in late 2016 and baked cookies from home while still working at GVSU. The business started small, but grew quickly as word and delicious cookie aromas spread around Grand Rapids. Soon enough, Daddy’s Dough outgrew its humble roots in Wright’s home. “Once I baked 600 cookies for a wedding out of my house my wife was like, ‘You got to figure this out. You have to either cut back or make this a legit business,’” Wright said. “That’s when I decided to put in my resignation to Grand Valley and see what this business could do.” Since Daddy’s Dough became an official commercial business in June 2018, it has expanded all over Grand Rapids. Their cookies are sold at three physical retail locations in The Bridge Street Market, Horrock’s Market and Fresh Thyme Farmers Market. Traveling to events and other farmers’ markets used to make up the biggest portion of

SUCCESS: Daddy’s Dough was founded in 2016 and was inspired by MarQus Wright’s baking skills that earned him compliments from coworkers and family. COURTESY | DADDY’S DOUGH COOKIES

Daddy’s Dough’s sales, but the COVID-19 pandemic has completely cut out that part of the business. Cookies can also be ordered online from their website, www.daddysdough.com, which Wright says has become the most popular sales platform since widespread event cancellations began last year. “Online is our top way to sell now,” Wright

said. “It used to be where we did least of our business because we weren’t really pushing it, but when things got twisted around, we updated our website and made it a little bit easier for people to order online.” LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE

POLICE

GVPD ramps up efforts to find individuals responsible for Zoom hackings BY ADAM TROMBLEY NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

INVESTIGATE: GVPD looked into a series of ‘Zoom bombings’ this year. GVL | ARCHIVES

About a week has passed since Grand Valley State University’s student organizations were sent into a spiral after having their Zoom meetings and events crashed. A total of four organizations across both academic and student life were crashed during their meetings last week, including a Black Male Scholars meeting. However, since the Zoom “bombings,” the Grand Valley Police Department (GVPD) has been actively working with GVSU’s Information Technology (IT) group in order to find the individuals responsible and to make sure this doesn’t happen again. “Right now, we have not been given any indication to believe that it was associated with a student or connected to any member of the GVSU community,” said GVSU Capt. Jeffery Stoll. “It also appears that it was outside the state of Michigan.” During the past few years, the police department has seen an increase in virtual and cybercrime that they didn’t necessarily see before. Many of these types of incidents re-

volve around cyberstalking and dangerous messages being sent, but when these incidents occur, GVPD has been able to work with GVSU IT in the past. “They provide a certain level of information that specifically helps us identify people related to criminal activity,” Stoll said. “Part of the challenge with virtual or cybercrime makes you review and go over a lot of data such as IP addresses, emails, code and things like that. And so, while that information is valuable, it does take a while to process and digest.” Because Zoom links can be made public for anyone to view or enter, it is believed that that is how the groups gained access to the meetings and events held by GVSU. Since these bombings, however, GVSU has set new safety guidelines for when students and staff use Zoom. These changes include having a passcode in order to enter the room as well as having a separate waiting room for members not apart of the GVSU community, as outlined in President Philomena Mantella’s email to the community following the events. Currently, the investigation is still ongo-

ing, so there has not been any formal charges or actions brought on to the perpetrators of the Zoom meeting “bombings.” Stoll says the department will take proper action once all the details are finalized. “(We know) what actions were done during the course of the Zoom bombing,” Stoll said. “(We know) what was said, what was shared, what was shown on the video — those things, depending on what we find in there, will answer that question (of what) criminal actions we can identify and connect with that intrusion.” Stoll added that investigators are unaware of the reasoning behind the ‘bombings”, but he would eventually like to get the answer if he can. The investigation is still ongoing, but the department believes that all four of the Zoom meetings that were crashed are all connected to the same group of people. GVPD is moving forward with identifying the person most responsible for the “bombings.” They are still looking for others involved, but Stoll believes they are heading in the right direction of getting the incidents solved.

APRIL 26, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

A5 | NEWS

EVALUATIONS

Student survey results show little drop off in satisfaction between in-person, virtual learning BY TREVOR HUBERT NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

College students across the country are now approaching a full year of learning under lockdown. Some students took the changes in stride, while others have voiced their displeasure with virtual education. Every student has their own unique method to be effectively educated, but student survey data does not show a major dropoff in student satisfaction. According to data obtained by GVSU’s Office of Institutional Analysis, LIFT survey results from fall 2019 and fall 2020 have minimal differences for the university as a whole. Data from winter 2020 is not available, as surveys were not given to students at the end of the semester. Typically, the questionnaires are given out to every class at the end of each semester. It gives professors and university departments insight into what they can do to improve quality of life and learning in the classroom. Because the surveys are voluntary, they are highly dependent on student participation. Questions are scored on a scale of zero to five, with five being “excellent” and zero being “very poor”. The average overall rating of all classes at

Grand Valley in fall 2019 was 3.84, making the average class somewhere between “good” and “very good”. This number had little to no drop-off in the winter of 2020, with the overall average sitting at 3.80. “Given the huge disruption in course delivery methods, I think it’s remarkable how little the scores have changed”, OIA Director Philip Batty said via email. One area where students still seem to be satisfied is the content of the courses they are taking. The “course content” question on the survey produced a score of 3.78 for both semesters, making it the only section of the survey that saw no decrease in average rating between years. Batty said that the most drop-off for one section was seen in students’ perception of their professors. The question regarding “instructor’s contribution to the course” dropped from 3.99 to 3.91 between years. Even with this decrease, this question was still the highest scoring out of any of the four included in the survey. There was no question that scored an average under 3.70 for either semester, showing that students at the university are generally satisfied with their education. Although there is no true quantifiable way to show the strain of students moving

NO CHANGES: After a full year of virtual learning GVSU students report continued satisfaciton despite being in an online classroom in a LIFT survey given by the university. COURTESY | GVSU

from in-person to online learning, the survey results could be a potential silver lining for Grand Valley as a whole, as the quality of education has shown minimal decline across the board. As face-to-face learning steadily increases over the next year, trends show that

the university should expect student satisfaction to return to pre-pandemic levels. There is a possibility that these numbers increase as well, as students become more and more eager to leave their dorms and return to the classroom for good.

Some ineligible students receive COVID-19 vaccination due to university mistake

back an hour later with the expectation that all of the appointments would be filled, her call was taken within minutes and she was scheduled for an appointment on that day less than two hours later. As calls filled the Spectrum Health line, time slots were disappearing. “I was willing to clear my entire schedule, so I told her any time would work,” said senior Kinnedy Coleman. “However, every time she tried to book an appointment, it would become unavailable as soon as she clicked on it.” Senior Abby Bates received her first dose after reading through the email several times to double-check if there was a mistake, setting up an appointment when there were 500 callers. “When reading through the email, there were no specific notes that made it seem like the available vaccines were only to be distributed to a certain group,” Bates said. “Upon receiving the email, I actually re-read it a few times before calling to really make sure I was eligible to even make an appointment.” It was not until over 24 hours later that the Virus Action Team sent out another email explaining their mistake. They said the vaccines were meant for students and faculty in clinical roles and not for the general campus community.

VACCINE

BY RACHEL MATUSZEWSKI NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

When images of trucks carrying vaccines across the country played on the news, hope appeared that the efforts and hardships of the past year would not last and good things were on the horizon of 2021. On March 3, an email was sent to the Grand Valley State University student body addressed to the campus community that vaccines were available to students. It stated there was a sup-

ply of extra doses due to no-shows and appointment cancellations. However, over 24 hours later, another email was delivered explaining the vaccine was meant for clinical students only. Junior Melanie Laforest jumped on the opportunity when the email arrived. She called the phone number the email provided, waited with 921 callers ahead of her, and was patched through to an operator at Spectrum Health who helped her schedule an appointment for the next day. After driving 30 minutes to the vaccination

MISHAP: GVSU acidentally sent an email to the entire GVSU community giving some students the ability to receive a COVID-19 vaccine earlier than many expected. GVL | SHEILA BABBITT

site, she stood in line with other students. Yet, some students who exited the doors in front of her warned their peers they had just been turned away with no explanation. Confused, LaForest stayed in line with another student who was in line ahead of her to see for themselves. Once she approached the nurse’s table, she was turned away with one answer. “They asked if I was a college student and just said no,” LaForest said. “They didn’t really give me an explanation.” However, some students, like senior Emily Errington, were able to get the vaccine. When Errington saw the email appear on her laptop, she said her heart skipped a beat. “I have always said the second I am able to get the vaccine that I would get it,” Errington said. “I did not expect that to be for months though. I knew this was the only opportunity I could have for a while and that if I was going to do it I needed to jump on it.” As her mind raced with the possibility of getting vaccinated and the consequences of the possible side effects, she hung up the phone shortly after her first call. But when she called

LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE

APRIL 26, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

A6 | NEWS ENVIRONMENT

Ottawa County Groundwater Board forms to address groundwater depletion issue BY AUDREY WHITAKER NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

Ottawa County is the fastest-growing and most dominant agriculture-producing county in the state of Michigan. Grand Valley State University’s hometown, Allendale, is one of the fastest-growing townships in the state. The aquifer that supplies water to the area is draining faster than ever as a result. The Marshall Formation supplies Ottawa County residents with the groundwater they need to cook, clean, drink and grow crops. Unfortunately, the aquifer is unable to “recharge” due to the area’s geology. According to Paul Sachs, director of the Ottawa County Planning & Performance Improvement Department, a thick layer of impermeable clay creates around 150 square miles in the county where water absorption is “limited,” meaning water from precipitation is not making its way back into the aquifer. “It’s nestled right around the middle of our county,” Sachs said. “As we’ve developed with a blind eye to what’s happening below the surface, every new well that we put in to suck water up just been dropping the water level.” Residents old and new have already experienced the effects of groundwater depletion, Sachs said. Ruined crops and homes without running water prompted the county to take a closer look at what was going on beneath their feet.

SUPPLY: The Marshall Formation ensures Ottawa County residents are piped clean groundwater that is used to cook, clean and grow plants and crops during the year. COUTRESY | OTTAWA COUNTY

“(A resident) irrigated his crops the day before, and when he woke up in the morning, all of his soybeans were burnt to a crisp,” Sach said. “Come to find out that the water he was pumping out of the ground to irrigate was full of sodium chloride — saltwater.” In 2018, the county partnered with Michigan State University, which revealed the scope of groundwater issues facing the county, Sachs said. The Ottawa County Groundwater Board was formed on March 23, 2021, building on the momentum of the Groundwater Sustainability Initiative that was formed four years ago. The board consists of 15 members of

different backgrounds, including scientists, farmers, local businesses and local officials. Al Steinman, a GVSU professor with the Annis Water Resources Institute, said that the diverse board ensures that stakeholders have a say moving forward. “I give our county tremendous credit. They reached out to all potential sectors that would be influenced by this,” Steinman said. “They’ve included the agriculture sector, the greenhouse sector, the real estate sector, the housing sector, they brought in their health department, the road commission, all these potential utilities and entities that could be

impacted by groundwater, to see what can be done in a proactive way.” Education is another important component of the board’s work, Sachs said. “We need a paradigm shift on how we operate and we need to think differently about the way we do our land-use planning, the way we do our building design and site development, and the way we use water,” said Sachs. In a state surrounded by freshwater lakes, Michiganders are often skeptical of the water issues they face, Steinman said. “One of the biggest issues we face when we talk about a natural resource such as water in the Great Lakes area is how to convince people to conserve water when they see this vast array of surface water all around them,” Steinman said. “Yet we have water conflicts all over the state of Michigan.” Sachs said that through education and advocacy, he hopes the board’s work in Ottawa County will continue to sustain the area’s growth and serve as a model for change throughout the state. Ultimately, this can change the way resources are used in the state. “We’re being very strong advocates here in our county because there are other areas of the state, that will probably learn a lot by what we’re doing, and they’ll be better for it,” Sachs said. “We can’t ignore this problem, so that’s why we’re being as strong, forward-thinking and active as we can be.”

CAMPUS

Students, professors feel mixed after first of two winter break days BY ZSOLT PALMER NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

Classes were canceled on March 10 for the first of two mental health days in the Grand Valley State University winter semester. These ‘break days’ were added to the semester to give students a mental health break from their studies after concerns were raised by the Student Senate that a fifteen-week semester may not be healthy for

everyone. Since Spring Break had been originally canceled due to pandemic concerns, a compromise was made, and two separate break days were placed into the semester. “One of the rationales for starting the semester a week later and eliminating spring break was to discourage two activities that can accelerate the spread of COVID: extensive travel leading to large gatherings,” said Ed Aboufadel, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs. “So, the break days were chosen to be mid-week

STRESS: This year GVSU gave students two winter break days to give them some time of from classes to relax and recharge following the cancellation of spring break. GVL | SHEILA BABBITT

rather than on a Monday or Friday. We settled on a Wednesday and a Thursday. Thursday was chosen rather than a Tuesday because there are fewer 3-hour graduate courses on Thursdays. March 10 was chosen to be after midterms exams and April 1 was about halfway between March 10 and the end of the semester.” The day has come and gone, and some GVSU students were left somewhat underwhelmed by the experience, though others indicated that it was still better than nothing. “It was nice having the day off,” said first-year student Jillian Pompo. “It helps that Wednesday was my Honors Day, but I really wish we’d still have had a Spring Break.” Some of the issues students had with the mid-week break day was concerning the fact that their heavy workload prevented them from being able to take any break at all. “I definitely don’t think that it was what students needed,” said second-year student Hanna Halstead. “Sure, it was a good ‘break’ but most people had to use it to catch up on homework. I’ve been firing on all four cylinders this entire time, and I definitely think that the normal week-long break which lets us forget about

assignments and just relax would have been much better for students. I don’t think that GV is doing what’s best for their students right now.” Other students agreed that the single-day did provide the free break from work they had hoped. “Normally on a Wednesday I have two synchronous classes and I work for the math tutoring center,” said second-year student Dustin Danckeart. “On break day Wednesday, I had essentially the work of one of those classes, I worked for the math tutoring center, and did other homework, so it wasn’t really much of a break. I do appreciate the thought, though.” Members of GVSU’s faculty had a more upbeat tune about their experience during the break day. “It was nice having that break on Wednesday,” said biology professor Bruce Ostrow. “I think it ended up being a catch-up day for most people, but it was nice to have that break, it was nice having a little bit of a breather, and it was nice to catch up on some work.” LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE

A7 | OPINION

APRIL 26, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

9/19/20

BY: LAUREN SYRBA

Judas and the Black Messiah depicts Black Panther power

BY SIMON WAGNER SENIOR MULTIMEDIA JOURNALISM EDITORIAL@LANTHORN.COM

Undoubtedly the most important film of the year thus far, “Judas and the Black Messiah,” offers up yet another piece of American history that should have been taught in schools. Set in the 1960s, Shaka King’s film tells the story of an FBI informant tasked with bringing down the chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party. Anchored by commanding performances from LaKeith Stanfield and Daniel Kaluuya, and a filmmaker in total command of his voice, “Judas and the Black Messiah” isn’t just a powerful piece of cinema, but a calling out to society. What the film does is show the pieces of a civil rights movement that has been demoralized by our country. It brings to light the God complex of the American government, and how the systematic racism of our agen-

cies has been silencing millions of Black people for hundreds of years. Kaluuya’s portrayal of former Black Panther chairman Fred Hampton is nothing short of revolutionary. Although Kaluuya acts as somewhat of a supporting character in relation to Stanfield’s portrayal of former FBI informant Bill O’Neal, it’s the sheer conviction of Kaluuya’s dialogue and mannerisms that makes him the standout. Not to take away from the steady performance conjured up by Stanfield, but it’s Kaluuya who gets to show off his muscle when it comes to the powerful speeches in the film. Every scene with Fred Hampton is like a catharsis of the soul. What Hampton preaches isn’t just unity in the wake of segregation, but to fight back

against the system that has forced this segregation upon us. It’s this preaching which eventually leads to the tragic downfall of Hampton and his chapter, and it shows just how scared the system gets when a Black person has a voice. The film itself plays out almost like an action thriller in that the growing tension between the FBI and Hampton leads to multiple armed standoffs. But it’s the tenderness shown through Kaluuya’s portrayal that brings the film back down to Earth. It’s these intimate moments that showcase the humanity behind the power. LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE

Awareness of physical space key to relaxing headspace

BY MADDIE ZIMMERMAN FRESHMAN BIOLOGY EDITORIAL@LANTHORN.COM

A lot of the time, I find myself using social media during what I call my “break

from schoolwork,” often starts when I’m not even 10 minutes into doing homework. But I’m here to tell you that watching the 30th comedy TikTok isn’t really relaxing from the stressors from everyday life. Although it may seem like it’s impossible to put your phone down when you want to relax, I promise you, it’s possible. Putting down your phone and putting it on silent is the best way to start. This way, you don’t have any pesky notifications or your mom telling you about the 10th Laker event she saw on Grand Valley’s Instagram. Notifications, social media and even texts can be very overwhelming whether you realize it or not. Once you set down your phone, you are a step closer to becoming overall more relaxed. Second is finding a good environment. If you’re in a noisy area, sometimes it’s harder to

feel like you can wind down. For me, I like just to curl up in bed with a bunch of blankets and watch The 100 (a great show, by the way). If you only have a few minutes between classes or are out and about and have a little bit but can’t be in bed to relax, you can walk around and take a break in nature. Nature is a great place to destress and also see some beautiful views. You can go on a walk on a trail, sit down and eat lunch on a picnic table at a nature park, go to the beach. Unfortunately for us Midwesterners, we’re not so fortunate with the nice winter weather. Instead, you can sit and look out a window to see the views if it’s not so nice outside. Another thing that tends to block the feeling of being fully relaxed is working from home. When your workplace is your house, it can be challenging to differentiate between

what time should be used strictly for work or just to take a break. Due to COVID-19, my mom was forced to work from home. At first, she hated it; she didn’t really have a set schedule, she missed her coworkers and just missed waking up and getting ready for work. Now, almost a year later, she absolutely loves it. She doesn’t want to go back to her office. Her biggest tip is to “make the most out of it.” If you need a break, try to go to a different part of your house or apartment to detox from the stress of work. If you try to relax behind your computer desk, your mind won’t be able to focus on taking a break from work. You will just think about what you should be LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE

APRIL 26, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

A8 | OPINIONS GVL EDITORIAL CARTOON

By Katie Cussans

2/1/21

editorial@lanthorn.com

Microsoft and Discord: A match made in Game Pass

BY FABIAN SEGURA SENIOR MULTIMEDIA JOURNALISM, FILM EDITORIAL@LANTHORN.COM

Hot off the heels of acquiring game publisher Zenimax, Microsoft seems to have set their eyes on messaging app Discord. On March

22, Bloomberg announced that Discord was in talks with various companies such as Epic Games and Amazon before Microsoft came into the picture. For those who don’t know what Discord is, it is a voice and chat program like Skype, but originally aimed at gamers. In light of the pandemic, they have moved away from their video game branding into a more holistic virtual community center where people can create channels on whatever topic they want. They have doubled their monthly user base during the pandemic with people using the platform to connect with each other online, host clubs and events, and even as a platform for work or teaching. Discord’s main features are free for anyone, with more advanced features locked behind their subscription service called Discord Nitro. Perks include higher quality screen sharing, file

transfer support and user profile customization. Despite having record growth and subsequently subscription numbers, Discord is still mainly funded through venture capital, raising $100 million last December from investors. This is where Microsoft comes into the picture. Microsoft has been investing heavily into the game industry recently, such as offering a Game Pass service granting users access to a large library of games and acquiring various game studios, integrating them into its service such as Bethesda. They’ve even partnered with EA for their games and have brought the service to their consoles, PC, and even phones through game streaming. Microsoft very much has the resources and reasoning to acquire Discord, as this will net them an even larger part of the game industry market share. They could very easily bundle Discord’s current Nitro subscription as yet

another perk under Game Pass, providing. Whether or not current users would agree with this proposal is up in the air. From talking with friends and reading the comments from the report, it’s very much a mixed feelings. Microsoft bought out Skype in 2011 and has lost considerable market share to competing services to the point where products such as Zoom and Discord have largely replaced it. Microsoft also has a somewhat competing product in the form of Teams that comes bundled with its enterprise suite. I for one am still bitter about Microsoft’s abandonment of its live streaming service, Mixer. Another way of viewing it is yet more consolidation of the video game or tech industry.

LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE

Talk, text, Snapchat and tailoring communication to your relationship

BY EMILY EATON POLITICAL SCIENCE ‘20 EDITORIAL@LANTHORN.COM

A few nights ago, when I was rolling over to fall asleep, I saw my phone buzz on my nightstand. I figured it was my boyfriend just

responding to my “Goodnight, I love you” sappy message that I do occasionally, and I was right (as I typically am in the relationship realm of my life). But my heart did a strange little plummet when I read the reply that said, “love you too.” He left out the damn “I”. For a second, I stared at the screen trying to figure out what secret language he was speaking, what he was really, truly trying to tell me, and whether or not he’s so sick of this relationship that he couldn’t even bother specifying the pronoun. This bounced around in my head for about three seconds or so, and then quietly and quickly I slipped into this beautiful coma of melancholy where I realized just how much of a lunatic I truly am. I completed my roll and slept peacefully knowing I am a monster of relationship anxiety. There are certain rules that most of our current dating culture tells you — including certain friends who might do it differently than

you — regarding the necessity of breaking down the meaning of a text message. I’ve been breaking down every letter of every text message since my purple flip phone in 2010. I’ve never thought I’d be the type to reminisce on the “olden days,” but I find myself wondering how much better off I’d be if texting just didn’t exist. Since I’m in the first relationship that’s actually ever worked for me, I’ve learned it’s extremely important to notice when you’re sweating the small stuff. However, if you’re not in a relationship, you can be a bit pickier. I actually encourage it. Let us take Snapchat for example. That very same night I rolled over after the “love you” text from my boyfriend, I received an unsolicited, utterly disturbing video of a very unfamiliar man doing extremely questionable things. I do not know him, I was not Snapchat friends with him and I have absolutely no idea how he found me.

Snapchat sort of reminds me of the gates of hell in that way. Therefore, Snapchat is a no-go — at least not for new relationships. Somehow, texting has actually become the romantic way of swooning somebody. So, if you’ve been consistently Snapchatting a man for over a few weeks and he still has yet to ask for your number, it’s a guaranteed waste of your time. I’ve never seen it work out. Ever. A solid zero percent success rate. So maybe there must be different rules for different stages of relationships — but the medium of communication will always matter. The best form? In-person communication and quality time. Texting is a great way to begin but becomes less important with time. Either way, it will always remain more appealing than Snapchat. Don’t trust anybody over 20 still sending out good morning streaks.

APRIL 26, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

A9 | GRADUATION

A10 | GRADUATION

APRIL 26, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

Katherine Arnold Katherine, you have an exceptional ability to take intimidating, large-scale issues and bring them down to readers in a way they can digest and act on. With adaptivity, an ability to learn on the fly and a driving curiosity, your writing guides readers to information rather than forcing them to learn. That gift will take you far wherever you go, and more importantly, it will allow you to connect readers with each other in ways that will make communities stronger.

Sheila Babbitt Shelia, during your four years with the Lanthorn, you were a valued photographer and image editor. If there was ever a sports event that needed to be photographed, you were our first choice. You were extremely diligent and detail-oriented with your work. Everyone here could count on you to get the job done. You’re a talented photographer and your work was admired by your peers.

Kylie Elwell Kylie, your writing is a layered cake, but the strongest element is how you elevate human voices in an inspiring way. White most reporters can turn event coverage into a quick, easy piece, you go above and beyond to focus on the people behind it. It’s this flair that elevates seemingly benign pieces into ones that shine. With that in her back pocket, you will absolutely go far.

APRIL 26, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

A11 | GRADUATION

Olivia Fellows Olivia, your hard work and tenacity may never be matched by another Lanthorn reporter. You started out as staff writer, then rose to news editor and finally you ended your Lanthorn career as our associate editor. If there was ever something to be done during a busy production, you were always on top of it. We’ve seen your reporting skills grow throughout the years, especially in your award-winning

Supriya Gupta

Congratulations Supriya! We are so thankful for all of the work you have done for the Lanthorn. We are so happy you had the opportunity to intern with us this semester. We will miss seeing you around, but we know you will be doing great things after graduation!

investigative piece on Consumers Energy. Your insight, leadership skills and kindness will be sorely missed.

Trevor Hubert

There are some reporters in GVSU’s journalism program that the Lanthorn always seems to be chasing, and you are one the team has always hoped would join our ranks. When you did, you proved your experience and passion for reporting was worth the wait. You are confident and seasoned, with the journalistic ability that young reporters can look up to. Your approachable, upbeat personality is contagious and draws the best out of sources and peers alike.

Isabella Mahmoud

Congratulations Isabella! We are incredibly thankful for your hard work and dedication to the Lanthorn throughout your college career! You truly have been the glue to our distribution team these past few years. Thank you so much for your hard work!

APRIL 26, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

A12 | GRADUATION

Rachel Matuszewski

Shane McAtamney

Rachel, you are alongside a list of Lanthorn writers with a long list of bylines, but above all else, your growth shows your ever-present reporter’s grit. Your passion for storytelling and letting sources share their experiences is tangible in every interaction and vibrant in your writing. From straightforward news to breaking down winding issues, your passionate reporting always delivers substantial, inspiring results to the benefit of those around you.

Congratulations to our graduating advertising manager, Shane! The Lanthorn appreciates your positivity and contribution to the team. We will miss having you on the team next year, but we cannot wait to see what you do next! We wish you nothing but the best!

Nick Moran

Nick, when you first started working at the Lanthorn in 2017, we knew that you were headed towards excellent heights. While being published in the New York Times might have been your greatest college achievement, for us, it was your excellent workday in and day out. Without you steering the ship for the past two years, there would be no Lanthorn. You not only embody tremendous journalistic skills but exceptional leadership as well. You’ve set a high bar for future Lanthorn editor-in-chiefs and we wish you the best as your journalism career continues.

APRIL 26, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

A13 | GRADUATION

Autumn Pitchure

A Pitchure byline carries a lot of

Fabian Segura

weight with it, especially when considering your sprawling tenure with the Lanthorn. Any story it sits under will present a mastery of the student experience, and your ability to capture that in a way that lets the community sing is a true gift. Wherever you go, you’ll bring with you an enthusiasm not just to report, but to share stories that inspire.

Fabian, you joined the Lanthorn with a lofty goal: to make readers care about technology. While it proved to be a difficult task at first, your passion for the field was reflected in you writing in a contagious way. Your immense mastery of tech and strong sense of voice is dynamic and engaging in a way that satiates diehard techies and informs newcomers. Your writing pushed the Lanthorn’s opinion content in a new, exciting way that’s sure to inspire columnists to come.

Adam Trombley Adam, if there was ever a story connected to GVPD, you were the man for the job. Time and time again you were admired for your police reporting. During the past year, you’ve continuously come through for us and produced marvelous stories. You’ve covered breaking news, Zoom harassment and traffic incidents during your tenure at the Lanthorn. Any newsroom would be lucky to have you.

Katherine Vasile Katherine, for the past three years, you were known for how creative you were as a student photographer. You found ways to turn a basic photo shoot into amazing pictures. Your effort was always cherished as you consistently put your best work on the table. As you move on from the Lanthorn, we wish you the best. Your talent and contribution to the Lanthorn make us confident you will continue to do amazing work in the future.

APRIL 26, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

A14 | GRADUATION

Valerie ValerieAllison Allison

Valerie Allison

Congratulations Valerie, Congratulations Valerie, Very proud ofValerie, you and happy Very proud of you and happy Congratulations of of your accomplishments. your Very proud ofaccomplishments. you and happy you will continue to to of Glad your accomplishments. Glad you will continue Glad you will continue toYou follow your dreams. will follow your dreams. You will follow dreams.caregiver. You will bebe a your wonderful a wonderful caregiver. beLove, a Love, wonderful caregiver. mom and dad mom and dad Love, mom and dad

Sabrina Adragna SabrinaAdragna Adragna Sabrina AllessaCalamita Calamita Allessa Allessa Calamita

Congratulations, I am so proud of you! The

Congratulations, I am so so proud of of you! The Congratulations, I am proud you! The world is yours to conquer and never give up on world is yours to to conquer and never give upup on world yours conquer never give yourisdreams. I love you to and the moon and back!on your dreams. I love you to to thethe moon and back! your dreams. I Mom love you moon and back! Love Always, Love Always, Mom Love Always, Mom May you find success and happiness in your May you find success and happiness in in your continued journey through life ! Love you like May you find success and happiness your no other !journey continued journey through lifelife ! Love you like continued through ! Love you like Dad nono other ! ! other

Dad Dad

You it Sabrina! Follow You it Sabrina! Follow You diddid itdid Sabrina! Follow your dreams honey, Pharmacy your dreams honey, Pharmacy your dreams honey, Pharmacy School is next and God has ahashas School is is next and God a a School next and God path andand plan for your bright path plan for your bright path and plan for your bright future! future! future! Our love Mom & Dad, sisters Our love Mom && Dad, sisters Our love Mom Dad, sisters XO X OX O

Cassandra Campbell Cassandra CassandraCampbell Campbell

From a determined young girl starting to completing From agymnastics determined young girl From a determined young girl your Nursing Degree in 4 years, starting gymnastics to to completing starting gymnastics completing during COVID, we salute you your Nursing Degree in in 4 years, your Nursing Degree 4 years, Cassie! Change the world!

during COVID, wewe salute you during COVID, salute you Cassie! Change thethe world! Cassie! Change world!

Love, Mom, Dad, Jake, Katelynn

Love, Mom, Dad, Jake, Katelynn Love, Mom, Dad, Jake, Katelynn

APRIL 26, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

A15 | GRADUATION

Samantha Cannon

Macayla Carrns

Hannah Grace Clark

Jillian Cunningham

Congratulations, Samantha! We are very proud of all your accomplishments and know you have worked very hard to get to where you are today. We love you, Mom & Jordan

Nothing can dim the light that shines from within.” -Maya Angelou Congratulations Hannah! We can’t wait to see where your light shines forward. Love, Mom, Dad and Duncan

Morgan Cymbalski Dear Morgan -

Your mom and I are so proud of you. You have an amazing future and journey that has only just begun. Love Mom and Dad

Here you stand, taking the next step, with all of the gifts God gave you, and the wisdom and knowledge you have garnered. We are so proud! Your Family

Congratulations Jill! We are so incredibly proud of you and all your hard work. You are going to make the best nurse ever! Love Mom, Dad, and Liv

Bailey Damico

Congratulations Bailey!! Look how far you have come! We couldn’t be prouder!! All your hard work has paid off! We now have a MSW in the house!! We love you! Love, Mom,Dad, Anthony, Kai, Tom, Henley, and Rocky

APRIL 26, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

A16 | GRADUDUATION

Kayla Daniels

Congratulations, Special K. We are so proud of you. Keep believing in yourself and following your dreams. Love, Mom, Dad & Josh

Conor Faught

So brilliant. So caring. So Kind. Always a shining light so bright. Step, by step, you’ve brought yourself to this day. Your steadfast dedication a sight to behold. Soon, you’ll be sharing your gifts with others. A leader. A friend. A TEACHER! Words cannot express our excitement and pride. You can do anything! With limitless love, Mama, Daddy, Delaney

Christopher Dilley

To a wonderful young man, who loves to thrive and overcomes any obstacle that life throws his way. He gives hope to a lot of people in this world and is an example of the change we need in this world. Congratulations!

Andrew Frampus

Andy, from your first day of school to your last, we couldn’t be more proud of you! Big hug, little kiss, big kiss, Your Loving Family

Jorge M. Vázquez Faya

Dear Son, we saw you grow up and saw various stages over the course of your life. God has a perfect plan

for you.We are proud of all the things that you have accomplished. You will start a new stage in your life where you will find obstacles, but never give up, and use that strength within you to overcome them. Cling to your dreams as you did when you were still inside me fighting for your life. We are proud of you. We love you Dad, Mom and Adrián

APRIL 26, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

Emma Foy

We are so very proud of all you have accomplished and the woman that you have become. You have

A17 | GRADUATION

Carina Franchi

Congratulations Carina! We are so proud of you and all

worked so hard and come so far...ever closer to

of your accomplishments. Your

your dreams. We wish you the best of luck in Grad

hard work and dedication paid

School. We have no doubt that you will achieve

off. You were born to shine,

everything you have ever hoped for! We love you...

sister.

now and forever... Mom & Chris

Katharine Mary Gardella

Supriya Gupta

Our dear Supriya, you did it & today we are proud of you and wishing you a very bright future and best of luck for the next step. May this beautiful day be filled with a little bit of Indian Luck, brighten by a song in your heart and warmed with satisfactory smiles of your parents and brothers.

Congratulations Katie! We are proud of your accomplishments. As a writing major, with a Laker degree, you can now pursue your dreams. Love, Mom, Dad, and Bobby

Isabella Harris

A woman now stands where a little girl did. This new Chapter begins keep proving you can achieve the unachievable. Proudest moment is calling you Daughter. Love DAD & MOM

APRIL 26, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

A18 | GRADUATION

Brendan Kahl

Congratulations B! We are so proud of you. You are an amazing young man and have a very bright future ahead of you. Good Luck! We love you! Dad&Mom

Cierra Levering

This determined child has far exceeded any expectation put in front of her! So proud of your determination to get what you want!Love you so much! Mom, Stove, Brittany

Isabella Mahmoud

Isabella Mahmoud, We are so incredibly proud of you and all you have accomplished; we cannot wait to see what is next! With love, Dad, Mom, Fran, Sofia, Leia, and everyone else

Katrina Kore

Katrina Heather Helena Kore You have worked hard, and excelled Your future is bright, Your foundation is strong Open doors to places yet unknown Your love and life shine everywhere you go

Samantha Marie Lyman Congratulations Samantha!

You went from your first day of preschool to college graduation in the blink of an eye. So proud and excited for you. Love you, Mom and Dad

Nicholas McNamara Congratulations! So proud to watch you graduate. It’s now time to discover all the new path you didn’t know existed. The journey has just begun. Love you! Mom & Dad

APRIL 26, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

A19 | GRADUATION

Shelby Perry

Congratulations Shelby Your Dad and I are so very proud of you and all that you have accomplished! Love you, Dad and Mama

Emily Riley Emily,

We are extremely proud of your many accomplishments and are very excited to see what your future holds! Love, Mom, Dad, David, Mema, Seaboss, Leah, Michael, Jack, Julia, Dan and Sukie

Christopher Robert

Congratulations Chris! Everyone is so proud of you and all of your hard work. You are going to be the best Software Specialist out there! Can’t wait to see what you take on next!

Charles Andrew Schaberg

Congratulations! Heart, smarts, and determination have brought you this far. Your next adventure awaits… Love, Mom, Dad, and Grant

Emma Ryan

Congratulations Emma, on earning your Bachelors of Science!! What a huge accomplishment that you made look easy, even during a pandemic. Beyond proud of you! Love, Mom and Dad.

Kelly Tomaskovic Congratulations on your

well-deserved success. All of your hard work has paid off. Wherever your journey takes you we will always be proud! Love, Mom and Dad

A20 | GRADUATION

Gerardo Vasquez

There are no words that can express how PROUD we are of YOU & all you have accomplished & continue to do! All your hard work, sacrifices, & dedication has gotten you to where you are today! We knew you could & you would! You did it! We have believed in you from day one and have been your biggest supporters & fans! We always will be! Go change the world but don’t let it change you! Emocionado de ver lo que decides hacer la

APRIL 26, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

Erica Renee Wright

Congatulations Erica, We are so proud of you. All of your hard work, passion, and dedication has paid off. You are going to make such a positive impact on many children. We love you!

proxima! Nosotros te amamos siempre!

Rebecca Zelmanski Julia Vasquez

Congratulations!! I am so proud of you Julia! You have worked hard and it’s paying off. Now, it’s time for your next chapter, Graduate school. You got this! Julia, you are going to do amazing things. Keep following your dreams and soar! I love you with all my heart! Love, Mom

We love that you lived your college years to their fullest! We are so proud of you and your accomplishments. Your adventurous spirit will take you places! Love, your family

Caroline Spytman

We are are so proud of you! You persevered through a very challenging program. You always found a way to succeed! You have become a strong independent woman. We love you

A22 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

APRIL 26, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLARTS

GENDER

Through the Eyes of a Woman: Women share their lives through fine arts

BY MARY DUPUIS ARTS@LANTHORN.COM

Half of the population sees life through the eyes of a woman. This does not mean that the lens of the female gaze is lost to men. In fact, everyone is given a way to see the stories and experiences of our sisters, daughters, wives, mothers, aunts, girlfriends and grandmothers through the fine arts and the women that create them. One of the ways women are best able to visually translate their experiences is through artwork. Assistant Curator of the Grand Rapids Art Museum (GRAM), Jennifer Wcisel, said that although women’s artwork has been undervalued in the past, their artistic voice is essential to conveying the female experience for the world. “Every individual brings a unique perspective and voice and way of looking at things,” Wcisel said. “In the past, half of the population was discouraged from expressing themselves through art. We as human culture, collectively, were missing out on half of the experiences of humans across the world.” She said while many well-known female artists have a gift for portraying the experi-

ence of motherhood and the conceiving and bearing of children in their artwork, many others use their artwork to stray away from the female experience they live every day. “Some female artists have no interest in creating ‘female art,’’’ Wcisel said. “Gender doesn’t matter to their expression of their work.” Wcisel said that although women have been underappreciated in the art world in the past, many institutions today are attempting to reconcile this by curating exhibits with equal representation of male and female artists and revamping their collections to make them more diverse. “Ever ywhere, museums and major arts institutions are actively trying to course-correct,” Wcisel said. “I know I have looked at the history of exhibition programs here at GRAM and figured out how many solo exhibitions we have done of women artists, and through this, we’re actively trying to improve those numbers.” Women have also left an incredibly bold mark on the written form of artwork: literature. Corinna McLeod, an English professor at Grand Valley State University, said the very first known author was a woman named Enheduanna — a princess, priestess and poet in

EXPRESSION: Women in all forms of the arts are using it as a means to translate their experiences through their crafts. Art institutions today are looking to highlight that. COURTESY | LOCAL SPINS

Sumeria (circa 2,300 BCE). She said while it is important to learn Enheduanna’s name, it is even more important to recognize that millions of women have come after her and into the world of literature despite cultural barriers. “There have been countless women writers, known and unknown, in the thousands of years since Enheduanna,” McLeod said. “But when we think about the impact women make when it comes to literature, we have to think about literature as it emerges around the world.”

McLeod said in many cultures women were forbidden to practice the art of writing, and in others, women couldn’t get access to any formal education. If women did learn to write, publishing work and becoming “public” was considered shameful or indicative of loose morals or madness — even in the western world. LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE

COLLABORATION

GV Design Thinking classes brews beverage with local roots BY ALLISON RAFFERTY NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

CRAFT: Design Thinking students worked with Founder’s Brewing to market their new Michigan brew. COURTESY | FOUNDER’S BREWING CO.

Thanks to a project started in a Grand Valley State University Design Thinking course, beer aficionados across the state will be able to get their hands on a new beer from Founders Brewing Co. this March. Darien Ripple, an assistant professor in the Integrative, Religious, and Intercultural Studies Department, and students from his Design Thinking class partnered with Founders to create a new beer and accompanying label for the brewery. GVSU students also worked with Founders on its strategic plan to promote local farming and highlight the history of beer in Michigan. The idea for the project came about when Ripple worked alongside Founders’ sustainability coordinator, Liz Wonder, during a previous project. Wonder told Ripple that Founders was doing a new project on beer that was to be born and brewed in Michigan. They were

looking to create a Michigan-based beer that is only sold to Michiganders. She offered to introduce Ripple to some of her team members to see if they’d be interested in working with Ripple and his class, and the rest is history. Ripple explained that the project was originally only supposed to be two semesters long, but the unpredictability of the pandemic required an additional third semester. “Originally, I had four teams of five working on this, and they were researching their own idea,” Ripple said. “They all pitched their ideas to Founders and they were so impressed by the work that the students were doing that they couldn’t choose one beer. So, they decided to look at two.” Eventually, Founders chose the “Old Fashioned,” a beer that is modeled after the classic drink of the same name. Integrative studies major and former Design Thinking student, Christiana Stankewitz, said that to create this beer, her team

zeroed in on familiarity while creating something new. “Our team focused on the feeling of nostalgia and connecting people to Michigan roots,” Stankewitz said. “That aided in making the beer by focusing on familiar flavors such as oranges and cherries.” Joycelle Shoemaker, studio art major and former Design Thinking student, helped with the aspect of label design for the project. The final design she came up with was of a group of friends sitting around a campfire near a lake. “I am most looking forward to being able to drink something that I worked on — how many people can do that?” Shoemaker said. “I think that’s pretty rewarding.” Not only was this a unique life experience for the students, but also a valuable one when it comes to starting their future careers. LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE

APRIL 26, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLARTS

A23 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

MUSIC

Vinyl records find homes with West Michigan bands, music fans alike

BY PARKER LEARMAN-BLAAUW ARTS@LANTHORN.COM

The phonographic record, or what would later become known as the vinyl record, or simply a vinyl, has been a staple of the audio industry since it was first introduced to the world by Thomas Edison in 1877. Most commonly molded using polyvinyl chloride — hence the name — records were used to store albums, EP’s, and singles. There’s no doubting vinyl’s domination of the music market throughout the entirety of the 20th century. The advent of more efficient methods of data storage and playback near the millennium seemed to spell certain death for the classic record format, however. Cassette tapes rose and fell, CDs seemed to usher in a new industry standard, and eventually, MP3 files themselves became popular due to smaller, more data-efficient players. Currently, streaming commands the consumer music world, eliminating tangibility altogether. Yet, somehow, vinyl persists. Despite the deck stacked against them, records have seen a resurgence of interest starting in the early 2010s. Sales of records nearly tripled from 2009 to 2014 alone.

According to New Musical Express (NME), in 2020, the record for most vinyls sold in a single week was broken, and then broken again the very next week, with a staggering 1.98 million records sold. It was also the first year vinyl outsold all other physical formats since the 1980s. Ryne Clarke, a Lowell, Michigan native and 22-year-old frontman for The Ryne Experience, is both an avid vinyl collector and an artist familiar with the process. “I started collecting records when I was about 12,” Clarke said. “I have a personal vinyl collection of over 1,100 records.” When Clarke first began collecting, he said he was mostly interested in the cover art that adorned the record sleeve. His true love, sitting down and just listening to an LP, didn’t arise until Clarke’s grandfather had him transfer his collection of hundreds of albums onto CDs using a special record player. “I had to sit down in real-time and space out each of the songs, and that’s what got me hooked,” said Clarke. The medium of the vinyl itself is what carries the charm, which is why the format is still so popular amidst the streaming boom of the internet age. However, it also means a certain amount of care must go into

SOUNDS: Vinyl records have dominated the music industry throughout the 20th century with more efficient methods of data storage and playback for listeners and users. GVL | MEGHAN LANDGREN

their manufacturing. “If there’s anything that irks me… it’s when artists don’t do justice to the medium,” said Clarke. “Funky Town,” the third album from The Ryne Experience, had its own vinyl pressing run, which Clarke said sold out. The process offered the band a unique opportunity to experiment with the medium, something Clarke said he hopes to do again.

“I’m glad there’s a following for it,” said Clarke. Erin Lenau, singer and songwriter for Hollywood Makeout, another west Michigan band dipping its toes into vinyl releases, said the physicality of the vinyl feels very special for them. LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE

INITIATIVE

The Student Reading Series provides a safe place for creativity BY ALLISON RAFFERTY ARTS@LANTHORN.COM

READ: The Student Reading series has a range of literary genres. GVL | JONATHAN LANTIEGNE

The Student Reading Series is a series of events in which students have the opportunity to read some of their writing pieces in a safe and open environment. The event series is entirely organized, planned and publicized by Grand Valley State University students. The group hosts monthly events where students can choose to read their work aloud free of judgment or simply listen to the work of their peers. The Student Reading Series hosted their most recent event on Thursday, Nov. 12. Due to COVID-19, the event was held via Zoom and lasted from 7-8 p.m. From poetry to short stories to non-fiction, students in attendance get to hear the best work from their peers so long as the piece falls under the broad literary genre. The series is sponsored by the Writing Department to give writing majors and other creative writing students a chance to share their work and practice public reading.

Student co-creator Hannah Kelly said that The Student Reading Series is “a great environment to try out new pieces and network with other student writers as it is a casual, supportive space.” During these events, students are encouraged, but not obliged to read some of their work. Student co-creator Amanda Pszczolkowski said that even though it is a professional reading, “we try to create an environment that’s super open and inviting. You can come planning not to read and choose to do so after you hear your peers share their work. We don’t expect anyone to be a professional at reading either, since this is some people’s first opportunity to read in front of others.” The Student Reading Series events typically have about 10 attendees each time, with the exact number fluctuating from month to month. The casual environment allows those in attendance to take their time to decide whether or not they would like to share their work with the group. Student

co-creators have the opportunity to share their work as well. “A lot of times, people who came with no intention of reading feel inspired after listening to their peers, and sometimes those who plan to read decide they aren’t comfortable with sharing anymore, and both are completely okay,” said Pszczolkowski. Pszczolkowski said that since most writers only have the opportunity to share their work in their classes, The Student Reading Series gives students a chance to share their work without feeling the pressure of knowing their work will be critiqued. “Workshop classes provide a chance for students to share their work but it’s always with the intention of critiquing the work,” Pszczolkowski said. “A reading like The Student Reading Series is an opportunity to share work as-is without people trying to scrutinize it in any way.” LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE

APRIL 26, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLARTS

A23 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

MUSIC

Vinyl records find homes with West Michigan bands, music

BY PARKER LEARMAN-BLAAUW ARTS@LANTHORN.COM

SOUNDS: Vinyl records have dominated the music industry throughout the 20th century with more efficient methods of data storage and playback for listeners and users. GVL | MEGHAN LANDGREN

INITIATIVE

The Student Reading Series provides a safe place for creativity BY ALLISON RAFFERTY ARTS@LANTHORN.COM

READ: The Student Reading series has a range of literary genres. GVL | JONATHAN LANTIEGNE

APRIL 26, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLLAKERLIFE

A25 | LAKER LIFE

WEED

Safe, smart, and responsible: GVSU on using marijuana

BY KATHERINE ARNOLD LAKERLIFE@LANTHORN.COM

On Tuesday December 1st, the Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) team at GVSU will be hosting a virtual event themed around marijuana and how to safely use it. “The 3 B’s of Marijuana” will be a 50-minute presentation with a conversational tone and setting, with time for questions and discussion throughout. “AOD, formerly known as ACES, has historically provided presentations specifically pertaining to alcohol and marijuana as those are two of the most prevalent substance students use,” said Kaylin Zocharski, the graduate assistant for AOD. In 2018, Michigan became the 10th state in the country to legalize marijuana. The proposal won 55.9% of the statewide vote, making it the first such legislation to succeed in ending marijuana prohibition in the Midwest. “With marijuana’s recent legalization in Michigan and students learning to navigate these decisions independently in college, students being more informed and debunking misinformation can help them make the

choices that are right for their well-being and health,” said Zocharski. The “3 B’s of Marijuana” is designed to be an inclusive and understanding outlet for constructive discussion and was created to address a lack of knowledge within the GVSU community. The 3 B’s event features three different aspects of safe substance use: be safe, be smart, and be responsible. “We will discuss cultural influences on marijuana use, safe use, how to be responsible for others, types of marijuana and consumption methods, and effects of marijuana,” said Zocharski. Importantly, the event exists to educate and inform, rather than to dissuade. “We are in no way trying to tell students they can’t use substances, as adults that is a personal choice,” said Zocharski. “However, we strongly advocate for students to be aware of the proper information before they put any substance into their body.” When a drug has been illegal for as long as marijuana, misinformation tends to follow. Much like America’s favorite psychoactive drug, the ever popular alcohol, there are both benefits and dangers to using marijuana. The important thing is

HIGHER: Michigan became the 10th state to legalize marijuana use in a vote that saw 55.9% of voters supporting the legislation ending marijuana prohibition across the state. GVL | DETROIT FREE PRESS

to be well informed. “This information is not just for students who use marijuana,” said Zocharski. “It is for students who have an interest in substance use studies, may be considering marijuana use, may have someone they know who could use this information, etc. It is truly a program for everyone.”

For students interested in attending, more information and details about the event can be found on GVSU’s Event page. Feel free to follow AOD on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook @gvsuaod to keep up to date on their event schedule and other activities.

FRATERNITY

Sigma Pi “Stuffs the Bus” to feed GV community BY AUTUMN PITCHURE LAKERLIFE@LANTHORN.COM

FUNDS: The Sigma Pi fraternity raised money for charity with food donations for local families in need in the area. GVL | ANNABELLE ROBINSON

In a time of financial hardships, Sigma Pi Fraternity at Grand Valley State University decided to help brighten others’ days through their “Stuff the Bus” charity event. They hope to make a positive change in their community and thought donating food to those struggling would be the perfect opportunity. Stuff the Bus was held Friday, Apr. 2, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Cook Carillon Clock Tower, just outside of the Kirkhof Center on GVSU’s Allendale campus. Altruistic Campus Experience Chair Brenden Cotter, along with co-chair Jack Fowler and Vice President Alex Stulberg came up with this moving idea. When looking to further their impact, they realized there was a need right on their campus. They saw how some students did not know where their next meal was coming from. So they decided to provide as much food during the event as possible to help

these students. “We reached out to both Kirkhof and Replenish to make sure they wanted to work with us and they both agreed,” Cotter said. “From there, we informed other Greek organizations about the event to spread awareness.” Since 2009, GVSU’s food recourse program, Replenish, has helped students struggling financially. Replenish provides multiple food sources and personal care items free of charge to Lakers facing temporary challenges. When they heard about the Stuff the Bus event Sigma Pi was hosting, they knew they had to join in. Sigma Pi fraternity members, the staff at Kirkoff Center and Replenish all chipped in to try and contribute the most they possibly could. “Anyone who wanted to helped out,” Cotter said. “There was also heavy involvement from Greek Life.” The Sigma Pi fraternity looks to promote

scholarship, culture, and chivalry, as well as building character and developing lifelong bonds, goals they seek to accomplish through their collaboration on activities and events. Through their commitment and connections, Sigma Pi Fraternity is able to reach out and impact the lives of others. All the proceeds collected went directly to Replenish in order to make sure their stock was overflowing with a variety of different food items to choose from. Sigma Pi Fraternity asked participants to bring any food item that has a long shelf life and does not need to be refrigerated. “Some examples are canned items such as meats, fish, fruit, and vegetables, pasta, peanut butter, jelly, rice products, pancake mix, soup and cooking oils,” Cotter said. “We also accepted hygiene products such as soap, shampoo, toothbrushes, toothpaste, feminine products and deodorant.” LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE

A24 | LAKER LIFE

APRIL 26, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLLAKERLIFE

EDUCATION

Hauenstein hosts talk from Michigan Neurology leader

BY YSABELA GOLDEN LAKERLIFE@LANTHORN.COM

Every year, Grand Valley State University’s Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies hosts a series of lectures called the Wheelhouse Talks, where community leaders share life lessons from their personal and professional experiences. Though the Wheelhouse Talks have had to go virtual alongside the rest of the Hauenstein’s fall schedule, they’ve still been a success thus far for the Presidential Studies Center’s Peter C. Cook Leadership Academy. “This semester has come with new challenges and obstacles,” said Grace Tummel, Program Manager for the Cook Leadership Academy. “I am proud to say that these hurdles have not stopped the collective learning and relationship building between this year’s Peter C. Cook Academy Cohort. We have proven that even though our programming may look and feel a little bit different, we still have insights to gain, connections to make, and understanding to share.” The Wheelhouse Talk hosted on Friday, Oct. 9 was a discussion led by Dr. Eva Feldman, a faculty member at the University of

Michigan’s Department of Neurology. “One of the first questions we are tasked to answer when applying to the Cook Leadership Academy is what leaders in society inspired us most,” said Erin Reasoner, a fifth year undergraduate student at Grand Valley and second year Fellow candidate at the Leadership Academy. “On my application, I wrote about Dr. Eva Feldman, my first lead investigator. I was continually struck by her level of individual attention and genuine compassion afforded to every member of the team — including her undergraduate interns.” A physician scientist, Feldman currently sits as the director of the University of Michigan’s Pranger ALS Clinic, an ALS Center of Excellence, which strives to maximize quality of life for patients with the condition more commonly known as “Lou Gehrig’s Disease,” after the baseball player who was diagnosed with it in 1939. “A physician scientist is someone who sees patients, which I do all day every Tuesday, and then also runs a laboratory of scientists who are asking translational questions with the goal to develop new therapies for the diseases that I see as a clinician,” said Feldman. Much of the progress Feldman and her

LECTURES: The GVSU Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies hosted their annual Wheelhouse Talks. Dr. Eva Feldman hosted one about studying ALS with stem cells. GVL | YSABELA GOLDEN

team has made in treating the diseases they study has been made through stem cell research, a field that was not available in Michigan when she started her career. “We were one of only three states who could not do this research,” Feldman said. “So with a lot of sweat equity, we developed

a constitutional amendment that was passed by the people of Michigan in 2008, allowing us to create embryonic stem cells.” LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE

CELEBRATION

CAB reflects on first Winterfest BY KATHERINE VASILE & YSABELA GOLDEN LAKERLIFE@LANTHORN.COM

LET IT SNOW: Despite the cold and the COVID-19 pandemic, GVSU’s Activity Board still held the first Winterfest. GVL | KATHERINE VASILE

From Feb. 5 to Valentine’s Day, Grand Valley State University’s Campus Activities Board hosted their first ever Winterfest on the Allendale campus. Inspired by the “Winter Carnival” that Grand Valley last hosted in the 1980’s, the festival was a way for CAB to bring students together on campus despite the lack of the traditional President’s Ball. “Originally I was brought in for the President’s Ball, which normally we would have done on the fifth,” said Sydney Brzezinski, the dance’s Co-Director. “I still wanted to do my job, and we all still wanted to offer students something in these times of cold and COVID, a chance to get out and about on campus.” “At first we really wanted to make the President’s Ball happen, but I was so happy with what we ended up being able to create,” Brzezinski said. “COVID has restricted us, but it’s also given us the flexibility to go beyond the one thing that we were hired to do: we have the freedom to create new events.”

“From the first week, I really enjoyed the ice carvers,” Brzezinski said. “It was something we’ve never had at an event before, which was really cool— and they were a local group from Grand Rapids, the Ice Brigade, which was awesome.” “The huskies were a huge hit the second week,” Brzezinski said. “We had them for Sibs and Kids in 2015, and we were happy to have them back. A lot of our directors saw how successful their outing was at Winterfest, and we are definitely looking at having them return again in the future.” “We’ve done succulents in the past, and they’ve always been a hit,” Brzezinski said. “We had 150 for each day, but we still ended up running out before Sunday that second weekend. We had two and a half different ways you could go about it: you could check in, get yours, and leave, you could come in to say hi, or you could decorate it there. We had Happy Feet playing in the background, thanks to our Director of Cinema Hannah Schafer.” “The food trucks were great, especially the ice cream,” Brzezinski said. “We actually

ran out of ice cream bowls at one point and had to restock, it was so delicious. I loved that he had so many different options. Gluten free, vegan, dairy-free, there was a little bit of something for everybody.” “That goes for the whole event, really,” Brzezinski said. “If you couldn’t be on campus, we had social media events. If you just wanted to drop by, we had stuff to pick up. If you wanted to socialize without going inside, we had the dogs and the ice carvers.” “I think events like this as a whole are really important, because they’re events for students by students,” Brzezinski said. “You get to offer your peers something that you think you would be interested in. It encourages community, whether that’s on campus community like student organizations, or off-campus community, like the Grand Rapids Ice Brigade. In a time that’s been pushing people away from each other, it’s more important to offer that than ever.” LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE

A26 | SPORTS

APRIL 26, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLSPORTS

NFL

RING: Former GVSU tight end Nick Keizer won a Super Bowl Ring with the Kansas City Chief in 2020. Keizer went on to play a more prominent role for the Chiefs in 2021. COURTESY | THE KANSAS CITY STAR

Former Laker makes NFL debut BY ZACK GOODROW SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM

Grand Valley State University is scarcely represented in the National Football League. There are a couple of players — linebacker Matthew Judon with the Baltimore Ravens and cornerback Brandon Carr with the Dallas Cowboys — who played football in college as a Laker. This year, there is a new name in the NFL who used to don the GVSU blue and white. Tight end Nick Keizer made his NFL debut last Thursday, Sept. 10, as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs. It’s a dream for many young men to play in the NFL and Keizer has

now seen his dream come into fruition. Keizer’s debut game was unlike many other NFL players’ introductions into the league, with limited fans in the stadium because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The moment wasn’t lost on Keizer without a big crowd — it was almost perfect for him. Arrowhead Stadium had about 17,000 fans at the game, much like a GVSU contest. “My first game was exciting,” Keizer said. “My whole life I looked forward to and worked hard to play in an NFL game. To get the chance to do that was a dream come true. It was a nice intro into playing at that stage rather than playing in front of 70,000 people in my first game.

With how big that moment is, it felt better doing it in front of less people in the stands. It was almost like a GVSU game.” Keizer played well in his first game. He was excellent in run blocking. He saw the field frequently in two or three tight end set formations. Keizer also had a key block on a touchdown screen play to wide receiver Sammy Watkins. While Keizer was impressive in the inaugural game of the 2020 NFL season, no one expected him to make it this far — not even himself. When Keizer’s career ended at GVSU in 2017, he left the field with 45 catches, 734 yards and 11 touchdowns to his name. Heading into the NFL draft, Keizer be-

ACTIVISM

Professional athletes around the country affect GV athletes BY HOLLY BIHLMAN SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM

Four years after Collin Kaepernick was blacklisted by the world for his stance against racial injustice, the sports world is now surrounded by similar players — but this time,

they’re national heroes. The most recent spiral of abominable crimes involving the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Jacob Blake has reignited the fire that Kaepernick started. The NBA, NFL, MLB, and NHL have all been actively supporting the Black Lives Matter movement since the revamp of their seasons.

BLACK LIVES MATTER: For the past several years, professional athletes with huge social platforms have spread their messages of racial injustices, unity and social change. COURTESY | PBS, REUTERS

Professional athletes across all platforms have found themselves in a new and unusual spotlight. With the whole world celebrating the little victories in this time of quarantine and desperation for entertainment, the sports channels have been hot with attention, but shockingly for different reasons. Some of the first teams to kneel for the anthem, as Kaepernick did during the 2016 season, began with the New Orleans Pelicans and Utah Jazz in the NBA, and the Houston Texans in the NFL. Once these protests started to engulf the media’s focus on sports, sports fans are finding it harder and harder to focus on anything else. Now teams are taking it one step further, sitting in the locker rooms during the National Anthem; the Texans are even playing “Lift Every Voice and Sing” alongside the National Anthem. The shooting of Jacob Blake on Aug. 23 2020, pushed these athletes beyond their capacity to “shut up and dribble,” as Lebron James was in-

lieved some teams were interested in his services. He didn’t expect to get drafted out of a DII school, but there was a possibility of being signed after the draft. That’s exactly what happened when the Baltimore Ravens offered him a chance to compete in their training camp. “My first training camp was filled with a lot of emotions,” Keizer said. “I was excited, but it was highly stressful being a rookie learning an entirely new offense. The last time I had to do that was at GVSU. LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE

structed to do back in 2018. His murder ignited a series of walkouts across several leagues. “Are we not human beings?” said Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics, “Is Jacob Blake not a human being? He deserved to be treated like a human being and did not deserve to be shot.” At this point, no one would put it past James to take to Twitter for an explicit message to President Donald Trump: “WE DEMAND CHANGE. SICK OF IT.” These players are leaders, and now, a younger generation of athletes are using their voices to shape the change they wish to see in America, and it’s working. Talking to NBA players across the league, a sociologist famous for his study in the 1967 Olympics, Harry Edwards said, “You’re not involved in a boycott against basketball. You’re involved in utilizing and leveraging the spotlight, the platform you have to make it crystal clear, not just to make a statement of protest but to send a message demanding change concerning these shootings.” The people are talking more and more about these protests, and with every day it seems like BLM is growing. It isn’t being treated like a trend; people won’t stop talking about it and it won’t stop until real change is implemented. LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE

APRIL 26, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLSPORTS

A28 | SPORTS W. BASKETBALL

After 19 years, GV’s second Plitzuweit will take the court BY HOLLY BIHLMAN SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM

For the 2021-22 women’s basketball season, coach Mike Williams announced seven new recruits, one of which is a familiar face to some long-time Grand Valley State University staff members. Lexi Plitzuweit, a senior at Vermillion High School in South Dakota right now, plans to attend GVSU next year, coming back to some of her first memories in the world of basketball. From 2002-07, Lexi’s mom, better known as coach Dawn Plitzuweit, took the women’s basketball team at GVSU to the NCAA Championships four out of the five years at the school. She led the Lakers to taking home the trophy in the 2005-06 season. While Lexi plans to finish out her high school season in South Dakota, her mom is currently head coach for the Division I South Dakota Coyotes, going on her fifth year there. For Lexi, moving halfway across the country to play college basketball isn’t that big of a leap, especially with all the people her mom has kept in contact with all these years. As the daughter of a coaching mom, Lexi is used to moving around here and there, so she’s excited to be coming back. “I was in the GVSU gym my third day alive, so that’s kind of funny to think about,” Lexi said. “I love the people at GVSU, and that’s why

LEGACY: Lexi Plitzuweit will be coming to GVSU, following in her mothers’ footsteps. Dawn Plitzuweit coached at GVSU 19 years ago and led the Lakers to four titles. COURTESY | ARGUS LEADER

I picked it. I have a lot of people who will look out for me and know what’s best for me.” Having Williams coach her as a long-time family friend certainly makes the Plitzuweit family more comfortable sending Lexi so far from home. When they were touring schools for Lexi, Dawn found that there were more than a few familiar faces around campus at

