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R E A D T H E B LO G :
M./W. BASKETBALL TEAMS FACE OFF AGAINST LAKE SUPERIOR STATE
M. BASKETBALL SWEEPS WEEKEND OPPONENTS
‘NOTES FROM ABROAD’: COURTNEY HART BLOGS ABOUT LIFE IN TAIWAN
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SPORTS I B1
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M O N DAY, F E B R UA RY 6 , 2 01 2
Team-taught courses a rare advantage at GV BY Lizzy Balboa GVL NEWS EDITOR
GVL / Bo Anderson
Better than one: Jeff Chamberlain speaks to students in Live. Learn. Lead., a course team taught by four Honors faculty members, including Chamberlain. GVSU has 184 team-taught course sections.
As a liberal arts institution, Grand Valley State University manifests its interdisciplinary by investing in team-taught courses, which often combine professors of different departments or colleges to provide various viewpoints on different subjects. According to records kept by Institutional Analysis, GVSU had 184 course sections with more than one professor during the 2010-2011 school year. These teamtaught courses made up 1.7 percent of the total 11,000 sections offered. “The university believes that bringing
together the perspectives of two people, perhaps from different disciplines, can be extremely advantageous for students,” said Mary Eilleen Lyon, assistant vice president for News and Information Services. “It is one of many valuable approaches to teaching.” With Honors Jeffery Chamberlain, director of the Frederik Meijer Honors College, said GVSU is unique in offering team-taught courses. “It’s not done nearly as much (as GVSU does it),” Chamberlain said. “It’s talked SEE TEAM, A4
Probation violations increase at GV
GVL / Robert Mathews
Fight for justice: Former Olymian John Carlos (left) and author Dave Zirin discuss athletics, racism and power during Thursday’s event.
Athlete brings racial, political insight to GV BY Brady Fredericksen GVL Sports Editor
GVL Archive
Checking in: A GVPD officer checks the list of probationers. More than 100 GVSU students are currently on probation that the university is aware of.
GVPD list of students on probation surpasses 100 in 2012, violations hit 42 in 2010-11 BY Chelsea Lane GVL STAFF WRITER
A
t first glance, it would seem that a legal rehabilitation system first pioneered by Boston boot maker John Augustus in the mid-1800s would have little impact on the modern college student’s life. But for the approximately 100 Grand Valley State University students presently on probation, the system requires many life changes, and for the increasing number
of students who violate probation, some tough decisions, too. The number of GVSU students on probation constantly fluctuates, but Grand Valley Police Department Officer Jeff Stoll, who executes the required drug and alcohol tests for students on probation, said GVPD’s list currently sits at just over 100 students. The list usually has between 80 and 130 students on it, with the number decreasing during the summer months. However, this list only reflects the
number of students on probation that the university is aware of. Most of GVSU’s probationers are serving probation through the Ottawa County Court system, but if a court puts a student on probation from a different part of the state, the student is not required to disclose that information to the university unless specifically asked or their probation officer requires it. Stoll said the number of violators that SEE PROBATION, A4
The two hour-long, standing-room only conversation between Olympian John Carlos and author Dave Zirin at “Not Just a Game: Politics and Power in American Sports” on Feb. 2 didn’t touch much on athletics, but athletics weren’t the point. The event wasn’t about Carlos’ efforts in the 1968 Summer Olympics or his bronze medal in the 200-meter dash that year, it was his involvement in the civil rights movement and how his impact from that day in Mexico City is still felt today. Carlos stood with American teammate Tommie Smith, the gold medalist, on the medal podium and as the American flag was raised, the duo each raised a fists in the air, signifying racial solidarity and creating one of the most memorable moments in civil right’s history. “It wasn’t about the medal, there was no need to suffice my taste buds for an Olympic SEE OLYMPIAN, A4
No changes planned for sabbaticals BY Samantha Belcher GVL STAFF WRITER
Courtesy Photo / Heather Tafel
On the road: GVSU professor Heather Tafel poses outside of St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow during her sabbatical from GVSU. About 61 professors, or 7.3 percent, go on sabbaticals each year.
Professor sabbaticals have come under fire as university budgets tighten, but Grand Valley State University Provost Gayle Davis said the amount of sabbaticals at GVSU won’t change. Currently about 61 of GVSU’s 834 tenured or tenure-track professors, or 7.3 percent, take sabbaticals each year, according to data from GVSU’s Office of Institutional Analysis. Of those, 47, or 77 percent, take off one semester, with the rest taking off the whole
year. Professors and staff members can take semester- or year-long breaks from their jobs to volunteer, travel, study or research. They receive full pay for one semester or half pay for a full year. According to GVSU’s Administrative Manual, “Sabbatical leaves are intended primarily to encourage and promote the professional growth of those with faculty status and to enhance their teaching and scholarly effectiveness.” Davis said sabbaticals are “practically indispensable” because they provide SEE SABBATICAL, A4
A2 NEWS
Grand Valley Lanthorn MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2012
N E W S E D I TO R L I Z Z Y B A L B OA
NEWS BRIEFS GV offering first full-time MBA program Grand Valley State University is accepting applications for its full-time Master of Business Administration program until Feb. 15. The program is the first of its kind in West Michigan and guarantees students opportunities to study abroad, work a paid fellowship and study in Washington, D.C. The program lasts 14 months for full-time students.
Speaker to present lecture on ‘Pocketbook Politics’ An award-winning economist will make predictions about the 2012 presidential election from a ‘pocketbook perspective’ during a presentation sponsored by Grand Valley State University’s Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies. Patrick Anderson, principal and CEO of the Anderson Economic Group, LLC, will present an update on his 2004 Edmund A. Mennis Award-winning paper “Pocketbook Predictions of Presidential Elections” on Tuesday. His presentation will take place at 7 p.m. in the Loosemore Auditorium on Grand Valley’s Pew Campus.
GV offering financial aid workshop Financial aid experts from Grand Valley State University will participate in College Goal Sunday on Feb. 12, a statewide initiative intended to increase college enrollment, by guiding students through each step of completing and filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid form or FAFSA. The FAFSA is required of any student seeking financial aid including grants, loans and many scholarships. Students should bring a completed 2011 IRS 1040 tax return, if possible, or their W-2 and 1099 forms. The event is from 2 to 4 p.m. in the DeVos Center Building A.
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B1 B4 B5
CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS 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.
Lanthorn Volume 46, Number 40 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 Grand Valley Community. For additional copies, please contact our business offices. POSTMASTER: Please send form 3579 to Grand Valley Lanthorn, 0051 Kirkhof, Grand Valley State University, Allendale, MI, 49401
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Religion, college meet in classroom despite debate over church, state BY KRISY FORCE GVL STAFF WRITER
I
n the world of public education, the debate of whether or not religion can legally be addressed within the walls of a statefunded institution is ongoing. While elementary and secondary school teachers are all but forbidden to address the topic of religion in class, many professors of public universities not only mention it, but endorse their own beliefs. For Grand Valley State University freshman Caitlin Shannahan, the idea of religion in the classroom was somewhat of a foreign concept. “I never really had much exposure to religion in high school, so I think subconsciously I just expected it to be the same for college,” Shannahan said. “For the most part in high school, aside from making connections to certain time periods and events in history, religion was not really covered. In some classes, such as my AP English class, we were able to discuss allusions to religious writings and express our points of view, however, the teachers would mainly stay out of the conversation.” However, Shannahan said college is different. “I think professors have more freedom in the classroom when it comes to breaching the topic of religion partially because, as adults, students are able to acknowledge the fact that everyone has different points of view, and it’s an inevitable fact of life,” Shannahan said. “The topic of religion is also crucial in understanding several topics taught in college, so I definitely think professors have more liberty when it comes to discussing religion.” Bart Merkle, GVSU dean of students, said faculty
GVL Photo Illustration / Eric Coulter
Separation, combination: While separation of church and education is an ongoing debate, discussion of religion in university classrooms can enrich understanding, said CLAS Dean Frederick Antczak.
members at GVSU have the freedom to teach their courses the way they want to teach them as long as the material is relevant. If discussing religion, faculty members must have a clear connection to the context of the course, he said. GVSU administrators said few complaints have been brought to their attention regarding religion in the classroom. However, some misunderstandings have arisen. “Recently, and in almost eight years here, formal complaints are surprisingly few,” said Frederick Antczak, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. “Mostly they have traced back to a comment that was intended one way and understood another.” Shannahan said she has never felt as though a professor has intentionally pushed his or her beliefs upon her in any way. However, other students may not have had the same experience with the topic of religion in the class. “I suspect most of the cases where people have felt ill at ease get worked out in conversation between student and teacher,” Antczak said. “A student should always feel free to raise the issue with their teacher if
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she or he feels as if the class is pushing them toward a particular religion or belief. It’s probably one of those miscommunications and is likely to get worked out by more conversation.” Shannahan said she feels as though the discussion of religion in the college classroom is overall beneficial to a college education. “In college, I feel as though we’re intentionally educated about other religions and belief systems as to help cut down on ignorance towards others,” Shannahan said. “I find this extremely important because the only way to fight ignorance is with education.” She said she also believes that religion should never be “left out.” Shannahan added that it is a fact of life that the world has several different religious systems, but she said people will never understand one another or the history of mankind if the topic of religion is ignored. “No class is about adopting a particular point of view so much as it is about understanding the arguments, forms of evidence, and kinds of proof that bear on the questions important to a given discipline,” Antczak said. “The topic of religion
is incredibly rich and spacious, and can be explored in so many ways. I understand how difficult it can be when it feels as if one’s beliefs are being challenged. It may seem exactly like that when a religious point of view is examined from an anthropological perspective, or a historical one. Again, no one is compelled to emerge from any class with a particular set of religious or doctrinal beliefs. But in an increasingly religiously diverse public sphere, we are all better thinkers if we know about many religions from many points of view.” The university offers religious studies courses which “can open a door for a different kind of conversation on religion than (if a student is taking) a civil war course,” Merkle said. A religious studies major and minor is currently pending at GVSU, and a final decision will be made by the Board of Trustees this semester. kforce@lanthorn.com
A3 OPINION
Grand Valley Lanthorn MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2012
L A N T H O R N O P I N I O N O N L I N E AT L A N T H O R N . C O M R E A D T H E B LO G : “NOTES FROM ABROAD” BY CO U R T N E Y H A R T
VA L L E Y VOT E : Should universities fund professors’ sabbaticals?
L AST I S S U E ’ S Q U E ST I O N : Do you think people with college degrees are happier than those without?
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Y E S 63% N O 37%
EDITORIAL
TAKING TIME I n a time when government funding is being slashed, student dissatisfaction with tuition hikes is growing and the concept of making do with less is putting everyone on edge, it makes sense that universities — and their critics — would examine their budgets with a fine-tooth comb. However, while many of those critics have set their sights on professor sabbaticals, arguing that universities shouldn’t use their limited resources to pay professors to not teach, those sabbaticals are worth more than a line item on a budget. Yes, those sabbaticals cost money up front
Sabbaticals are an investment in a richer academic experience, not a drain on limited university funds
— more than $23 million from all of the Michigan universities combined in 2004, according to a Detroit News article — but they pay that investment back by enriching students’ educational experiences. Most students attend universities likes Grand Valley State University over online institutions because we want to learn from professors who have gone into the world and experienced other cultures and can bring that information back to the classroom. Learning about the Chinese economic system from a professor who is an expert in the field is good, but learn-
QUESTION OF THE ISSUE
ing about the Chinese economic system from an expert professor who has had the opportunity to go to China and examine that system first-hand is even better. Those experiences give a richer understanding of their field, and that understanding translates to a better classroom experience for the student. While it seems counterintuitive that not teaching could make for a better teacher, college courses and university curriculums are not closed off from the world. Many of these subjects are multicultural and multidimensional, and
travelling outside of Allendale, Mich., can provide depth of understanding that might not otherwise be available without changing perspective. The state’s budget woes are far from over, but GVSU has been right in its choice to not reduce the number of sabbaticals its professors take. With only 7.3 percent, or 61 of the 834 tenured and tenure-track professors, leaving each year, and with the majority of those only leaving for one semester, the time away is a small sacrifice to make for better classroom experiences for GVSU students.
GVL EDITORIAL CARTOON I BY DAN SILLS
What did you do for Super Bowl Sunday? “I watched the game at Kirkhof Center.”
RORY RUX
Senior, broadcasting Chicago, Ill.
“I spent it working at Subway in River landing.”
KATIE COKER
Sophomore, biology Beaverton, Mich.
“Unfortunately, working at the 2020 desk.”
dsills@lanthorn.com
I don’t care about Super Bowl commercials anymore
SHANNA JONES
Junior, physical education Detroit, Mich.
BY CHRIS SLATTERY
“I played soccer, then caught the second half of the game due to Tom Brady being a former Wolverine.”
JEFFERY KOTYNIA
Junior, hospitality and tourism mgmt. Clarkston, Mich.
“I studied, exercised, played soccer and cooked dinner.”
OMAR ALSALLUM
Freshman, information technology Ridyadh, Saudi Arabia
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GVL OPINION POLICY The ultimate goal of the Grand Valley Lanthorn opinion page is to stimulate discussion and action on topics of interest to the Grand Valley Community. Student opinions do not reflect those of the Grand Valley Lanthorn. The Grand Valley Lanthorn welcomes reader viewpoints and offers three vehicles of expression for reader opinions: letters to the editor, guest columns and phone responses. Letters must include the author’s name and be accompanied by current picture identification if dropped off in person. Letters will be checked by an employee of the Grand Valley Lanthorn.
GVL COLUMNIST
Wow, that was a heckuva game yesterday, wasn’t it? Who saw that team winning? Not this, guy, that’s for sure. Okay, I’ll cut the crap because everyone knows how infrequently I follow sports. Yes, it was the Super Bowl XLVI and that halftime show happened with Madonna but the main reason I watch the Big Game is for the commercials. Super Bowl commercials have the reputation of having the funniest, wildest and most inspirational commercials of the year. And GoDaddy.com advertisements. Companies spend literally millions of dollars for single advertisements with
is the build-up and eventual pay-off. Everyone gathers to watch a tension-fueled game that Doritos occasionally interrupts to remind America that, yes, cheese powder chips still exist. When companies throw down a million dollars for 30 seconds of airtime, we expect them to pull out as many stops as money allows, giving us clever, thought-provoking and wacky scenarios that make us want to buy their products. They are the quintessential water-cooler moments, along with “Saturday Night Live” sketches and “Gossip Girl” cliffhangers. Why is it that we want everything so immediately, and why do these billiondollar corporations indulge us? We’re like children, too anxious about Christmas presents that we shake and rattle the box until the wrapping paper can’t help but fall off early. The mystery, the allure, the wait is gone and
all that’s left is an overall indifference to everything cool. And it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. That Honda ad should have been a huge deal for me — I love “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” and have nothing against automobiles — and given the correct context (Super Bowl Sunday), I would have lost some, if not all, of my marbles upon seeing it. It would have been AN EVENT, but instead half of the audience (and myself) said, “Meh, I already saw it last week.” Film studios release their movies on iTunes early, record companies leak their albums before the official date, and now the sanctity of the Super Bowl commercial is tarnished. It’s a sad day for America, because now the only surprise left is who wins the game. And GoDaddy.com advertisements. cslattery@lanthorn.com
Public school (and university) is cool
BY ANDREW JUSTUS
Letters appear as space permits each issue. The limit for letter length is one page, single spaced. The editor reserves the right to edit and condense letters and columns for length restrictions and clarity. All letters must be typed. The Grand Valley Lanthorn will not be held responsible for errors that appear in print as a result of transcribing handwritten letters or e-mail typographic errors. The name of the author may be withheld for compelling reasons. The content, information and views expressed are not approved by nor necessarily represent those of the university, its Board of Trustees, officers, faculty and staff.
celebrity cameos, outlandish special effects and long running times, sometimes only to play once. And GoDaddy. com advertisements. This year, however, I just didn’t care. All the big advertisers aired their commercials early and I just watched them on YouTube while I was supposed to study for... anything. That “Ferris Bueller” Honda ad? They released it last week. People were disappointed because they expected a sequel to the classic John Hughes movie instead of a plug for the new CR-V that cashed in on the popularity of Matthew Broderick’s lovable ‘80s character. Personally, I saw the commercial as a carefully-constructed nod with the best of intentions, but I also liked the movie “Cloverfield” so maybe I shouldn’t be the authority of good taste. The whole point of these Super Bowl advertisements
GVL ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
I’m proud to say I’ve attended public school all my life. From kindergarten to my final months here at Grand Valley State University, the government has been the one footing the bill for much of my education. I have had the pleasure of attending class with what some would call the unwashed masses, and kids from the other side of the tracks. There are few Land Rovers or BMW’s in the parking lots and no trust
fund babies wandering the hallways of our academic buildings. I would have it no other way. School is not only about getting in some quality “book learning,” it’s about learning from and interacting with those who are unlike you, who have different beliefs and who have different ideas. Such secondary learning is possible, I feel, only in the public school system and at state colleges and universities. It is so important that even if I somehow become a multi-millionaire when I grow up, I will likely send my children to public school and to a state-run college or university. One of the things I can especially appreciate about
getting a public education is relating with those who overcome adversity in their pursuit of an education. Many students at this school, and others like it, work to put themselves through school, some get by with little if any help from their parents. I am at the same time humbled and inspired by their efforts and achievements. Since this column requires me to talk about government at some point I will urge vaguely that in the future, after many of us graduate from GVSU, we should work to make sure that the kids who grow up on the wrong side of the tracks and have to work for everything they’ve got have a shot at a decent
education. Children of the future should have at the least a noticeably better opportunity than we do to bring themselves up by their bootstraps through a quality public education. Those reading this column that attended private high school or have somehow stumbled across an edition of the Lanthorn at Albion College, Hamilton College or Duke University, you don’t know what you’re missing. Your high tuition cost and small student bodies rob you of the chance to know the unwashed masses and the unlikely success stories who are poster children for the American Dream. assistantnews@ lanthorn.com
A4 NEWS TEAM
continued from A1
about a fair amount but very few places (implement it).” Chamberlain said GVSU has offered team-taught courses in the Honors College since the 1970s, when the first European Civilization class was established. The college pulls faculty members from other departments in the university, combining experts of different fields to instruct students in interdisciplinary subjects. This semester, 30 courses, which are divided into 15 sequences, are team taught in the Honors College. Most are based in the humanities, but some are more focused on the social sciences. Chamberlain said the Honors College will add three new sequences next year, one being taught by a poet and an artist. “We’ve been moving to incorporate other kinds of disciplines in recent years, partly because when people come in with a mix of AP (credits), we’re looking to find a good balance of things they need to take to make it really appropriate for them,” he said. Chamberlain said this teaching method is very expensive and cannot be done in every classroom. “It’s enormously expensive to do because if you’re taking faculty out of classes that they would be in otherwise, you’re reducing the amount of courses they can teach by half by putting them together in a sequence like this,” Chamberlain said. At GVSU, professors are
PROBATION continued from A1
GVSU or Ottawa County is aware of has increased over the past two years from 32 violations in the 2009-10 calendar year to 42 in 2010-11. If a student violates probation under a different jurisdiction, GVSU may not be notified. “Unfortunately we’re still seeing a high level of violators,” Stoll said. “I think sometimes students don’t recognize the seriousness of engaging in activities that the probation office has told them they cannot do.” Stoll said the number of violations seems likely to rise for the near future, although he added the recent increase may be at least partially attributed to increased dissemination of information by the probation office, making it easier to identify the number of students on probation and assist in monitoring them. Completing probation In order to successfully complete probation, a probationer must adhere to a set of behavioral guidelines or risk further penalties, up to and including jail time. Stoll said that for GVSU students, the most common condition of probation is abstaining from use of drugs or alcohol. Depending on the conditions set by the student’s probation officer, students may be subject to random testing at their residence, daily tests at the DPS office and/or random searches, depending on the circum-
OLYMPIAN continued from A1
medal, it was required by Olympic rules and regulations, you had to have a medal to reach the victory stand,” Carlos said. “To be able to make a statement, you cannot forget those who are less fortunate, those have been mistreated.” Villainized for his actions, Carlos has spent his postOlympic life speaking about the civil rights movement and what his actions in Mexico City really meant. His presentation here at Grand Valley State University touched on a number of subjects, most notably his relationship with both Martin Luther King, Jr., and Malcolm X. Growing up in Harlem, Carlos met Malcolm X at a
Grand Valley Lanthorn MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2012
compensated for team-teaching by having the first hour count as part of their regular teaching load, while the second hour is considered overtime. At this point, no changes are being implemented to the funding of team-taught courses. “We have no plans to change this practice, including judicious use of new opportunities for team teaching if it is in the best interests of the students,” said Provost Gayle Davis. Honors student Jenna Bernson said team teaching has given her a strong academic experience so far. Bernson is in a two-year sequence, “The Making of Europe,” which has four professors bringing expertise from different fields. “I believe that having more than one professor has been a great advantage to my academic career,” she said. “It brings a lot of knowledge into the classroom. For example, when one professor is lecturing about history, an important historical concept can be exemplified by the art of the period, which can ever-so-swiftly be done by the art historian sitting in the room.” Different dynamic Professor Jeremiah Cataldo said the sequences are beneficial not only for students, but instructors as well. Before joining the Honors College at the beginning of this year, Cataldo taught one team-taught course in the history department. He now teaches a freshman Honors
segment, “Alliance and Conflict: World Construction in Religion and Society,” with a philosophy professor. Cataldo said the class dynamics of a team-taught course are different than when one professor teaches alone, but he said he enjoys both methods. “I enjoy being in this environment,” he said “For me, it’s absolutely worth it. The style of back and forth changes a little bit when there’s another professor in the room. “When you’re team teaching, you can play off not only the engagement of the student, but the engagement of the other professor.” Cataldo said dialogue between professors is advantageous for students to hear. “One of the benefits to having another professor in a room is the two professors can have an academic discussion and model an academic discussion for students, like what goes on in the professional world,” he said. “If done well, it models academic debate and discussion.” Cataldo said team teaching shows students how to handle unexpected disagreement. However, he said team teaching can also pose a challenge for students, especially those who try to cater to a particular professor’s academic style. The students are not the only ones who meet challenges, though. Professors, too, have to adapt to each others’ teaching styles and viewpoints. “I’m having to defend
points or proposals that I’m offering from the perspective of philosophy,” Cataldo said. “It’s challenging. It forces me to at times admit that I don’t know everything.” The professor said the experience has fostered his own professional growth. “Overall, it’s the discussion by which we learn, its not having the right answers its not having the wrong answers,” he said. “Having somebody there who’s able to challenge me from a different perspective makes me learn constantly.” Cataldo said the philosophical outlook of his teaching partner has even influenced his professional pursuits. “On a subconscious level, if I think back on it now, some of the things I’ve been pursuing, the avenues that I’ve been pursuing, have been influenced,” he said. “They’ve changed since I started team teaching with a philosopher.” Overall, Cataldo agreed with the administrators that team-teaching is beneficial to the university. “I think if done well it demonstrates perhaps the true spirit of interdisciplinary in liberal arts,” Cataldo said. Bernson said the teamteaching courses have succeeded in integrating different academic fields. “By going through the team-teaching experience, I really have been able to see how different academic disciplines act together to form one knowledge, as the parts of the body act together as one being,” she said. news@lanthorn.com
stances in their specific case. When to conduct a random test is determined by the probation officer and Stoll said he is “essentially just the executor” of the test once he receives notification from the probation officer. Addictions specialist Mike Gillen, who worked as a federal probation officer from 1974 to 2002 prior to his current job at the GVSU Counseling Center, said some probationers get a “false sense of security” about testing by thinking it is routine, but all probationers have the potential to be tested at anytime. “A probation officer has the latitude where let’s say I test today and I pass,” Gillen explained. “They can test again tomorrow... I stress with them the importance of not using when they’re on probation.” If a student tests positive or misses a required test, their probation officer is notified and then files a petition with the court. Consequences for violations are at the judge’s discretion and while the burden of proof differs from a criminal trial, the officer still must present evidence in support of the violation petition. Gillen also stressed the importance of taking probation seriously and recognizing the potential long-term consequences of violating, including not only criminal penalties but also an impact on students’ job searches after college. He said he tries to show students the consequences of
violating in hopes that they won’t have to face them firsthand. “Follow these conditions,” he said. “Even if they think they’re unfair, follow them... Some students, it (probation) wakes them up and some students, they just don’t get it yet. Not that they’re bad people, but it just hasn’t registered yet.” Life beyond probation Gillen said probation was designed not as a punishment, but as “a grant of trust by the court” to keep people who are unlikely to re-offend out of jail. He said that while most students on probation just need help “making mature decisions” and learning how to improve some of their habits and behaviors, he has also witnessed several students suffering from serious addiction problems whose lives were changed by probation. “I have seen this actually save lives and save a small percentage of students from their addiction,” he said. “Believe me, I have... I actually know students who have gone back and thanked the court.” Eric Klingensmith, who handles the “educational piece” of the probation process as director of Marijuana and Alcohol Campus Education Services (MACES), said supportive friends and roommates who are willing to change their behaviors and drinking habits to help a probationer, coupled with a probationer’s “genuine desire
to change,” are often crucial factors in a student’s ability to successfully complete probation. Klingensmith added some students do not fully understand what they’re getting into when they are put on probation or apply for a diversion program. He encouraged students to talk to a counselor if they would like to go over the conditions of their probation or attend 12-step meetings if they are struggling to stop using. A minimum of two meetings are held 365 days a year for students. “(The meetings are) on campus so students don’t have to drive anywhere,” Klingensmith said. “Many students do lose their license (as part of probation).” One of the meetings’ goals is to help students determine why they are drawn to using substances and how to develop healthier coping methods to avoid continued usage. Gillen said many students who complete probation have found ways to “stay busy in a positive way” with academics, jobs or extracurricular activities. “If students can identify with something in college and get involved with an activity or a group and get a sense of identity beyond maybe the partying, they’ll succeed,” he said. “These students aren’t criminals. They just have to get it that if they’re on probation, they have to cease that behavior that got them on probation.” clane@lanthorn.com
speaking engagement and developed a bond with the human right’s activist until his death in 1965. Prior to the Olympics, Carlos was also called to meet with Martin Luther King, Jr. There, he discussed King’s support of an Olympic boycott, something King would publicly announce after his trip to Memphis, Tenn., during which he was assassinated. Carlos spoke highly of King’s courage as well, and said he lowered his glasses to make true eye-to-eye contact with him during their conversation where King spoke of death threats he faced in his upcoming trip. “When a man tells you they have a bullet with your name on it, you should be afraid,” Carlos said. “When I looked in Dr. King’s eyes, you
know what I saw? Love, love for humanity.” Growing up on the streets of Harlem, New York, Carlos told the audience of his family and upbringing. Whether it be joking about the time he set fire to the trees in front of his housing complex because the landlord wouldn’t spray for caterpillars or the fact that he gave that same land lord a 48-hour ultimatum, something his father would tell him when he did something wrong, the audience had its fair share of laughter. Along with discussions of his past and his book “The John Carlos Story: The Sports Movement That Changed the World,” Carlos touched on issues today like Occupy movements – offering advice to protestors on Wall Street.
“Why am I here? Because I am you … as you stand here right now, remember what you are fighting for is not for you,” Carlos said. “You are the catalyst to have it better for your kids down the line.” Students also found appreciation for Carlos’ efforts at the presentation. Despite the event happening 43 years ago, the impact was still felt and Carlos supported here at GVSU. “He’s a guy that kind of gets overlooked in the realm of sports,” said junior Pete Barrows. “He was a person who was really down to earth … I think that is a preferable way to go about giving a message as opposed to getting up on a pedestal and preaching your stuff.” sports@lanthorn.com
Courtesy Photo / Heather Tafel
There and back: Heather Tafel (pictured, in Russia) was one of the 61 professors at GVSU who took a sabbatical this year. Professors must teach for six consecutive years before leaving.
SABBATICAL continued from A1
faculty opportunities to enhance their teaching abilities. She added that the amount of sabbaticals offered each year has remained fairly constant, and that no changes are being made to the university’s current funding of sabbaticals. Davis said GVSU has offered faculty sabbaticals since its establishment. “Sabbaticals provide faculty opportunities to develop and refine their knowledge in their field in order to keep up to date (and) expand into a new area of teaching or scholarship...” Davis said. “(Faculty members can) work in another locale with other professionals in an area of common interest. (Sabbaticals) in other ways enrich their abilities to contribute to Grand Valley’s teaching and scholarship mission.” After the University of Iowa cut half of its sabbaticals in 2009, MSNBC reported that several U.S. universities considered eliminating sabbaticals in order to cut costs. A 2006 article in The Detroit News reported that Michigan universities paid more than 500 professors $23.2 million for sabbaticals during the 20042005 school year, a sum that drew fire from critics, who argued that taxpayers should not pay for professors to take a break from teaching. Heather Tafel, a GVSU political science professor, spent September and October of her fall sabbatical in
Russia. Tafel visited Moscow and St. Petersburg to research Russia’s ruling United Russia party. “It was exciting to see how things had changed since I was last in Russia,” she said. Tafel said the sabbatical allowed her to interview Russian journalists, politicians, and scholars for her research papers, adding that it was easier to conduct research during the school year than during summer vacation because many of the people she interviewed were more accessible during the year. At GVSU, sabbatical leaves may be granted to tenured faculty members after six consecutive years of full-time service. Staff members wishing to go on sabbatical must write a proposal stating what they will be doing professionally, how the sabbatical will contribute to their studies and what academic skills they will be practicing. Once a faculty member returns from sabbatical, he or she must prepare a final report stating what activities and accomplishments were done during the leave. Employees are also asked to return to GVSU to teach full-time after the sabbatical. The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences will host a Sabbatical Showcase in April to allow faculty and staff to discuss their sabbatical research with other faculty members. For more information, visit www. gvsu.edu/clas/sabbaticalshowcase-90.htm. sbelcher@lanthorn.com
B SPORTS
Grand Valley Lanthorn MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2012
sports@lanthorn.com
S P O R T S E D I TO R B R A DY F R E D E R I C K S E N S P O R T S
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Righting the ship
Softball ranked No. 18 to start season The Grand Valley State University softball team will begin the season ranked No. 18, according to a preseason poll released by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association on Wednesday. GVSU is coming off a 2010-2011 campaign where the Lakers compiled a 4616 record and advanced to the NCAA Midwest Super Regional finals. All 18 players are returning in 2012 including junior designated player Katie Martin. In 2011, Martin was tabbed as the Daktronics National Player of the Year and a First Team AllAmerican. 2011 GLIAC Freshman of theYear Miranda Cleary will also return after racking up 19 home runs and 52 RBI in her first season at GVSU. Aside from garnering attention in the national poll, the Lakers were picked to win the GLIAC North Division.
Hot shooting leads Lakers to GLIAC sweep
By Brady Fredericksen GVL Sports Editor
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Baseball receives preseason accolades The Grand Valley State University baseball team will start the season ranked No. 4 in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association preseason poll. A season ago, the Lakers compiled a 52-5 record and advanced to the NCAA Division II World Series for the fifth time in nine years. GVSU also held the top spot in the preseason Midwest Regional poll. Individually, the Lakers racked up five preseason honors. Seniors Steve Anderson, Kyle Schepel and junior Brad Zambron all garnered first team, second team and honorable mention Preseason All-American accolades, respectively. Additionally, Anderson, Schepel, Zambron, Ryan Garman and Brian Robinson were tabbed as preseason All-Midwest Region selections.
G L I A C
STANDINGS M. Basketball GLIAC North Standings Ferris State Michigan Tech. Northwood GVSU Saginaw Valley Lake Superior Northern Mich.
10-3 9-5 8-5 8-6 6-8 5-9 4-10
W. Basketball GLIAC North Standings Ferris State Michigan Tech. GVSU Northern Mich. Lake Superior Northwood Saginaw Valley
12-1 10-4 6-8 6-8 4-10 3-10 3-11
M. Swimming and Diving GVSU Indianapolis Findlay Wayne State Ashland Lake Erie Lewis
4-1 3-1 2-2 2-2 1-3 0-1 0-2
W. Swimming and Diving GVSU Hillsdale Wayne State Indianapolis Findlay Ashland Lake Erie Lewis Northern Mich.
5-1 4-1 3-1 2-2 2-3 1-4 0-1 0-3 0-2
B A S K E T B A L L
GVL / Amalia Heichelbech
Home court: Junior forward Tyrone Lee drives the ball up the court. The Lakers defeated Lake Superior State and Saginaw Valley State universities this weekend.
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oming off their worst stretch of the season, the Grand Valley State University men’s basketball team hope a little home cooking could solve their oft-losing ways. They were out-shot and out-rebounded in the first half on Saturday, but that home-court advantage gave GVSU enough as they took down visiting Lake Superior State University 75-63. “It’s always good be at home,” said junior forward Tyrone Lee, who, along with his teammates, thanked the GVSU pep band after the game with a shower of high-fives. “You’re comfortable, you don‘t have to be on the road, on the bus, in the hotels ... it’s just always good to play in front of your home crowd.” In a battle of the Lakers, GVSU (12-9, 8-6 GLIAC)
used 13 points off nine turnovers to extend a one-point halftime lead to as much as 20 points in the second half. Lake Superior State (1011, 5-8 GLIAC), who beat GVSU 69-57 in their previous matchup, shot only 33.3 percent from the field in the second half. Lake Superior State played the majority of the game without senior guard Kyle Hunt, who played only seven minutes due to the flu. Despite that, GVSU forced the opposition into difficulties throughout the game. Even with their secondleading scorer’s absence, high-scoring Derek Billings scored 28 points, but 16 of those came from the free throw line as Billings’ shot only 5 of 12 from the field. “Obviously, he‘s one of the top shooting guards in our conference,” said GVSU head coach Ric Wesley. “He had a lot of our attention, and we just tried to not let him have open shots because he is a deadeye shooter.” Leading the scoring effort for GVSU were seniors James Thomas and Nick Waddell. Thomas dropped in 18 points and a gamehigh nine rebounds, while Waddell scored six of his 11 points in the second half. “Nick has continued to be aggressive. As long as he stays out of foul trouble, he‘s usually an effective player,” Wesley said. “He’s had three good games in a
row, really, I think his focus is a little bit better — I think he was putting too much pressure on himself.” Waddell’s play, as well as that of freshman Ryan Sabin and junior Tyrone Lee, were a big part of GVSU’s success this week. Prior to Saturday’s game, the trio led GVSU to a 7556 victory over Saginaw Valley State University on Thursday. Waddell put together a career night against the Cardinals, scoring 26 points on 11-of-12 shooting, while also grabbing 10 rebounds. Lee grabbed seven rebounds on Thursday and added seven more to that total on Saturday. Along with Waddell, the play of Sabin, who was recently taken out of the starting lineup, has helped to spark the offense. The freshman guard added 14 points in the first half against Saginaw Valley State, finishing with 18, and continued his strong play on Saturday, scoring 10 points while grabbing five rebounds. “With experience, you obviously get better, but coach has been encouraging me to get to the hole more, which has helped me to get to the line a little,” Sabin said. “It’s kind of clicking for me.” The Lakers will return to the court Thursday when they take on the GLIAC’s leading scorer Evan Yates and Ashland University at 8 p.m. in the GVSU Fieldhouse Arena. sports@lanthorn.com
B A S K E T B A L L
Shooting woes doom Lakers in winless weekend By Stephanie Deible GVL Assistant Sports Editor
Offense came at a premium for the Grand Valley State University women’s basketball team inside the Fieldhouse Arena this weekend. Except the Lakers weren’t generating any, dropping their fourth-straight contest on Saturday, falling to Lake Superior State University (813, 4-10 GLIAC) 51-42. GVSU (9-12, 6-8 GLIAC) scored 42 points, its lowest point total since Dec. 30, and committed 19 turnovers in the loss. “We need to continue to try and put the ball in the hole,” said GVSU head coach Janel Burgess. “These last two games we shot 25 percent and 31 percent from the field. It’s going to be really tough when you’re shooting that poorly to be able to be successful.” The Lakers built a sixpoint lead midway through the second half off of backto-back three-pointers by junior guard Briauna Taylor. Taylor, who turned in her third double-double of the season with 19 points and 10 rebounds, said her confidence to knock down threepointers has increased in recent games. However, five turnovers
in the last seven minutes of play negated Taylor’s contributions from beyond the arc and aided an Lake Superior State comeback. “We have to eliminate turnovers,” Burgess said. “This is the first game in the last four games that we’ve had 19 turnovers. We’ve been holding ourselves to 12 and 13 turnovers here in this last little swing.” While shooting woes and turnovers plagued the Lakers, sophomore guard Breanna Kellogg’s defensive effort held Maria Blazejewski, Lake Superior State’s 17 points-per-game scorer, to a single basket in the first half. “I’m definitely a defensive minded player,” Kellogg said. “Every game I’m going into I just want to hold whoever I’m guarding scoreless. I always try to play the best defense I can and when I need help my teammates are there.” The Lakers dropped a 5750 decision to Saginaw Valley State University (5-16, 3-11 GLIAC) on Thursday. In early January, when GVSU met up with the Cardinals, junior center Alex Stelfox’s buzzer-beating shot propelled the Lakers to 51-50 victory. There were no heroics for the Lakers this time around.
