A2 | NEWS
DECEMBER 7, 2017 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS
INCLUSION
Student senate votes in favor of Indigenous Peoples Day BY JOSHUA VISSERS NEWS@LANTHORN.COM
SEPT. 24 The resolution to recognize Indigenous Peoples Day was passed at the Thursday, Sept. 21, general assembly of the Grand Valley State University student senate. The vote took place after several community members stood to speak during the public comment period, as well as several minutes of statements of support from senate members. “As a white woman, I’ve had the privilege of thinking of Columbus stumbling on this land as a discovery,” said Kristen Green during public comment. Green attends a local Native American regalia class, and her two daughters are Native American. Her 10-yearold, Jade Green, also stood at the podium and spoke in favor of the resolution. “As I see it, this issue is elementary,” she said. Megan Chivis, a member of the Nottawaseppi Huron Band
of the Potawatomi, also voiced her criticism of Columbus Day. “If there was an ISIS Day, would you be okay with it? Would you be okay with a Bin Laden Day?” Chivis asked the assembly, after describing acts committed by Christopher Columbus. Several more community members also voiced their support, including concerned students and also William Cadreau, the father of student senator Joe Cadreau, the senator who proposed the resolution. The elder Cadreau recounted oppression he had experienced in boarding schools growing up and hardships on the reservation. “I appreciate the time here today. It’s all in your hands. It’s time to rename it,” he concluded. The vote was called out by voice with one abstention and at least one opposed, but the large majority was in favor of the resolution. LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE
CELEBRATION: Indigenous Peoples Day at Grand Valley State University on Monday, Oct. 9. On Thursday, Sept. 21, GVSU student senate voted in favor of recognizing Indigenous Peoples Day as opposed to recognizing Christopher Columbus Day at GVSU. GVL | HANNAH ZAJAC
GOVERNANCE
GV students, administration respond to Trump’s DACA announcement BY JENNA FRACASSI AND THERESA MUELLER ASSOCIATE@LANTHORN.COM
SEPT. 11 On Tuesday, Sept. 5, the Trump administration announced its plan to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) pro-
gram in six months. In light of this announcement, members of the Grand Valley State University and Grand Rapids communities expressed their support for DACA and DACA students with meetings, statements and demonstrations. Roughly 300 people gathered together in Grand Rapids
that Tuesday and paraded the streets in support of DACA. According to MLive.com, protestors walked across the Blue Bridge and along Pearl Street and ended with a candlelight ceremony at Calder Plaza. During the ceremony, many DACA recipients expressed their concerns and described how they
benefitted from the program. That evening, GVSU President Thomas Haas sent out a mass email to the entire GVSU campus community. In his email, he addressed the concern caused by the declared six-month remainder of the DACA program. His email in part read,
ACTION: GVSU President Thomas Haas speaks to student senate during their first session Thursday, Aug. 31. In September, GVSU released a statement in response to the Trump administration’s announcement to end the DACA program in March 2018. GVL | SPENCER SCARBER
“It is worth reinforcing that Grand Valley State University has a history of providing a quality education with inclusion as a steady value. This is unchanged.” On Wednesday, Sept. 6, GVSU’s Latino Student Union (LSU) held an emergency meeting to discuss the confusion and upset surrounding the previous day’s announcement. LSU members explained that the change in the DACA policy does not only affect DACA and undocumented students, but it affects all students at GVSU. The DACA program was established by the Obama administration in 2012 to give children of undocumented immigrants the opportunity to receive schooling, a work permit and a driver’s license. It is not, however, a means to citizenship. LSU opened its emergency meeting to all GVSU faculty, staff and students. Members of LSU offered information on what DACA is, who it affects, and how and why students at GVSU should care. Noemi Jimenez, LSU member and president of Laker Familia, shared a personal story of her family member who is DACA recipient, explaining how the Trump administration’s actions affect both her
family member and herself. Jimenez stressed the importance of sharing personal stories, as they humanize the issue. To show support, multiple members of GVSU’s administration attended the meeting, including Jess Bernal, vice president for the Division of Inclusion and Equity, who took a moment to personally respond to the issue. Bernal assured students of the continuous campus support and protection of all students at GVSU, regardless of status. Additionally, he explained, GVSU administration is undertaking many actions behind the scenes. But, for the sake of students’ privacy, they are hesitant to relay specifically what these actions are. Bernal reminded students that the Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA) is open to not only undocumented or DACA students who may need assistance with resources, but to any student who may want to discuss details of the recent changes in the DACA policy. “We are here to answer questions,” Bernal said. “We want to take the lead from those impacted.” LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE
PERFORMANCE
GV releases 11th annual Accountability Report Numbers show high enrollment, retention rates
BY KARINA LLOYD NEWS@LANTHORN.COM
NOV. 9 The 11th annual Grand Valley State University Accountability Report, released Friday, Nov. 3, at the GVSU Board of Trustees meeting in the Kirkhof Center, revealed a steady rate of strong performance. The purpose of this report is to assess what students are getting out of their education and how successful the university is at delivering its promise of a quality education at GVSU. The results of this report were measured based on the seven core values of GVSU’s 2016-21 strategic plan: excellence, integrity, inquiry, inclusiveness, community, sustainability and innovation. According to the report, GVSU continues to rank ex-
ceptionally well in the areas of retention rate, graduation rate, degrees awarded in critical skills, Pell-eligible students and accessibility by qualified students. For the fourth year in a row, GVSU has enrolled more than 25,000 students, and for the sixth consecutive year, GVSU has seen more than 4,000 freshmen alone join the GVSU community. This year’s enrollment number is 25,049, in comparison to Michigan State University’s 49,042, University of Michigan’s 45,846 and Wayne State University’s 27,089. Even more significant, the freshman-tosophomore retention rate holds steady at 84 percent, ensuring the likelihood that GVSU’s incoming classes will be Lakers for a lifetime. “What we’ve been able to do over the years is create a
place where students want to be, (where) they want to come ... to get their degree and experience a program that’s going to be helpful to them in their future,” said GVSU President Thomas Haas. “And I think we’ve been able to ... create a university students want to be a part of because we’re focusing in on their success.” The university has seen a slight increase in the diversity on campus as a record number of students of color (4,344) joined GVSU’s campus in 2017. “Diversity is an intellectual asset for a university, and when we have individuals that have their own backgrounds and values, we create a much more robust and vibrant learning community,” Haas said. “When we create that type of university, people want to join us (and) students want (to) experience
DOING WELL: GVSU graduating student Lyndsie Hosang pictured during commencement on Saturday, April 29. GVSU’s 11th annual Accountability Report was released Friday, Nov. 3. GVL | EMILY FRYE
what we have here because we’re providing great value. “I am very, very pleased that we are attracting people
from different parts of the state, different parts of the nation and the world, and with those different backgrounds they bring, we (be-
come) a better university.” LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE