Issue 32, January 8th 2018 - Grand Valley Lanthorn

GRAND VALLEY

A L L E N D A L E & G R A N D R A P I DS , M I C H I G A N ST U D E N T- R U N P U B L I C A T I O N S // P R I N T · O N L I N E · M O B I L E // L A N T H O R N . C O M

M O N D A Y, J A N U A RY 8 , 2 0 1 8 // VO L . 52 N O. 3 2

GV receives $1M grant for STEM initiative New RISE program targets low-income, freshman students

NEW SPARK: Contracted welder Jake Dykstra performs the finishing touches on all of the vehicle’s A-arms on Feb. 27, 2016, inside the vehicle bay at GVSU’s John C. Kennedy Hall of Engineering. In November 2017, GVSU received a $1 million grant to support STEM-related programs and students. GVL | KEVIN SIELAFF

BY DEVIN DELY NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

F

or many incoming freshmen, the shock of a college workload can add stress and strain to their lives. This can be especially true for those pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

Often perceived as some of the most difficult college disciplines, Grand Valley State University’s STEM programs have a freshman dropout rate of nearly 60 percent within students’ first two years at school. Last year, department officials decided it was time to take action in a new way.

On Nov. 21, 2017, the National Science Foundation’s Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics program awarded GVSU a $1 million grant for a new support program for STEM students.

The money will be used for scholarships and program costs over the

next five years to improve the lives of students who would otherwise be forced to spend a great deal of time working to support their education.

The new program, Retaining and Inspiring students in Science and Engineering (RISE), will provide assistance and guidance to students pursuing degrees in STEM. The project will begin in the fall 2018 semester and will focus on helping academically gifted students from low-income families. Leading the effort as principle investigator, alongside several co-investigators from multiple departments at GVSU, is professor Deborah Herrington of the chemistry department.

“The program is designed to help connect students with the many resources that GVSU offers but that many students are not aware of or do not make effective use of,” Herrington said. “It’s also going to connect students with

other opportunities, provide guidance and provide opportunities to receive scholarships to reduce the need for students to work.”

The project’s focus on low-income students, as well as its focus on incoming freshmen, is an important difference between the RISE program and GVSU’s previous efforts targeting problems in STEM. “In the past, we had identified a significant trend among STEM students to drop out during the last two years of study,” said Paul Plotkowski, dean of GVSU’s Seymour and Esther Padnos College of Engineering and Computing and one of the co-investigators involved in the new program, via email. “This is largely due to financial challenges. Our last effort, MAS4, was aimed at supporting upper-class students, and this was effective with nearly a 100 percent graduation rate among those students.”

Plotkowski explained that RISE’s focus on low-income students will lead to a higher retention rate within the STEM programs at GVSU. “When students have to work too much and are not well advised, they either leave school or switch to non-STEM majors,” he said. “It is recognized that students who are low-income and frequently the first generation to go to college do not persist at universities at the same rate as more affluent students; this is a particular problem for students in the STEM fields that have a heavy time commitment for class, labs and other things.”

Jerry Johnson, associate professor of social work at GVSU and another one of the co-investigators involved in RISE, has taken on the role of gauging the success of the program over time.

SEE STEM | A2

OUTREACH

Veterans Upward Bound names director, goals for students

BY SARAH HOLLIS NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

The new year brings new programs and leadership to Grand Valley State University. This past year, GVSU received a federal grant worth $1.3 million to establish new veteran education programming, resulting in the creation of the TRIO Veterans Upward Bound (VUB) office, and now a director has been appointed to lead the VUB. “The Veterans Upward Bound is a pre-college program funded by the Department of Education,” said Tim Marroquin, director of the VUB office at GVSU. “It’s a grant that seeks to serve veterans who are seeking to go to college or are returning to college. The focus was on the veterans who have served, but also that may be first-generation or low-income status or families.”

Marroquin was named director of the VUB office this past semester. The new VUB staff has already begun working to develop plans for veteran education at GVSU, though that isn’t the entire focus of the VUB. “VUB is focused broadly on supporting veterans in their pursuit of higher education, no matter where they decide to go,” said Jesse Bernal, vice president for inclusion and equity at GVSU, via email. “While we hope participants will consider GVSU, which has a dedicated record of support for student veterans, our goal is ensure participants are supported and prepared to pursue any postsecondary opportunities.

Of course, at GVSU we are continually striving to create an environment where all students can be successful.

This includes our student veterans.”

Marroquin said the VUB also strives to collaborate with various student-veteran associations on campus as well.

“Without a doubt we are going to work collaboratively with the student organizations on campus, such as the veterans support network, and then connecting our students with current Grand Valley students who are veterans to help mentor or start collaborative projects,” he said.

Marroquin believes that getting involved with the VUB can be a valuable experience for current student veterans at GVSU to serve as allies to the veterans in the VUB program. According to him, veterans participating in the VUB program may have questions for current student veterans at GVSU regarding higher education, or they might wish to know how current student veterans have navigated coming to GVSU. SEE VETS | A2

CRIME

Laker Store, Campus Dining see theft during fall semester

BY ARPAN LOBO NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

As Grand Valley State University concluded another semester, more crime statistics have been released by the GVSU Police Department.

The Laker Store has seen 21 cases of retail fraud, more commonly known as shoplifting, spanning from August to the end of December 2017. According to GVPD Acting Director Brandon DeHaan, 16 of the suspected individuals have been identified, with appropriate punitive action taken depending on the degree of shoplifting. The 21 cases signify an increase from the 10 cases that were reported by the Grand Valley Lanthorn in November of 2016.

The Laker Store does have a set of security cameras used to deter individuals from stealing. Laker Store employees are told to keep an eye out for any potential theft, and one worker noted that employees are told to keep an eye on individuals with backpacks. It is worth noting, however, that during the academic semester most students bring their backpacks with them wherever they go,

meaning that the use of security cameras is more effective at identifying responsible individuals.

GVPD uses the footage from the security feeds to identify individuals responsible for retail fraud. According to DeHaan, social media has been a useful tool in identifying potential suspects.

“What we’ve been doing is placing images of individuals that we identify as a person of interest surrounding these retail frauds on social media,” DeHaan said. “Once that information goes on social media, our community has responded. They will contact police if they have knowledge of who those individuals are.”

The majority of retail fraud that occurs at the Laker Store pertains to merchandise, such as clothing and other apparel. DeHaan added that smaller memorabilia are being stolen as well.

While the Laker Store sees the highest number of reported cases of retail fraud, other GVSU establishments, such as the Lobby Shop in the Kirkhof Center and the C-Store located in the Kleiner Commons, also see SEE THEFT | A2

HARD AT WORK: Christopher Stark works at the Laker Store on April 15, 2015. During the fall 2017 semester, 21 cases of retail fraud at the Laker Store were reported to the GVSU Police Department. Campus Dining has also seen theft. GVL | EMILY FRYE

JANUARY 8, 2018 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

A2 | NEWS NEWS BRIEFS CAREER CENTER TO HOLD EVENT ON FINDING CAMPUS EMPLOYMENT

The Grand Valley State University Career Center will hold an event designed to assist students with finding employment on campus on Tuesday, Jan. 9, from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the Holton-Hooker Learning and Living Center, Room 205A. Students will have the chance to apply and discuss their current job prospects with an adviser from the Career Center. Others looking for work can visit the LakerJobs website at www.gvsu.edu/careers/lakerjobs-18.htm.

ENGINEERING CO-OP RECRUITMENT FAIR TO TAKE PLACE

The second floor of the L.V. Eberhard Center will serve as a meeting space for engineering students and employees to build connections and network to help them obtain co-op positions on Tuesday, Jan. 16, from noon to 2 p.m.

Students should arrive in professional attire with resumes and material to take notes with. Those attending are advised to be prepared for on-the-spot interviews and to remember to collect contact information from employers to write thank-you letters.

HAUENSTEIN CENTER TO HOLD EVENT DURING MLK COMMEMORATION WEEK

Grand Valley State University will take time to remember Martin Luther King Jr. during the “Christy Coleman: How Shall We Remember” event. The Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies, in partnership with GVSU’s Division of Inclusion and Equity, will be hosting the event, which will focus on American memory, both past and present.

Coleman is the CEO of the American Civil War Museum in Richmond, Virginia, and the former president of the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit. She will lead the discussion and will be offering her own insight into the topic.

This is a free event that is open to the public. To RSVP and find more information on this event, visit www. hauensteincenter.org/winter-2018-schedule/.

GV APPOINTS NEW VICE PRESIDENT OF FINANCE

Grand Valley State University President Thomas Haas announced Tuesday, Jan. 2, that the institution had named Gregory Sanial as vice president of finance.

Sanial currently serves as the chief of staff for the United States Coast Guard Fifth District, where he oversees an $11 billion budget.

In a statement to GVNow, Sanial said, “I am honored and incredibly excited to accept this appointment. I am eager to begin working with President Haas; members of the Board of Trustees; and the president’s cabinet, faculty, staff, students, and all external and community stakeholders at Grand Valley to support the university’s focus on student-centered teaching and learning. My family and I can’t wait to relocate to the Grand Rapids area and become part of this vibrant community.”

Sanial will begin his role as the vice president of finance in the spring, and will formally be introduced to the GVSU Board of Trustees during their February meeting.

VOL . 52

NO. 3 2

Lan thorn EDITORIAL STAFF Editor-in-Chief EMILY DORAN Associate Editor JENNA FRACASSI

PROMOTIONS Promotions Manager SHAYNA KOZKOWSKI ADVERTISING STAFF Advertising Manager

News Editor ARPAN LOBO

IAN BORTHWICK

Sports Editor ROBBIE TRIANO

KATARINA ZOMER

Laker Life Editor TY KONELL A&E Editor ANNE MARIE SMIT Image Editor

Campus Accounts Manager

Account Executive RACHEL MOORE Ad Designer LIAM CARTER

TAKING ACTION: The nearly finished race car chassis sits behind the work bench where welding takes place on Feb. 27, 2016. GVSU’s STEM programs have a freshman dropout rate of nearly 60 percent within students’ first two years at school. GVL | KEVIN SIELAFF

STEM

CONTINUED FROM A1

“My part is to do research into the program itself,” Johnson said. “What we want to do is try to figure out why it’s so hard to get students from poor backgrounds and minority groups into STEM careers. My job is to follow these people throughout the project and figure out what these barriers are and figure out if the program is

putting its resources into the right place.”

The incoming freshmen in this program will largely be recruited from nearby community colleges, such as Grand Rapids Community College, Northwestern Michigan College and Muskegon Community College.

Johnson plans to conduct research on students throughout the entirety of their time in the program and hopes to be able to use the information to help other universities struggling with the same

issues in their STEM fields.

“There is a great deal to find out,” he said. “Lowincome people have family-related and economic factors that split their time more than other students do.

These are the types of people we are trying to help with this program, and I’m excited to learn more about how we can help. We’re going to see if we can generate new information to help other universities around the country.”

According to Plotkowski, the first steps are already un-

derway, and it looks as though the program will be off to a strong start in August.

“We are currently getting the program set up,” he said.

“We’re setting up a web page on myScholarships for students to apply, and we’re identifying incoming freshmen interested in STEM who have a GPA of 3.4 or higher and are also eligible for the Pell Grant.

Our next step is to review applications and select students who will participate, starting this coming fall semester.”

PROJECTS: A-arms are assembled by members of the GVSU Formula SAE racing team Feb. 27, 2016. In November 2017, GVSU was awarded a $1 million grant for a new support program for STEM students to relieve them of some financial strain. GVL | KEVIN SIELAFF

VETS

CONTINUED FROM A1

“While VUB is mostly externally facing—supporting veterans who are not yet in a college—our program will engage current student veterans in several programmatic efforts,” Bernal said. “This includes student-worker positions that allow for mentorship opportunities, programs that connect current GVSU student veterans with prospective supports and opportunities to collaborate with external veteran agencies.”

Those interested in learning more about the VUB can visit www.gvsu.edu/vub/.

Another way to learn more about the VUB program is by contacting Marroquin, whose contact information is available on the VUB website.

“The program is available for participants now, and we encourage any interested veteran to contact us to learn more,” Bernal said.

“The program is free and provides significant support to ensure veterans will be successful as they navigate college opportunities.”

FRESH FACE: Tim Marroquin was named the new director for TRIO Veterans Upward Bound this past semester. COURTESY | GVNOW

BUSINESS STAFF

EMILY FRYE

Business Manager SHELBY CARTER

Layout Editor RACHEL SPRING

Asst. Business Manager ALEXIS LAMB

Layout Designer MAX GELDHOF

Distribution Manager MEGHAN FITZGERALD

WEB TEAM Web Manager JUSTIN GREEN

THEFT

CONTINUED FROM A1

cases of shoplifting. The Lobby Shop is connected to Subway, making it easy for individuals to walk in and out of the convenience store from completely different entrances and exits.

GVPD encourages GVSU community members to not commit retail

fraud on campus or anywhere else. Despite the potential belief that stealing merchandise doesn’t affect anyone in particular on campus, DeHaan notes that this is far from the case.

“I think it’s important (to note) that specifically from food service (Campus Dining) and from the Laker Store here on campus, any thefts, losses, they’re steal-

ing from other students,” he said. “Quite frankly, it raises the prices on other things that are being sold here on campus to our student population. While individuals might believe that this is a victimless crime and that it doesn’t hurt anyone, it actually does: It hurts their fellow students.”

The penalty for retail fraud in the state of Michigan varies on the severity of the

crime. Third-degree retail fraud is considered for shoplifting $200 or less worth of merchandise; second-degree retail fraud is considered for shoplifting $200 to $1,000 worth of merchandise; and first-degree retail fraud is considered for shoplifting more than $1,000 worth of merchandise. Depending on the severity, punishment can vary from fines to jail time.

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 twice-weekly by Grand Valley State University students 62 times a year. One copy of this newspaper is available free of charge to any member of the GVSU 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

SHOP: The Laker Store officially became open for business to the public on April 13, 2015. GVPD encourages GVSU community members to not commit retail fraud on campus or anywhere else, as stealing merchandise has an impact on campus members. GVL | ARCHIVE

JANUARY 8, 2018 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

NEWS | A3

POLICE

GVPD holds active-shooterresponse training in Mackinac Hall

BY EMILY DORAN EDITORIAL@LANTHORN.COM

In the middle of a hushed, snow-covered, largely deserted Allendale Campus following students’ winterbreak exodus, Mackinac Hall buzzed with tension and activity in the surrounding gloom. Firetrucks, one of which was outfitted as a control center, and police cruisers were parked out back and in the adjacent lot. Signs outside the building warned passersby not to enter. Inside, the first floor of the classroom building swarmed with local law enforcement, firefighters and volunteers. In the absence of bustling students and faculty members, the hallways and classrooms of Mackinac Hall were transformed into makeshift active-shooter-response training zones teeming with participants clad in neon green and orange vests and sporting combat gear— helmets, face masks, groin guards—distributed from plastic bins.

Approximately 40-plus police officers, 20-plus firefighters and 20 to 25 volunteers participated in the Grand Valley State University Police Department’s largest annual training session designed to prepare its staff for an active-shooter situation on campus. As part of its yearly exercise, the GVPD partnered with the Ottawa County Sheriff ’s Office and other emergency organizations on Sunday, Dec. 17, to practice confrontation and rescue techniques. This year, local fire departments also participated for the first time.

“It’s a relatively new concept,” said Sgt. Steve

Wolbrink, EMS coordinator for Allendale Charter Township Fire Department, about the inclusion of local fire departments in police training. “It used to be fire would wait until it was safe.”

Because victims who are bleeding out need to be treated right away, however, Allendale, Georgetown and Tallmadge fire departments participated in the activeshooter-response training this year to practice executing an immediate rescue plan.

“You have to get people treated and leave quickly,” Wolbrink said. “People need to learn how to control bleeding.”

In addition to the police officers and firefighters acting in the simulations, other participants and volunteers—many of whom were GVSU students—were assigned to roleplay as bystanders, the active shooter(s) and injured victims.

“The intent here is to make it as real-life as possible,” said GVPD Acting Director Brandon DeHaan.

For each simulation— three in total, each about 15 to 20 minutes—volunteers playing victims and bystanders positioned themselves around the first couple floors of Mackinac Hall with at least one person playing an active shooter, known only by the simulation organizers.

Getting into crouching poses, police officers, with their shoulders pulled up to their ears, sporting protective gear and brandishing rifles and handguns, swept through the hallways of the building in search of the shooter(s), while firefighters found “victims,” applied tourniquets to their “wounds” and dragged them out on flexible plastic sleds. Occasionally, “gunfire”

in the form of FX rounds— ammunition designed for training simulations—broke out with loud claps around the building.

The annual active-shooterresponse training is just one of many ways the GVPD is actively involved with other local law enforcement.

“We work very closely with the sheriff’s office on a daily basis,” DeHaan said.

Capt. Robert Tease of the

Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office said his department had a good relationship with the GVPD. “We’re very fortunate in this county between fire, EMS, to work well together,” he said. “We try to train together as much as we can. We want to be prepared for if this were to happen.”

GO TO: http://bit.ly/2CRgWVV FOR MORE INFORMATION

SCENARIO: Local authorities train Dec. 17, 2017, in Mackinac Hall to prepare for active-shooter situations on campus. GVL | EMILY FRYE

TRAINING DAYS: GVPD collaborated with local authorities to carry out the active-shooter-response training. More than 40 police officers, 20 fire fighters and 20 to 25 volunteers participated in the training session on Dec. 17, 2017, in GVSU’s Mackinac Hall. GVL | EMILY FRYE

A4 | OPINION EDITORIAL

Holding GV accountable in 2018

W

ith the commencement of 2018, the Grand Valley State University community should take a step back and assess if it is moving forward in a way that is most beneficial to students, faculty, staff and the surrounding community. 2018 will also be a year to see how university administration will handle landmark national policy changes at the local level and fulfill old promises.

Now is the time to keep a watchful eye on how the university will follow through on its initial responses to announcements of (impending) national policy changes from the Trump administration.

With the six-month closure deadline approaching for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program—although whether or not the president will actually follow through with ending the program remains to be seen—how will the university act on its expressed support for DACA students?

When push comes to shove, how will GVSU stand by and protect its own? We’ll find out this year.

The GVSU community should also watch to see if university administration will change the standard of evidence it uses to investigate reported cases of sexual assault. Following national policy changes issued by the U.S. Department of Education for reporting and investigating sexual assaults on college campuses, GVSU made only a couple small revisions to its processes while leaving the door open for future revisions pending input from the GVSU community.

This year, students, faculty and staff should contact the Title IX office at GVSU to share their opinion, and

they should watch for any more changes in this area.

Moving beyond administration, this year, as always, Laker students need to be held accountable with regard to sexual assault and matters of integrity. Despite the university’s numerous programs dedicated to promoting active bystander intervention, such as the bystander intervention training offered through the Gayle R. Davis Center for Women and Gender Equity, there are still reported incidents of assaults or attempted assaults that involve either multiple perpetrators or bystanders who don’t intervene.

As GVSU students, as Lakers, as humans, we can and should do better.

With so many resources readily available to them, students need to take responsibility for their roles as active bystanders and educate themselves on how to stand up against sexual assault.

Students should also be asking themselves if they are representing GVSU positively in other ways. Certainly, there are some areas for improvement here. From this past August through December 2017, for example, the Laker Store experienced 21 cases of retail fraud, a distinct rise from the 10 cases the Grand Valley Lanthorn reported in November 2016. Is this really the image students should be painting of themselves as members of the GVSU community, as petty thieves?

These are all issues that GVSU community members should be keeping in mind. Now is a good time to assess how the university is being represented and to hold the institutions and individuals in authority accountable for making decisions that affect us all.

JANUARY 8, 2018 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

GVL EDITORIAL CARTOON

1/8/18

editorial@lanthorn.com

Why staying informed is so important

BY SHAE SLAUGHTER SENIOR ENGLISH MAJOR EDITORIAL@LANTHORN.COM

The world we live in today is bursting with information. Our everyday lives are saturated with news stories, trending topics and the hottest celeb gossip 24/7. This “CNN effect” can be overwhelming, but what’s more important is its connection to greater knowledge within the world.

It’s a reminder that we all have a duty to be informed.

This flow of information, across all borders and boundaries, is a catalyst for change that needs to be utilized. It is undeniable that we have resources that our ancestors couldn’t have

Editor-in-Chief Associate editor News editor Sports editor Laker Life editor A&E editor

WHAT IS A LANTHORN? Lant • horn, n. [Old English] A lanthorn is a lantern that was used in mid-to-late 16th-century Europe. It was constructed of leather and a single lens made from a thin

piece of ox or steer horn. It was used for illumination and as a beacon.

The Grand Valley Lanthorn slogan is “Give light, and the people will find their own way.”

BY AMY MCNEEL SOPHOMORE COM. & WRITING MAJOR EDITORIAL@LANTHORN.COM

I think that 2017 will leave a lasting scar on history. It was a year when bad things seemed to always be looming in the shadows, if not standing in broad daylight. It was also a year of great change, filled with both highs and lows, devastating heartbreak and magnificent strength. For me, thinking about the year of 2017

GVL OPINION POLICY The goal of the Grand Valley Lanthorn’s opinion page is to act as a forum for public discussion, comment and criticism in the Grand Valley State University community. Student and columnist opinions published here do not necessarily reflect those of the paper as an entity.

The Lanthorn strives to be a safe vehicle for community discussion. With this in mind, the Lanthorn will not publish or entertain any forms of hate speech, but neither will it discriminate against any other views, opinions or beliefs.

The content, information and views expressed are not approved by—nor do they necessarily represent those of—the university or its Board of Trustees, officers, faculty or staff.

Letters to the editor should include the author’s full name, relevant title and a headshot, along with a valid email address and phone number for confirming the identity of the author. Letters should be approximately 500-650 words in length, and they are not edited by the Lanthorn staff except to fix technical errors or to clarify. Reader submissions on the opinion page appear as space permits.

To make a submission, email editorial@lanthorn.com or drop your submission off in person at:

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imagined. Still, we often see a lack of empathy—or, at the very least, ignorance—in conceptualizing problems throughout the world or other people’s problems in general. There is a huge disconnect between news and reality even though they should be one and the same.

In the U.S., we are often consumed with our own government or jobs or rights, but there is a lot beyond the walls that we keep attempting to build. A few Google searches could reveal the truth of the war in Yemen or Brexit or the slave trade in Libya. Some of these we hear more about than others, but still many of us neglect to give these topics enough attention simply because they don’t exist in our sight line.

An even more perfect example of a disconnect and an information bubble that needs to burst exists in North Korea. A country full of sheltered citizens, North Korea continues to be ruled by the Kim dynasty. Defectors from the closed-off country will

readily admit that information remains the greatest threat to the regime. But information is also important when we decide how to handle our interactions with the country.

For months we have experienced escalating tensions between North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un, and our own president, Donald Trump.

Kim Jong Un has long been considered to be an irrational leader, but what about the taunting doled out by our own president? To many people, the criticism of Kim Jong Un is troubling at the very least.

However, there are just as many people who support this show of “strength” by Trump.

No matter which side of the fence you land on, there is certain information that both sides should consider.

First, the gravity of a nuclear war. Even if the U.S. is better equipped to fight a nuclear war, it doesn’t mean that we can escape unharmed.

Nuclear weapons can be launched in a second, and though they take a little while to reach their target, they will eventually hit.

If this issue comes down to a guns-blazing fire fight, it means one thing: thousands of lives lost and even more people affected by the radiation these weapons will leave behind. It means death and destruction not only in North Korea, but also in the U.S. It means allowing one man to “push a button” that will incinerate countless innocent victims. North Korea is not its leader; it is merely a country of people who adamantly support a man in the same way that some people support God. Do they really deserve this kind of wrath?

All of this information is available should you choose to pursue it. Yet, for many people, choices regarding the launching of a nuclear weapon seem very cut and dry. However, this world isn’t a giant example of an “us-versus-them” scenario.

We are all human beings, and there are troubles plaguing us all. Keeping an open mind and a thirst for knowledge can make all the difference when examining the world moving forward.

What we can take away from 2017

GV L E DITO R IAL BOA RD EMILY DORAN JENNA FRACASSI ARPAN LOBO ROBBIE TRIANO TY KONELL ANNE MARIE SMIT

By Kayleigh Van Overen

is almost overwhelming, and I can’t say that I’m sad to let it go.

Right now, at the beginning of 2018, we are all presented with an opportunity to look back at 2017, recognize its tragedies and its joys, and learn from them. We all have the opportunity to better ourselves and to make 2018 a year that is full of good instead of plagued with loss. In order to do this, let’s take a look back at 2017.

The year started off with controversy and unease as President Donald Trump took over the Oval Office.

Trump’s inauguration took place on Jan. 20, 2017, and news stations nationwide reported on the minimal turnout, much to Trump’s dismay. Throughout the year, Trump was largely placed under scrutiny by many U.S. citizens. He became known as the “Twitter president,” as he continu-

ously threw his opinions on the popular social media site. Trump decided to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, pulled the U.S. out of the Paris climate accord, passed one of the largest tax reforms of all time and has led a booming economy. Trump’s presidency has continuously been one of controversy and has been a divider of the American people.

This past year was also plagued with many tragedies, from terrorist attacks to natural disasters. On May 22, a bomb was detonated at the end of an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena, killing 22 people and injuring many more. Later in the year, on Oct. 1, the U.S. experienced one of the deadliest mass shootings in its history. What is now known as the Las Vegas massacre left

58 dead and more than 500 injured. These attacks are only two of many, which include, but are not limited to, the Westminster Bridge attack, the van ramming in Barcelona and the Texas church shooting.

Along with these acts of terrorism, the world faced many natural disasters. Hurricanes Harvey and Irma both resulted in extreme flooding and damage in the Caribbean and the southern U.S. Along with these hurricanes, huge monsoons flooded Bangladesh; wildfires spread through California; and Mexico experienced a 7.1 magnitude earthquake. According to Hiroko Tabuchi of The New York Times, 2017 had the most losses from natural disasters thus far, and “insurers are set to pay out a record $135 billion to cover losses from” them.

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VALLEY VOTE

THIS ISSUE’S QUESTION

QUOTE

What’s your favorite study spot on campus?

What is your New Year’s resolution?

Library Kirkhof Niemeyer Mackinac Other

“The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows.”

LOG ON & VOTE www.lanthorn.com

33% 13% 27% 0% 27%

QUESTION OF THE ISSUE

Sydney J. Harris

WHAT IS YOUR NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION?

TYLER AMSBURY

DREW CATHER

“To pass all my classes.”

“To spend more time at the library.”

YEAR: Junior MAJOR: Product data management HOMETOWN: Flat Rock, Michigan

YEAR: Freshman MAJOR: Finance HOMETOWN: Spring Lake, Michigan

BRENDEN CHILDS

HUNTER GAGLIO

“To figure out a New Year’s resolution!”

“It already fell through. Looking to make 2019 my year of growth.”

YEAR: Senior MAJOR: Advertising & public relations HOMETOWN: Macomb Township, Michigan

YEAR: Sophomore MAJOR: Biomedical sciences HOMETOWN: Warren, Michigan

JANUARY 8, 2018 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

NEWS | A5

EVENTS

GV to host Campus Life Night 2.0

BY ITA TSAI NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

Grand Valley State University students looking to become more involved with clubs and other student organizations will have the chance to do so early on in the winter semester.

Campus Life Night (CLN) 2.0 will take place on Friday, Jan. 12, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Kirkhof Center. The building will open its doors once more to students who may be interested in joining new organizations this semester.

The annual event, organized by the Office of Student Life, is a smaller version of the event that is held earlier in the fall.

Numerous stands will line the halls of the building on every floor. Spanning from Crave to the Grand River Room and the Pere Marquette Room, diverse student organizations will gather to attract new recruits.

The variety of the clubs caters to a wide scope of interests, from academic and professional organizations to arts, service and advocacy, culture, fraternities and sororities, interfaith and sports.

“I found out about Dance Troupe through Campus Life Night, and it was probably the best decision I’ve made throughout college,” said Kaitlyn Pall, public relations head of the GVSU Dance Troupe. “You can really open yourself up to

GV and see what they have to offer for all these activities outside of your classes.”

CLN 2.0 also gives GVSU students looking to branch out socially an opportunity to do so.

“One can also find purpose,” said Alex Berdy, head coach of the GVSU quidditch club, the Grand Valley Grindylows. “These are ways for people to fill their time in GV with friends and fun activities, and that’s how you flourish in college. The club will become your support group, and I think the quidditch team does that pretty well.”

This event doesn’t only attract students who have an intention to join a club, though.

Most stands will be giving out food and drinks and will provide activities and games to entertain passersby.

“Even if you’re not sure that you’re interested in any of these clubs, you still get a bunch of free stuff and lots of information on things, so it’s just a very good opportunity to get to know the chances you have, especially if you played a sport in high school and can find a club that plays it,” Pall said.

The winter Campus Life Night is smaller and more contained than its fall counterpart, which is held outside.

Juan Tafarello, a member of the GVSU men’s club volleyball, said the club won’t

be sending a representative this semester.

“The teams were already made with the students that applied last semester, so we aren’t really looking for new members,” he said.

The number of newcom-

ers also decreases in the winter, and clubs don’t receive as many applications as they do in the first semester.

“The first Campus Life Night does insanely well, and it usually gets us a lot of people on our team, but in this one we

don’t yield the same results,” Berdy said. “Not as many people go to it, so we’ll be lucky to get two or three more people.”

Pall said the winter Campus Night Life “isn’t as big or as publicized.”

“We’re just searching for

new recruits to open it up to more people and make them know that there are all levels in our organization,” she said.

“You can have no experience at all or be straight out of a dance studio. We welcome everyone.”

OUT AND ABOUT: Students gather on the main level of the Kirkhof Center for Campus Life Night 2.0, which will take place again on Friday, Jan. 12. CLN 2.0 gives GVSU students the opportunity to meet and speak with various on-campus organizations. GVL | KEVIN SIELAFF

EXPERIENCES

Padnos International Center event to highlight study-abroad diversity

BY TYLEE BUSH TBUSH@LANTHORN.COM

Traveling abroad as a student can be an exciting and life-changing experience, but it is not free of challenges. At the “Being Black and Brown Abroad” event, Grand Valley State University students of color will be sharing their unique experiences in diverse locations around the globe.

The event will take place Fri-

day, Jan. 12, from noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Mary Idema Pew Library Multipurpose Room. It is LIB 100- and 201-approved, and there will be free food following the program.

A panel of students and alumni will share their experiences on the challenges of studying abroad as people of color, how they started the conversation with their parents about going abroad, how they handled culture shock and ad-

justing to a foreign place, where they found the funding for their trip and more.

One of the students who will be on the panel is Vanesha Blackburn, a GVSU graduate student in the College Student Affairs Leadership program.

Born and raised in Chicago, Blackburn came to GVSU for her undergraduate studies and knew she didn’t want to graduate without having the opportunity to study abroad.

ON LOCATION: DaShaun Ragland, pictured in Chile during summer 2017. He will speak as a part of the Padnos International Center’s ‘Being Black and Brown Abroad’ event. COURTESY | DASHAUN RAGLAND

After some guidance from the Padnos International Center (PIC), she selected Ghana as her study-abroad destination.

She spent the summer of 2016 in Cape Coast, and the experience was better than she could have imagined.

“My experience abroad was amazing,” Blackburn said. “I was able to make new friends, self-reflect, volunteer at an orphanage and visit historical slave castles. Being black abroad allowed me to build relationships easier and appreciate the important history of the transatlantic slave trade. It allowed me to stay humble and remain true to my roots. I realized that privilege is not a universal trait.”

DaShaun Ragland, a GVSU student studying biomedical sciences and Spanish, is another peer who will be speaking as part of the panel for the event.

He, too, had a unique experience being black abroad.

Reflecting on his summer abroad in Chile in 2017, Ragland said “being thrown into the vibrant culture was very exciting. … The experience was incredible.”

Ragland mistakenly stumbled across the study-abroad fair on campus during the

fall of his freshman year. This sparked his curiosity, and after speaking with a PIC adviser, he felt deeply motivated to study abroad.

“To my fellow people of color, the only advice I have for you is to leave the norms you have learned on the airplane,” Ragland said. “You are going to be with an entirely new group of people with new ideas. Go experience and try new things.”

Blackburn and Ragland both battled financial strains in order to go on their trips.

“Yes, it was difficult to fund my trip,” Blackburn said. “I had to find several avenues to generate the amount of money I needed to make my trip possible.”

Blackburn suggests that students start their research early, receive guidance from PIC study-abroad advisers, talk with local organizations they are connected with and simply ask for support.

For Ragland, it was the Murray Scholarship that made his trip possible.

“I would recommend applying to GVSU scholarships first, then reaching out to local organizations and Facebook for donations,” Ragland said. “Don’t be afraid

to take out a loan. It will be worth it in the end.”

Despite the obstacles they faced, both students reiterated how incredible their experiences abroad were.

In addition to the student panel, there will be PIC staff members who will talk about scholarships, funding and how students can start their journey abroad. There will be a Q&A with the panel students and PIC staff, and students are encouraged to stay for food and conversation after the program concludes.

Care Allen, a full-time staff member for TRiO Student Support Services, has been helping to plan and organize the Being Black and Brown Abroad event.

“Attendees can expect to gain insight on the personal experiences of the panel students, as well as information on particular programs,” Allen said.

“Attendees will also be able to interact and network with PIC faculty and staff.”

Allen said that even though this program is geared toward students of color, any student looking to study abroad, or who has studied abroad before, is welcome to attend.

MEDICINE

Panelists to discuss health-care trends in West Michigan

BY DREW SCHERTZER DSCHERTZER@LANTHORN.COM

The Grand Valley State University Office of the Vice Provost for Health and the Seidman College of Business Alumni Association have teamed up to survey healthcare trends in West Michigan.

On Friday, Jan. 12, the results of these surveys will be compared to those from other parts of Michigan, as well as the national average.

The West Michigan Healthcare Economic Forecast will begin at 7:30 a.m in the L.V. Eberhard Center’s Multipurpose Room, located on the Pew Campus. Presentations by professors of economics Leslie Muller and Kevin Callison will kick off the morning.

Muller looked at two different surveys for the forecast.

The first was conducted by the Employers Association of West Michigan. They asked their workers questions about what types of health insurance they have and what types of savings

they have, along with other medical-related questions. The second survey acquired information from the community using the VoiceKent survey, which is conducted in Kent County, according to Muller.

Muller said the GVSU Johnson Center for Philanthropy made it possible to survey all of Kent County, providing much more data than from previous years. The community members were asked if they were insured, the affordability of medical care, costs of prescriptions and more. The importance of this is that this year the community will be given more of a voice, Muller said.

“We are going to get a different snapshot of health care looking at these two different perspectives on health insurance,” Muller said.

While Muller will be using these two surveys, Callison will be digging deeper into why certain trends happen.

Callison and Muller have been tracking health-care expenditures and service use in

West Michigan compared to those in other regions. The data from West Michigan will be juxtaposed with the data from the east side of the state, as well as from similar areas across the country, Callison said.

New elements have been added this year for data on prescription drug costs, helpful hospital visits and emergency use. Callison said what is different from the past is that now he can see what is influencing certain trends and the reason(s) behind it.

An example Callison used is heart disease in Grand Rapids.

He said that typically, expenditures are lower for the west side of Michigan compared to those of the east side of Michigan for health-related issues. For some reason, though, the expenditures from the last four to five years have risen steeply for heart disease in West Michigan, Callison said.

Jean Nagelkerk, vice provost for health at GVSU, is looking forward to the public finding out the reasons

behind some of the health trends in West Michigan.

“We hope the data will help people associate better understanding on how health behaviors and growth trends impact our population,” Nagelkerk said.

Panelists will discuss results

of research and answer questions from the audience. The panelists include Peter Hahn, chief medical officer for Metro Health Hospital; Earle Irwin, chair of the Board of Directors for Irwin Seating Company; and Nick Lyon, director of the Michigan Department of

Health and Human Services.

The event will be available via live webcast. It is sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield and Priority Health.

For more information, visit www.gvsu.edu/vphealth.

TRENDING: GVSU professors Kevin Callison and Leslie Muller will detail health trends for the area on Friday, Jan. 12, at the ninth annual West Michigan Healthcare Economic Forecast. COURTESY | GVSU.EDU

A6 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

JANUARY 8, 2018 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLARTS

EXHIBIT

ARTS AT A GLANCE GRAND RAPIDS PUBLIC MUSEUM OPENS ‘DRAGONS, UNICORNS AND MERMAIDS’ EXHIBIT Now through May 20, the Grand Rapids Public Museum will be offering the exhibit “Dragons, Unicorns and Mermaids,” organized by the American Museum of Natural History.

The exhibit will feature models, replicas and cast fossils of prehistoric animals and will examine how they may have influenced the development of mythological creatures. Admission is $12 for adults and $7 for children, with reduced prices for Kent County residents and members of the museum.

PIANIST MIKA SASAKI TO PERFORM RECITAL

Pianist Mika Sasaki will be performing a recital at Grand Valley State University on Friday, Jan. 19, at 7:30 p.m. in the Haas Center of Performing Arts. She will also be working with GVSU piano students in a master class on Saturday, Jan. 20, at 10 a.m. Both events are free and open to the public.

GV PRESENTS ‘ANTON, HIMSELF: FIRST AND LAST’ Grand Valley State University theater professor Roger Ellis will be performing “Anton, Himself: First and Last” in the Linn Maxwell Keller Black Box Theatre in the Haas Center for Performing Arts.

Performances will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 19, and Saturday, Jan. 20, and again at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 21, followed by a reception. Admission is $12 for adults; $10 for alumni, seniors, faculty and staff; and $6 for students.

GV TO HOLD AUDITIONS FOR ‘J.B.’ AND ‘NO EXIT’ Grand Valley State University’s theater department will be holding auditions for “J.B.” and “No Exit” on Friday, Jan. 19, from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.; Saturday, Jan. 20, from noon to 3 p.m.; and Sunday, Jan. 21, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Auditions will be in the Haas Center for Performing Arts.

DANCE AUDITION DAY

For students wanting to major or minor in dance or who are interested in taking a dance class, dance auditions will be held Friday, Jan. 19, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Haas Center for Performing Arts.

STUDY-ABROAD ‘FIRST STEP’ MEETINGS

For those interested in studying abroad, the Padnos International Center offers “first step” meetings twice a week that cover funding, academic information and how to choose a program that’s right for you. Each Wednesday from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., students can stop by 130 Lake Ontario Hall on the Allendale Campus. The Padnos International Center also offers walk-in advising hours.

STUDY-ABROAD FAIR

The Padnos International Center has a study-abroad fair planned for Thursday, Jan. 18, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for students who are thinking about studying abroad or those who are planning to study abroad but need to decide on a program. At the fair, students can browse the study-abroad programs that GVSU offers, talk with students who participated in those programs and meet with program directors. There will also be free food.

Capturing wanderlust

GV graduate showcases photos from trip to India

BY ANNE MARIE SMIT ARTS@LANTHORN.COM

While studying abroad, many students use photography to document their experiences. In 2016, Grand Valley State University graduate Maya Grant traveled to India under a photography scholarship and is currently showcasing their photographs in an exhibit titled “Traveling with Bangalore Wanderlusters: Reflections on a Semester in India.” The exhibition is displayed in the Blue Wall Gallery in the Richard M. DeVos Center in Grand Rapids.

Grant graduated in December 2017 with a degree in sociology, and women and gender studies. After receiving the photography scholarship, they impulsively decided to travel to India on one of the more affordable study-abroad trips available at GVSU. Grant said they wanted to visit a country most people are intimidated by.

“I picked it on a whim,” Grant said. “I definitely knew I didn’t want to go somewhere European. I wanted to go somewhere I would never feel comfortable being, somewhere exciting and different.

I wanted to be challenged in some way. Plus, I thought, ‘Well, India has better pictures.’

“It just sort of added up with the details: I studied sociology, and they had a really diverse population.”

While in India, Grant joined a group called the Bangalore Wanderlusters, a multiethnic group of expatriates who traveled together throughout Karnataka and its neighboring states.

“A lot of the people in the group are what they call expats,” Grant said. “(Half of them) were just people living daily lives who were Indian;

the other half were people who were the expat party, … people who leave their countries. It’s a gathering of people who move somewhere new and need friends, basically.”

Other than a desire to meet new people, what brought the people in the group together, Grant said, was a strong desire to see new places.

“The Bangalore Wanderlusters would go on trips every weekend or every other weekend to really cool places, like waterfalls, mountains, cliffsides, whatever worked,” Grant said. “They tried to do it constantly because everybody had this need to travel. Everyone in the group loved being outside and doing things, and that’s how people bonded.”

Grant said the photographs in their exhibition detail the landscapes of India as well as the everyday people

they encountered.

“There’s a lot of landscape, but there’s people, too,” Grant said. “(Some of it is), ‘Here is this beautiful view of a mountain,’ and then, ‘Here’s this older man who’s selling food at the market,’ or, ‘Here’s my friend sitting on a mountain, facing away,’ then ‘Here’s a waterfall.’”

Grant said the photos they decided to display exhibit the aspects of India that most people are either unaware of or don’t talk about. Just like they didn’t want to travel to the more commonly visited countries, the photos they captured raise awareness of what authentic Indian life looks like.

“It’s definitely not romanticized in any way,” Grant said. “It takes a more natural view. It’s less about slums and the gritty city and more about what lies outside of the city that people don’t talk about as much.”

Grant said many people cautioned them away from traveling to India, thinking there was too much risk involved. Despite that, they wanted to explore less frequently visited areas, believing them to have their own beauty that isn’t often recognized.

“I got so many comments like, ‘Don’t go to India; it’s dangerous, it’s overpopulated,’” Grant said. “In reality, I think it’s this really cool place that has a mixture of dead cities, and yes, poverty, that exists in a lot of places in the world. People want to focus on danger and risk, and there’s less conversation about the natural beauty and the people who are there.

“They want to talk about fear and problems when India is a really cool place, and people forget that.”

TRAVEL: An Indian man poses for a photo taken by GVSU graduate Maya Grant. Grant is currently showcasing their photos from their trip to India at the DeVos Center. COURTESY | MAYA GRANT

ART

GV professor displays collection of landscape paintings on campus ARIE NIENHUIS ARTS@LANTHORN.COM

Grand Valley State University art professor Virginia Jenkins has spent more than two decades painting landscapes, many of which are inspired by her travels across the U.S. Now

through Friday, March 2, a collection of these landscapes will be displayed in the Red Wall Gallery of Lake Ontario Hall.

This collection, titled “Landscapes: Color and Light,” is inspired by Jenkins’ travels to the Northwest Coast of the U.S. The paintings

showcase many of the coastal areas’ natural landscapes.

“I’m especially fascinated by the transitional area between the water, the water’s edge and land,” Jenkins said. “There is a whole other world of creatures and vegetation in that world that change twice a day.”

NATURE: A landscape painting by GVSU art professor Virginia Jenkins. Jenkins will be displaying her paintings in the Red Wall Gallery of Lake Ontario Hall through Friday, March 2. COURTESY | GVSU.EDU

Over Jenkins’ artistic career, natural landscapes have been a major focus of hers for a variety of reasons.

“Landscapes combine interests in a number of subject matters that I worked with over the years,” she said.

“Most of my work is focused on organic forms and shapes, and those are the kinds of forms that one finds in nature.

Part of my work has involved my delight in being outside and experiencing nature.”

Among these paintings, a distinct visual style is apparent: While somewhat abstract, the shapes and colors of Jenkins’ paintings still maintain a recognizable look of nature.

“My goal isn’t necessarily to produce images that are photographic representations,” Jenkins said. “I want the images that I produce to speak to the kind of experience and interaction I had with that particular location.

“When I travel to a site,

I document the site and my experiences there with photographs, and I take the photographs back to the studio and either combine the photographs or work from a single photograph.”

Joel Zwart, curator of exhibitions at the GVSU Art Gallery, sees this exhibition as a great way to show the work that professors at the university do aside from teaching.

“The thing I’m most happy about with the exhibition is (that) it’s a way for us to help faculty share their scholarship with others,” Zwart said. “It’s an exhibition of the work that Professor Jenkins completed on her sabbatical. In some ways, this is her way of sharing the product of her scholarship.”

According to Zwart, displaying art created by GVSU faculty is a way to show that the gap between teaching and personal experience is not large.

“It shows that faculty teach, but they also spend

time researching, and her research is her work in the studio,” he said. “It’s her work in the field and then coming back from the field and producing artwork in response.”

When it comes to young artists looking to display their art at GVSU or beyond, Zwart recommends attending exhibits like this and socializing with the world of art.

“Come to art openings, be involved in the local art scene, talk to people,” Zwart said. “I know for some people it’s hard, but being social.”

Jenkins also shared some artistic advice: She encourages young artists to hone their craft and skill.

“Really work on exercising daily observational skills and combine that with the ability to objectively analyze what you see, and then combine that with the other skills involved in creating images, whether they be two-dimensional or threedimensional,” she said.

PAINTING

‘Ebb and Flow’ exhibit highlights artist’s creative journey

BY NICK MORAN ARTS@LANTHORN.COM

Creators of all kinds follow a similar process of being inspired, creating, revising and repeating until the product is satisfactory. For artist Herbert Murrie, his entire artistic career focuses on the cycle of creation and revision, a notion that Joel Zwart, Grand Valley State University curator of exhibitions, said will be captured in “Ebb and Flow: Explorations in Painting by Herbert Murrie,” opening Monday, Jan. 15, as the GVSU Art Gallery’s next exhibition.

While the exhibit opens Jan. 15, the university’s Art Gallery will be hosting Murrie and his wife, as well as a virtual reality Tilt Brush station for participants to paint

in 3-D, on Thursday, Jan. 18, Zwart said. The work featured will range in style, medium and topic, ultimately showcasing the movement in Murrie’s creative process.

“One of the paintings in (the exhibit) is a very realistic painting that starts to evolve into abstraction, and then the abstraction evolved into what you might call a ‘wall sculpture’ that has to do with a very political nature—everything from terrorism to climate control,” Murrie said.

The idea to have the exhibition originated in 2015 with the donation of 15 art pieces by Murrie and his wife. The gallery not only serves to thank the Murrie family for its donation, but it will also serve to create a timeline to chart the creative metamorphosis within

Murrie’s career, Zwart said.

Featuring both donated work created around 2011 and new pieces, the gallery will ultimately highlight Murrie’s journey as an artist, Zwart said.

Henry Matthews, director of galleries and collections at GVSU, said the initial connection between the Chicagobased artist and GVSU was made by alumnus William Lieberman, who runs the Zolla/ Lieberman Gallery in Chicago. On a trip to the gallery, Matthews and Murrie were able to connect, eventually leading to a trip to Murrie’s studio and the offer to donate the group of paintings.

“I liked the energy, the abstraction,” Matthews said. “His work—not his later, but his earlier—is richly abstract and with beautiful colors and beautiful

composition. … I went to visit his studio, and I saw what he was working on, so I was very taken by the work itself.”

Zwart said motifs and creative styles are seen throughout

all of Murrie’s diverse work, in keeping with the theme of the “ebb and flow” of the creative process. Zwart also said that while Murrie can control some aspects of his art, social condi-

tions, emotions and the act of creating are all up to “chance.”

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

ABSTRACTION: The GVSU Art Gallery will be displaying artist Herbert Murrie’s paintings starting on Monday, Jan. 15. On Jan. 18, there will be a station to learn to paint in 3-D. COURTESY | GVSU.EDU

SPORTS | A7

JANUARY 8, 2018 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLSPORTS

QUICK HITS

M. BASKETBALL

GV MEN’S CLUB HOCKEY (DIII) TO HOST FUNDRAISING EVENT FOR CANCER RESEARCH

The Grand Valley State men’s Division III hockey team is hosting their third annual Hockey Fights Cancer Event on Saturday, Jan. 27. The team will take on Hope College at 4:30 p.m. at the Georgetown Ice Arena.

Money will be raised through the ticket sales, T-shirts, bracelets and online fundraising with all of the proceeds going to the Van Andel Institute Cancer Research Facility. GVSU will be wearing purple jerseys and are also using the game as a senior night to celebrate the team’s seniors.

GVSU has had a strong season so far. The team went into the winter break with a record of 23-3. They went on an impressive streak in which the team reeled off 16 wins in a row. This streak started in October and didn’t end until Dec. 16.

The team will travel to Michigan State on Friday, Jan. 12, and then return back home to take on Michigan State on Saturday, Jan. 13, in a rival weekend series.

GV WOMEN’S CROSSCOUNTRY CAPTURES USTFCCCA PROGRAM OF THE YEAR AWARD, MEN FINISH SECOND

The Jerry Baltes Division II Women’s Program of the Year award has come back to Grand Valley State this season for the seventh time in nine years.

The GVSU women’s crosscountry team won its fifth national title in the program’s history in 2016. The track and field teams (indoor and outdoor) finished second in both Division II and the Outdoor Track and Field Championships, locking the women’s program’s first place for the Jerry Baltes award.

On the other hand, the GVSU men’s team finished second for the fourth consecutive season, earning second place at the cross-country championships and a disappointing eighth place at the indoor track and field championships.

The men’s program finished 3 points shy of winning the Program of the Year award, ending their season second to Adams State.

GV MEN’S, WOMEN’S SWIM AND DIVE COMPETE AT NOVA SOUTHEASTERN DOUBLE DUAL

FLIGHT MODE: GVSU redshirt sophomore guard Hunter Hale leaps to complete an acrobatic layup over his defender during the Lakers’ 96-64 home-opener win over Olivet College on Nov. 14, 2017. After the Lakers won five straight games during the winter break, GVSU’s record now stands at 8-7 (3-4 GLIAC). GVL | MATT READ

Men’s basketball winter-break recap

BY ROBBIE TRIANO SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM

Grand Valley State 95 vs.

Purdue Northwest 69 After losing the previous six matchups, the Grand Valley State men’s basketball hopped on a bus to Hammond, Indiana, to face newly added GLIAC foe Purdue Northwest just two days after the end of the fall semester Saturday, Dec. 16.

The Lakers came into the contest with laser focus, defeating Purdue Northwest 95-69 to break the losing streak and set their offense in the right direction moving forward. With the win, GVSU improved their overall record to 4-7 (1-4 GLIAC).

GVSU took full control of the contest in the first half, completing 8-11 field goals from behind the 3-point

line to help outscore the Pride 54-24 heading into halftime. Purdue Northwest outscored the Lakers 45-41 in the second half, but the first-half deficit was too big for the Pride to overcome.

Redshirt sophomore Hunter Hale led the contest with 19 points (7-11 FG, 4-7 3FG), along with five rebounds and four steals. Freshman forward Jake Van Tubbergen added 14 points, along with six rebounds and three assists. Junior center Justin Greason has struggled at points this season, but he played well with 12 points and nine rebounds in only 15 minutes.

Grand Valley State 101 vs.

Lawrence Tech 62 The Lakers dominated Lawrence Tech 101-62 on their home court Monday, Dec. 18. The win improved their overall record to 5-7 (1-4 GLIAC).

The Lakers dominated both

halves, outscoring Lawrence Tech 53-31 in the first half and 48-31 in the second. Grand Valley State’s defense held their opponents to a low 41 percent from the field, while their offense made 55 percent of their chances. Seven different GVSU players scored in the double digits.

Hunter Hale once again led the offensive load, accumulating 19 points, while sophomore Ben Lubitz and Justin Greason each scored 15. Other double-digit scorers included Lance Dollison (11), while Jake Van Tubbergen, Drake Baar and Brett Lauf all scored 10 each.

Grand Valley State 82 vs.

Rochester 73 After the Grand Valley State men’s basketball team finally had a chance to go home for the holidays, their break was only short lived.

The Lakers took on their toughest opponent of the break, the Rochester College Warriors, on Saturday, Dec. 30, at the GVSU Fieldhouse.

The Laker defense allowed 11 Rochester 3-pointers, but GVSU’s rebounding and unselfish ball movement gave the team the needed boost to take down the non-conference opponent.

Both teams shot 43 percent from the field, but the Lakers captured eight more rebounds and five more assists than the Warriors.

Sophomore guard Ben Lubitz scored a career-high 20 points (611 FG, 4-7 3FG) to lead all players in scoring. Leading the scoring attack off the bench were guards Lance Dollison, who tallied 13 SEE M. HOOPS | A8

W. BASKETBALL

The Grand Valley State men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams wrapped up their holiday training in a double dual dynasty at Nova Southeastern on Tuesday, Jan. 2.

The Lakers had their fair share of competition on this day.

GVSU men swept Williams Jewell College in a 174-115 final score but couldn’t get passed Nova, and in the end fell to a 173-89 final score against the Sharks.

The 12th-ranked Laker women fell short 190-72 to sixth-ranked Nova Southeastern but not before dominating with a final score of 201.50-60.50 against Williams Jewell.

One could argue that GVSU swimming and diving teams put up a tough fight in the double dual, managing to have more than half the Lakers finish as one of the top five finishers.

Watch the Lakers live in action as they take on the University of Findlay in an afternoon matchup this Saturday, Jan. 13, in the GVSU Fieldhouse pool.

HARD IN THE PAINT: GVSU senior Korynn Hincka prepares to shoot a layup in the paint over two defenders during the Lakers’ 66-59 double-overtime victory over Northern Michigan on Dec. 9, 2017. The Lakers are currently riding a six-game winning streak, holding an impressive 13-2 overall record. GVL | MATT READ

Women’s basketball winter-break recap

BY BRADY MCATAMNEY BMCATAMNEY@LANTHORN.COM

PURSUIT: GVSU’s Taylor Parmley dribbles to the basket. GVL | MATT READ

Grand Valley State 73 vs.

Purdue Northwest 53 For most college students, the first weekend of winter break means lounging on their big, soft couches in the house they grew up in, eating potato chips and recharging their minds after finals week.

The members of the Grand Valley State women’s basketball team are not like most college students, however. Instead of taking a load off their feet, they buried the Purdue Northwest Pride in Hammond, Indiana, under a barrage of buckets led by sophomore guard Jenn DeBoer’s 14-point, six-assist performance. She also nabbed a game-high three steals,

which contributed to GVSU’s 15 points off turnovers.

Four other Lakers scored in double digits, too, including senior center Korynn Hincka (13 points and 12 rebounds), junior guards Natalie Koenig (13 points and seven assists) and Victoria Hademark (11 points), and sophomore center Cassidy Boensch (10 points and seven rebounds).

GVSU controlled almost the entire game, as the Pride only led once by 2 points at the 9:15 mark in the first quarter before the Lakers took over for the rest of the contest.

The victory improved the Lakers to 9-2 (4-1 GLIAC) and knocked the Pride to 1-8 (1-4 GLIAC). GVSU’s next contest took place Tuesday, Dec. SEE W. HOOPS | A8

JANUARY 8, 2018 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLSPORTS

A8 | SPORTS M. BASKETBALL

GV men’s basketball beats SVSU to claim fifth straight win

BY ROBBIE TRIANO SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM

Heading into the winter break with a disappointing 3-7 overall record (0-4 GLIAC), the Grand Valley State men’s basketball team knew some changes needed to be made in order to save their season and hopes for postseason success.

After multiple lineup changes, necessary defensive adjustments and finding their spots on the floor offensively, the Lakers responding by winning four straight games during the break to bring their record to an even 7-7 overall record (2-4 GLIAC).

However, the Lakers had one more pre-winter semester contest. But this time, it was against archrival Saginaw Valley State (5-9, 2-4 GLIAC) at the GVSU Fieldhouse Arena on Saturday, Jan. 6.

With their improved

defense and newly discovered effort throughout the team, the Lakers defeated a physical SVSU team 81-66 to bring their record to 8-7 (3-4 GLIAC) on the season and extend their winning streak to five games. The Cardinals only completed 35 percent of their fieldgoal attempts against a stingy GVSU interior defense, which accumulated seven total blocks and five steals.

But the game wasn’t as smooth as it appeared for GVSU, as the Lakers allowed the Cardinals to creep back in the game late in the second half with unneeded shooting fouls and 13 missed free throws.

There were 45 total foul calls in the game, with 21 of them coming from GVSU. To GVSU head coach Ric Wesley, the post-game praise of his players should have been much more enjoyable for how he thought his team competed effort-wise.

“There were segments where we definitely played good basketball, but with the amount of foul calls and missed free throws, it was not a pretty game at all,” Wesley said. “We were our own worst enemy with free throws. If we made those, we could’ve had a much better sense of our performance today.”

The Lakers only shot 24 percent from outside the 3-point line, but their 34 points in the paint and solid mid-range shooting improved their total field-goal percentage to 52 percent.

Freshman forward Jake Van Tubbergen dominated on both ends of the floor, tallying a team-high 18 points (6-9 FG, 1-1 3FG, 5-7 FT) and 11 rebounds in 31 minutes to grab his first career double-double.

But to Van Tubbergen, the success he saw on the court wouldn’t have been possible without the other four teammates around him.

We were just doing a great job moving the ball and allowing me to find my spots that I could attack. It’s always nice to have teammates that will trust you to hit those open shots.”

JAKE VAN TUBBERGEN GVSU BASKETBALL “We were just doing a great job moving the ball and allowing me to find my spots that I could attack,” Van Tubbergen said. “It’s always nice to have

teammates that will trust you to hit those open shots.”

After being sidelined during the team’s first four contests with a leg injury, Van Tubbergen has proven himself as a major factor in his team’s recent success. Besides averaging 12.4 points over their recent fivegame winning streak, Van Tubbergen brings the Lakers length and height to go with their “small” lineups, along with a well-balanced offensive attack inside and outside the perimeter.

Senior Chris Dorsey came off the bench to score 12 points (6-9 FG), along with seven rebounds, in just 17 minutes.

Dorsey’s performance tied his season high for points, which places him in the right direction after losing his starting role in late November.

“We’ve really moved him around and he’s become a solid utility guy,” Wesley said.

“He’s here, he’s there, he’s everywhere, and it’s helping him

find better opportunities. He has so much talent, and we’re just uncovering some better ways to make him a hard matchup for the other team.”

Major contributions also came from GVSU seniors Myles Miller and Drake Baar.

Miller finished the contest with 9 points (3-5 FG, 3-4 FT), four assists and two steals in 24 minutes, while Baar collected 8 points, four rebounds and three blocks in just 13 minutes.

Junior Zach West came off the bench to add 9 points and nine rebounds in 28 minutes, while center Justin Greason added 9 points and seven rebounds in just 13 minutes.

The Lakers will hope to keep their winning streak alive next in their toughest test of the season against GLIAC rival Ashland University (12-3, 5-2 GLIAC) in Ashland, Ohio, on Thursday, Jan. 11.

FADEAWAY: GVSU senior guard Chris Dorsey (14) elevates over a defender to shoot a fadeaway jump shot during the team’s victory over Wayne State on Jan. 19, 2017, at the GVSU Fieldhouse. Dorsey scored a season-high 12 points, while also capturing 7 rebounds, during the Lakers’ 81-66 victory over Saginaw Valley State on Saturday, Jan. 6, finishing the winter-break schedule with a perfect 5-0. GVL | LUKE HOLMES

M. HOOPS CONTINUED FROM A7

points (5-10 FG, 3-7 3FG), and junior Zach West, adding 11 points and seven rebounds. Freshman forward Jake Van Tubbergen only

W. HOOPS CONTINUED FROM A7

19, against Aquinas (9-6) at the Fieldhouse Arena in Allendale.

Grand Valley State 68 vs. Aquinas 55 The Grand Valley State women’s basketball team celebrated the holiday season the only way a team in the midst of a budding win streak knew how to: by beating the Aquinas Saints handily by a score of 68-55.

Senior center Korynn Hincka was the star of the show for the cold-shooting Lakers, as she scored 19 points on 7-12 shooting, hauled in ten rebounds and captured three steals amidst a GVSU squad

scored 4 points but was a major contributor in the overall ball movement with a gamehigh six assists, along with six rebounds and three blocks.

Grand Valley State 88 vs. Northwood 80 After a rough start to the

that shot 26-62 (41.9 percent) from the field and 3-21 (14.3 percent) from 3-point land.

Meanwhile, sophomore guard Jenn DeBoer contributed 16 points, five rebounds and three steals, and sophomore center Cassidy Boensch added 11 and six.

The key to the game for GVSU was offensive rebounding, as the Lakers managed to grab 41.6 percent of their misses en route to 14 second-chance points—more than the 13-point difference between the two squads at the end of the contest.

With the win, the Lakers improved to 10-2, while the Saints dropped to 9-7. GVSU closed out 2017 with a home contest against the Cornerstone Eagles (9-8) on Saturday, Dec. 30.

beginning of their season, the Grand Valley State men’s basketball team faced off against GLIAC foe Northwood on the road in hopes of getting the right start to the new year on Thursday, Jan. 4.

GVSU entered halftime down 38-36, but a strong 52-

42 second half, willed by senior point guard Myles Miller, propelled the Lakers to an 8880 victory. The win was their fourth straight on the break and first of the new year. Miller played every single minute of the second half, when he scored 10 of his total 12 points.

Freshman forward Jake Van Tubbergen started the season with a leg injury but has now cemented himself as one of the Lakers’ most reliable options on both ends of the floor. Van Tubbergen finished the contest with a team-high 16 points, along with six rebounds, two

steals and two assists. Other major contributions came from Zach West (14 points), Hunter Hale (12 points) and Chris Dorsey (12 points).

With the win, the Lakers improved their overall record back to an even 7-7 overall record (2-4 GLIAC).

Grand Valley State 84 vs. Cornerstone 46 Before popping corks and watching the ball drop into a new year, the Grand Valley State women’s basketball team hosted the Cornerstone Eagles on Saturday, Dec. 30, in their last game of the year. The 5 p.m. matchup between fellow West Michigan foes was a lopsided one as the Lakers romped their crosstown opponents 84-46.

GVSU kept their opponents from leading a single second of the game and were able to keep all of their starters from playing any more than 24 minutes, a worthy rest despite the 11-day period between this and their previous game.

Sophomore center Cassidy Boensch stole the show with 18

points, nine rebounds and seven blocks in only 16 minutes off the bench. Sophomore guard Jenn DeBoer added 16 points, three assists and two steals, and freshman guard Mackenzie Harbort added 12 points in 12 minutes while hitting three of her five 3-point attempts.

Now at 11-2 and on a fourgame winning streak, the Lakers sat out of action until Thursday, Jan. 4, when they traveled to Midland, Michigan, to battle with the Northwood Timberwolves (8-3, 4-1 GLIAC) at the Riepma Arena.

extend their win streak to a season-long five games.

Four different Lakers scored double-digit points while seven different players secured at least three rebounds in an allaround team effort by GVSU. Sophomore forward Maddie Dailey led the way in scoring with 17 points, followed closely by sophomore center Cassidy Boensch (16), junior guard Natalie Koenig (14) and senior center Korynn Hincka (13).

Additionally, only four Lakers registered an assist on the evening (Koenig, Hincka, Taylor Parmley and Jenn DeBoer), though they managed to drop dimes on 16 of the team’s 23 buckets on the night.

GVSU also saw a considerable improvement in their shooting from long range as a team,

connecting on 11 of their 24 3-point attempts, good for 45.8 percent. That mark is up from 27.3 percent in their previous game against Cornerstone, which was up from 14.3 percent against Aquinas.

The victory improved the Lakers to 12-2 (5-1 GLIAC), while knocking the Timberwolves to 8-4 (4-2 GLIAC).

Conference play rolled on in the new year when the rival Saginaw Valley State Cardinals strolled into Allendale for Battle of the Valleys. GVSU beat SVSU 7048 in their first home game of 2018, improving their record to 13-2 (6-1 GLIAC), while SVSU fell to 3-11 (3-4 GLIAC).

Grand Valley State 73 vs. Northwood 55 The Grand Valley State Lakers rang in 2018 with a 73-55 victory over the Northwood Timberwolves to

JANUARY 8, 2018 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLSPORTS

SPORTS | A9

W. BASKETBALL

WEAVING THROUGH DEFENDERS: GVSU sophomore guard Jenn DeBoer dribbles her way in the paint while four defenders reach out in an attempt to steal the ball during the Lakers’ 66-52 victory over Lewis University on Nov. 19, 2017. During GVSU’s 70-48 victory over Saginaw Valley State, DeBoer led all players in scoring with 16 points, making 7-14 field-goal attempts Saturday, Jan. 6. GVL | DYLAN MCINTYRE

GV women’s basketball trounces rival SVSU for sixth straight victory

BY BRADY MCATAMNEY

BMCATAMNEY@LANTHORN.COM

The Grand Valley State women’s basketball team dominated their rival Saginaw Valley State Cardinals by a score of 7048 in their first home game of 2018. The victory is the Lakers’ sixth straight with the last five all coming by double digits.

With the win, GVSU improved to 13-2 (6-1 GLIAC), while SVSU fell to 3-11 (3-4 GLIAC).

SVSU jumped out to an early 2-0 lead a mere 24 seconds into the first quarter. This would end up being their only

lead of the game, as the Lakers responded by winning the first by an admittedly slim 2017 margin. That would change in the second quarter when GVSU stifled the Cardinals on defense, holding them to only 6 points in the period while scoring 17 of their own. They would keep the distance wide in the second half as well, winning the third and fourth quarters by a total score of 33-25.

One of the major factors resulting in SVSU’s noticeably low scoring output was an excess of turnovers, as the Cardinals gave the ball away a total of 22 times, which gave way to 23

points off turnovers for GVSU. “We told them to be in a little bit more of an attack mode defensively, and we tried to gamble on some things, go after some things, and I think what it did was we forced 22 turnovers, but they got three or four back cuts on us that we don’t normally give up,” said head coach Mike Williams. “But you know what, you’ll take the 22 turnovers, and we got some runouts out of them.

I thought it was good. I thought the kids saw them (and attacked).”

On the other side of the court, sophomore guard Jenn DeBoer led the Lakers with 16 points on 7-14 shooting despite missing all four of her 3-point attempts.

“I was really looking to attack because obviously my outside shots weren’t falling and that’s normally what I go to first, but I was willing to attack and draw and kick, and I was just really looking to get my own shot,” DeBoer said.

Senior bigs Korynn Hincka and Taylor Parmley each added 12 points of their own while combining for 14 rebounds, five assists, three

steals and two blocks. Additionally, junior guard Natalie Koenig and sophomore center Cassidy Boensch contributed 9 points each.

After going through an 11-day hiatus over Christmas break, GVSU has now completed a stretch of three games across two cities in one week, leaving the Lakers with bumps, bruises and tired legs—but that is not an entirely bad thing.

“We’re banged up. It’s just the way it is,” Williams said.

“The good thing is toward the end of the game (against Saginaw Valley State), we put some players in that

don’t always see a lot of minutes, and I thought they played really well. They can keep taking each practice seriously and improving, so if we need them, they’re going to be ready to go.”

The Lakers will need to heal up quickly, though, as the No. 1 ranked Ashland Eagles (15-0, 7-0 GLIAC) stand in their way on Thursday, Jan. 11. The road matchup with the undefeated conference rivals is set to tip off at 5:30 p.m. from Kates Gymnasium in Ashland, Ohio.

COLUMN

Column: Why parting ways with Caldwell was the right decision for the Detroit Lions

BY KELLEN VOSS SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM

January is finally upon us, which usually marks the time of year when the Detroit Lions have stopped playing football and have started looking toward the draft. And this year was just like any other, as the Lions’ week 17 season finale with the Green Bay Packers meant absolutely nothing, wrapping up yet another disappointing Lions season.

However, this season, which resulted with a 9-7 overall record, seemed to be a little more disappointing than any other in recent memory. Maybe because this team had high expectations from making the playoffs in 2016. Or maybe because the Lions started the season 3-1 and had periods where they looked like a team that could actually do some damage in the playoffs.

Matthew Stafford had another solid season, living up to most of the hype of his new $135 million deal. He led a high-quality passing attack, along with Marvin Jones Jr., who had his first 1,000-yard season and objectively the best season of his career.

And for the first time in recent memory, the Lions’ secondary was actually more than competent. Glover Quin had another solid season, logging three interceptions and forcing four fumbles. Darius Slay looked like one of the best corners in football, leading the league with eight interceptions and earning the Pro Bowl spot he rightfully deserved.

But ultimately, what did the Lions in was the same key weaknesses that have plagued them for the past decade: They couldn’t fix their offensive line; the front seven was inconsistent; and the running game once again ranked amongst the worst in the league in almost every single statistical category.

These were all factors in the decision for the Lions to part ways with head coach Jim Caldwell. Yes, during his four seasons at the helm, Caldwell did have an overall winning record for the Lions (36-28) and led Detroit to two playoff appearances (2014 and 2016), but he didn’t improve the problems he was originally brought in to fix. This includes the Lions’ inability to beat teams with winning records. So, it was time for a change in leadership.

Caldwell did do a decent job of beating the NFC North rivals (16-8, including 5-1 this past season). But in four years with the team, Caldwell finished just 4-23 against teams with a winning record, with a pitiful 1-7 record against teams over .500 this past season. Ultimately, he couldn’t beat the teams that playoff contenders are supposed to beat.

The Lions did finish 11-5 in Caldwell’s first season with the team, but Detroit hasn’t shown significant improvement since then.

The expectations are higher under general manager Bob Quinn, as they rightfully should be. Being average is a mindset that Quinn can’t tolerate—an attitude any Li-

SO LONG, COACH CALDWELL: Detroit Lions head coach Jim Caldwell, who was recently fired after the end of the Lions’ season, argues a call with the line judge during the team’s loss to the Green Bay Packers at Ford Field on Jan. 1, 2017. LEON HALIP | GETTY IMAGES

ons fan can get behind.

Quinn spoke with MLive earlier in 2018 on his championship-or-bust mentality, saying, “We’re just a little bit above average. And a little bit above average is not good enough.”

That is the main reason why it was the right decision for the Lions to fire Jim Caldwell. He was always really good at getting the Lions to destroy bad teams, win somewhere between seven and nine games and underperform against the

legit teams. That is the NFL’s quintessential definition of mediocre, and Quinn is justified to want better for Motor City.

These aren’t the same old Lions anymore. These aren’t the same Lions that were an embarrassment to the NFL, got top 10 draft picks every year, and were the main reason why our dads and granddads were angry most Sunday nights.

These Lions have the potential to be really good in the next couple years. Many key contributors on both

sides of the ball are just hitting their prime, and Stafford isn’t getting any younger. The time is now for the Detroit Lions, and Caldwell wasn’t going to help much with that.

It should be interesting to see what the Lions do with this offseason. Expect to see the Lions hire one of the former Patriots coaches (Matt Patricia and Josh McDaniels both have proven to be high-quality coordinators ready for the next step), draft some more playmakers

in the front seven and in the backfield, and groom the young players they have into even better football players.

Bottom line, don’t be distressed, Lions fans. This season did end in a rather disappointing fashion, but this team finally has the pieces to not only make the playoffs but to do some damage once they get there, too. Some new faces in the coaching staff should have the ability to put these pieces together.

JANUARY 8, 2018 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLSPORTS

A10 | SECTION COLUMN

Lanthorn sports’ DI college football championship picks

BATTLE OF THE SEC: University of Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm (left), who’s throwing a pass during his team’s Rose Bowl victory over the University of Oklahoma on Monday, Jan. 1, will now face the University of Alabama and their star quarterback, Jalen Hurts, who is looking for redemption after losing in the National Championship against the Unversity of Clemson last season. COURTESY | COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS

BY LANTHORN SPORTS SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM

Robbie Triano: Alabama 35, Georgia 21 After the Alabama Crimson Tide walked all over the Clemson Bulldogs 24-6 in the playoff Sugar Bowl matchup Monday, Jan. 1, Alabama’s strength and conditioning coach took ahold of last year’s runnerup trophy (after losing to Clemson in the National Championship) and held it high above his head.

Without hesitation, he then proceeded to viciously spike it on the locker room floor, shattering it into a million little pieces, while his players stared with eyes and jaws wide open. Before the players could even break the shock of what just

happened, the coach then whipped out a sledge hammer, swinging it around like Thor to break the little pieces into even littler pieces, leaving a huge, inconvenient mess for the cleaning staff to deal with.

First of all, what a textbook “football guy” move by this coach. This coach definitely had the Ricky Bobby mindset of “if you ain’t first, you’re last,” and he didn’t care if he hurt any feelings. Second, if that doesn’t rile Alabama head coach Nick Saban’s squad to go out and demolish SEC rival Georgia, then it’s time to reinvent the definition of “motivation” in the dictionary. Alabama has been the most dominant collegiate football program in the past decade, and I

don’t see them losing the biggest game two years in a row. Roll Tide.

Brady McAtamney: Georgia 27, Alabama 21 I want to start this off with a disclaimer: I thought this game was going to be Oklahoma versus Clemson, and I predicted Clemson would win last year’s big game, so you should probably expect the opposite of what I’m guessing. That said, this all-SEC title game should be a dandy. There’s no denying that the conference is the most talented in the land and these two squads are the cream of the sweet southern crop.

Unfortunately for the Tide, UGA’s ferocious ground game and talented air attack will overpower

Alabama’s less-than-elite offensive prowess that the Dawgs will bottle up enough to give head coach Nick Saban and the gang their second consecutive loss in the National Championship.

Kellen Voss: Georgia 38, Alabama 28 For the last few years, Alabama has been one of the most dominant teams college football has ever seen, and head coach Nick Saban has looked unbeatable in championship games. That is, until last year, when Saban and the Tide were beaten for the first time in the championship game by Clemson, proving there are indeed cracks in the Crimson armor.

This isn’t your typical dominant Alabama defen-

sive football team, as the Tide players haven’t looked at the top of their game all season, giving up more than 20 points three times this year. Expect Nick Chubb (say a quick prayer that he’s a Lion next year) and the Georgia Bulldogs’ running attack to take advantage of this Alabama defense that seems to be having a down year by their standards. Kirby Smart is a former assistant of Saban, and we’ve all seen the statistic making its rounds on social media that Saban’s former assistants have never beaten him in a football game (0-11).

Well, there’s a first time for everything. Gosh, I wish Baker Mayfield were playing in this game.

Arpan Lobo:

CFP NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP: The Alabama Crimson Tide will face the Georgia Bulldogs in the National Championship on Monday, Jan. 8. COURTESY | ASSOCIATED PRESS

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Alabama 24, Georgia 16 As much as I’d like to see any other program besides the Crimson Tide capture another National Championship, I have to pick Alabama for one reason: Head coach Nick Saban does not lose to his former assistants.

In 11 games against his old assistants, Saban is a perfect 11-0, with an average margin of victory of 32 points.

While Kirby Smart has done a great job to get Georgia into the playoffs, he’d be hard-pressed to become the first member of the Saban coaching tree to grab a win against his old coach. Even in the short existence of the college football playoffs, Saban has taken on a former apprentice, as the Tide crushed Mark Dantonio and Michigan State 38-0 in 2015.

Now, Saban hasn’t coached against Smart yet, but I don’t think the Bulldogs will be able to get it done in Atlanta.

Roll Tide.

D’Angelo Starks: Georgia 27, Alabama 23 Georgia is coming off of a very emotional game, which happened to also be the best college football game of the season. Georgia boasts a three-headed monster at running back, as well as a fast, athletic defense that can mirror the talented offense of Alabama.

Although Alabama head coach Nick Saban boasts a perfect 11-0 record against his past assistants who’ve taken head coaching positions elsewhere, I suspect that Kirby Smart will break the mold and lead the Georgia Bulldogs to a National Championship. Go Dawgs!

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