GVSU. The tight-knit community, especially in the athletic department, is what Lexi and her mom really loved about our school. “Lexi wanted to go to their elite camp, so when we travelled to Michigan, what was neat about that opportunity is that there’s so many people,” Dawn said. “This is how you know GVSU is special. There’s so many people that

are the same position that they were at back in the early 2000’s like coaches, administrators, individuals on campus, the janitorial staff. When it’s a home like that for so many wonderful people, we felt really confident that Lexi was going to have that same experience.” Aside from all the obvious advantages for Lexi to commit to being a Laker, she really wanted to pick a school where she knew she could continue her love for the sport. Having a mom as a college basketball coach was definitely influential on Lexi’s knack for the sport, but coming from an athletic family allows for more opportunities to learn and play all kinds of sports. Lexi played varsity soccer and ran cross country in high school like her older brother, but both of them decided to take the basketball route. “I think my love for basketball really did come from being around it all the time with my mom and going to her practices when I was little,” Lexi said. “I used to always grab a ball at Northern Kentucky and Michigan, and I would do ball handling on the letters of the baseline and I thought it was so cool. I also think the love of basketball I have is my own. It’s not forced by my parents, which is awesome because it’s good to have a connection with them through something that we both love.” From Lexi’s memory, she knows that basketball has always been something her family has bonded over, whether it’s watching it on TV or playing two-on-two. In her mom’s memory, it’s something Lexi grew up with because they didn’t have anyone to babysit for them when they moved to Michigan. LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE

WRESTLING

After fighting in the octagon, former wrestling coach reflects on training two UFC athletes BY JOSH ROCHETTE SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM

Rick Bolhuis said he was always a West Michigan kid. Coming to Grand Valley State University in the fall of 2000, half of the buildings on campus didn’t exist. There were under 12,000 students on campus. What brought Bolhuis to GVSU was wresting, where he served as a coach. He coached the team for 13 seasons and trained perhaps the highest-caliber athletes that GVSU has given the fighting world. Bolhuis trained former UFC Lightweight Interim Champion Tony Ferguson and UFC Lightweight Contender Kevin Lee. They both wrestled at GVSU during Bolhuis’ tenure, and despite them being with the team years apart, they both followed their dream into the world of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). That alone is an impressive feat for both the athletes and the coaching staff, but none of them could have guessed the two would headline UFC 216,

10 years after Ferguson’s departure. For Bolhuis, it had been the culmination of a long and fruitful career to see the two square off in the octagon, and for the fighters it seemed that destiny had brought the two together again for one last fight. “Tony was already on the team for a year when I started coaching, and he was a national champion in ‘06,” Bolhuis said. When Bolhuis coached him, Ferguson was the kind of guy who would show his tenacity and competitiveness with every trip to the mat. He wasn’t surprised when Ferguson sat him down to discuss his move to MMA and knew that he had the potential to follow through on his goal of becoming champ someday. “Back then, I was still relatively young and about his size, so I worked out with him quite a bit,” Bolhuis said. “We had a few other guys that could perform at his level, but it was crazy to watch the pace they worked at. Iron sharpens iron, and it

was fun to be a part of that.” Moving forward a few years to 2010, a young kid from Southfield by the name of Kevin Lee asked to join Bolhuis and the wrestling club. During this time, Ferguson started his UFC career with his time on the reality show, “The Ultimate Fighter.” Ferguson went on to win that season, earning his first UFC contract while Lee fought up the ranks as an ambitious fighter with a chip on his shoulder. Lee grew up in the Southfield, Michigan and attended Southfield High School before moving across the state to Allendale. Southfield High’s wrestling program was new to the school when Lee attended, wrestling in a classroom for much of that time due to the school’s lack of gym space. He came to GVSU looking for a degree, but left with much more. LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE

RIVALS: Former GV wrestlers fought in the MMA championship. COURTESY | GVSU CLUB SPORTS

APRIL 26, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLSPORTS

A27 | SPORTS

M. BASKETBALL

GV Basketball’s Christian Negron on Inauguration Day, social movements and athletic vaccinations BY ZACK GOODROW SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM

On Jan. 20, 2021, the United States swore in its newest President. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris bring in a new administration to the White House after four years of division, deception and partisanship. While a new man and woman leading this country may bring people hope, there are still several issues that dominate this country and its citizens. COVID-19, unemployment, climate change and systemic racism are just a few of the issues the new administration is forced to handle. Christian Negron, a senior basketball player at Grand Valley State University, is just one of these people who has optimism that the country may begin to finally change. “It was a good feeling on Inauguration Day,” Negron said. “It was definitely time for change. I think a lot of people just didn’t feel protected under Trump during his presidency. A lot of people I’m close with, and obviously a lot of people around the country, are very happy that he’s finally out of office.” While Negron isn’t necessarily dialed in on every political debate and Senate hearing, he is an activist for social justice. He’s participated in numerous protests in his home state of Illinois and even here at GVSU. He

has led conversations with teammates about the deaths of innocent black men and women over the summer. Under Trump’s presidency, these social issues were politicized and weren’t seen as an injustice to some. Instead, these integral issues in the country were divided between race and party. That’s what troubles Negron the most. “I’m not the most political person, but when it comes to social justice, human rights and civil rights, I tend to get involved,” Negron said. “The crazy thing is that I don’t think that these things should be politicized. However, they have been for the past four years. A lot of us Black people feel like these things didn’t matter to (former) President Trump.” While capitol rioter Jake Angeli is given organic food in jail after making a case that as a shaman, he has strict dietary restrictions, innocent Black men and women around the country are murdered by police in the streets and even in their homes. Negron wants to see legislation put into action to change this white privilege around the country and to protect the lives of black people. He and the rest of his teammates knew that one way to see this legislation happen as citizens was to vote. “In November and the weeks leading up to the election, Coach Wesley was very

VOICE: Christian Negron, a star basketball player at GVSU, uses his voice on social media and in protest to promote social activism. Negron encourages people to speak up. GVL | MEGHAN LANDGREN

adamant about us players being registered and having a plan to go out and vote,” Negron said. “I sent in my absentee ballot and checked online to make sure that my vote counted. Wesley really wanted to make sure that we all went out to vote.” Voting isn’t the only means to seeing change in the country. An individual

can use their voice on social media, with friends and family, and in rallies and protests marches. Negron encourages anyone who cares deeply about the BLM movement to continue to speak up. LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE

ATHLETES

GV athletes adjust to back-to-back weekend games BY JOSH CARLSON SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM

The Grand Valley State University basketball teams have had quite a year trying to just play basketball. From the cancellation of the NCAA Tournament last year to not knowing if they were going to have a season at all this year, it hasn’t been easy for

GAMES: Athletes have had to adjust with new GLIAC schedule this year. GVL | SHEILIA BABBITT

the Lakers to play some ball. While they do have a season this year, the caveat that gives coaches and players an entirely new challenge is playing double-headers. Currently, the Lakers are playing weekends against conference-only opponents back-to-back. The athletes are practicing Monday through Friday and playing two full-speed games at the collegiate level all in one week. At the same time, the student athletes have to worry about their studies and classes. Coaches also have to make sure their athletes aren’t riddled with injuries. Junior Emily Spitzley is coming off an injury herself from last year and has started every game this year for the Lakers. She is averaging 30 minutes in those contests this season. “It’s been really different playing back-toback days,” Spitzley said. “I think physically we kind of knew what to expect. You’re not getting a break after your game and you’re going to have to play 30 plus minutes one day and follow it up with another 30 the next. It takes a toll a little bit and obviously coming off an injury, I worried about if my knee was going to be okay. So far though, it’s been great.”

While athletes can run and train their bodies to handle the storm of a season, there’s something about playing the same team twice in one weekend that is more difficult than how much training they’re doing. “I think the hardest thing about playing back-to-back is playing the same team,” Spitzley said. “If it were different teams, it would be different, but it’s a challenge to play the same players. They know you as a player now and they’re going to guard you differently and make adjustments.” Men’s basketball coach Ric Wesley knows how difficult it can be to have such little time to prepare for game two. It forces coaches and their teams to adjust on the fly and maintain a strong mental. “It’s a quick turnaround, and obviously you don’t have a brand new scouting report,” Wesley said. “You try to do some of the same things from the first game that went well and try to anticipate maybe some of the changes that the other team is going to make, but it’s tough.” Playing these doubleheaders is new to everyone, but juniors like Spitzley have the advantage of knowing what being an athlete in

college is like. She’s been balancing school and athletics going on three years now. Ellie Droste, a freshman guard for the women’s team, is one of the many new faces to her team and has been thrown into the fire with what it’s like to be a student-athlete during this “COVID season.” “Coming in as a freshman, it’s an awesome experience,” Droste said. “It is kind of tricky with COVID regulations with the masks, social distancing, and now there are no fans, along with the back-to-back games. The first games we played against Saginaw it was weird at first. The second day I was like, ‘Oh, I am a little bit tired,’ it’s not something I’ve ever done before. The only thing I could compare it to would be when I played Amateur Athletic Union (AAU). “ Although this is a unique way to play out a season, Droste is already getting into a routine. She enjoys being able to play the same team twice and the advantages that come with it. LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE

APRIL 26, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

A21 | PHOTO GALLERY