GVSU struggled to score from the opening tip, mustering 17 points in the first half and ending the game shooting a season-low 25 percent from the floor. For Burgess, working through offensive struggles is part of a process as the Lakers try to overcome knee injuries suffered by juniors Alex Stelfox, Lauren Stodola and Brittany Taylor and a shoulder injury that has limited the play of sophomore Kellie Watson. “I think it just comes down to continuing to learn the new situations that we’re in,” she said. “We’re asking kids to shoot the ball when they haven’t been used to shooting the ball. So it’s very tough.” Fifth-year senior Kara Crawford led the Lakers in their loss to the Cardinals with 16 points and ten rebounds. GVSU will be back in action against Ashland University on Thursday at 6 p.m. in the Fieldhouse Arena. assistantsports@lanthorn.com
GVL / Amalia Heichelbech
Defeated: Freshman guard Meryl Cripe drives the ball up court.
B2 SPORTS
Grand Valley Lanthorn MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2012 S W I M M I N G
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GVL Archive
Ready: Freshman Sven Kardol butterflies during a past individual medley. The men’s (7-3, 4-1) and women’s (8-3, 4-1) swimming and diving teams will host the GLIAC Championships Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.
Lakers prepare for GLIAC Championships BY Bryce Derouin GVL STAFF WRITER
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he Grand Valley State swim and dive teams have found success throughout the regular season and now they look forward to their most important meet of the season: the GLIAC Championships. “We’re really focused going into it,” said senior men’s co-captain Sam Soukup. “A lot of the guys are looking forward to this. We have kind of built everything around the conference meet, and said everything is a process and all the dual meets are steps towards the conference meet.” The men’s (7-3, 4-1) only GLIAC loss came against the University of Indianapolis, when the Lakers dropped a 122-119 decision. They defeated conference foes Lewis University (186-49), Ashland University (15488), Wayne State University (159-41) and the University of Findlay (170-41).
Soukup said the important role the entire team has in a meet that means so much. “I think all of the success I’ve had and the program has had derives directly from your team,” he said. “Every race everyone is standing up screaming their heads off. The team pumps each other up and it’s a great environment and great experience for everyone.” The women (8-3, 4-1) have performed consistently well throughout the season. Their only conference loss came against Wayne State, when they dropped a 165-135 decision. GVSU defeated Ashland (152-88), Northern Michigan University (194-104), Findlay (159-74), Hope College (149-90) and Indianapolis (135-99). Head coach Andy Boyce is hopeful that his teams will be able to maintain their high level of swimming from the regular season and contend for first place. “We’re looking pretty healthy right now, M .
and looking to drop some times and have great dives,” he said. “It’s going to be a really competitive meet with us, Wayne State, Indianapolis and Ashland competing for the top spot. GVSU is hoping that their depth will be a key difference in their ability to score points under the scoring system that is used in the GLIAC meet. “We have strong swimmers in almost every event, and right at the top of the conference in diving as well,” Boyce said. “The scoring’s different from a regular dual meet, and the depth of a team will help you in this situation. We have depth on both the men’s and women’s side. A lot of points are being given out for first through eighth, so that’s our goal, to get as many people as we can in the top eight.” One swimmer the Lakers will rely on is senior Carly Bush, the defending GLIAC champion of the 200-yard butterfly.
“Everybody’s prepared and we are all really excited for the meet,” she said. “We have been training for it all year round. Now that it’s close, we are ready to go and feeling good in the water. As a team I think we are going to pull together and do some amazing things.” Both teams will have their endurance tested over the four-day meet. The Lakers will have to use their time off useful to prepare their bodies for the grind. “We try to get as much rest as we can and eat healthy,” Bush said. “In between races we try to sleep and get good rest and try to stay as loose and ready as we can, because your muscles get sore and you get a lot of lactic acid built up.” The Lakers will have a home pool advantage as the meet takes place in the Jenison Aquatics Center, where the Lakers already swam this year against Michigan State. The meet begins Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. bderouin@lanthorn.com
H O C K E Y
Club returns to winning ways with road sweep BY Jon Van Zytveld GVL STAFF WRITER
After last week’s streakending loss against Michigan State University, the Grand Valley State University Division II hockey club hit the road and proved that their success is no fluke with wins
against Central Michigan and Ferris State universities. “Last weekend, we lost two really close games to good teams,” said junior defender Craig Marrett. “You don’t want to have a negative mentality about it. We just went back to work.” On Friday, the Lakers
(26-4-1) traveled to Mount Pleasant, Mich., to take on the Chippewas, who the Lakers defeated 7-2 last month. Despite digging themselves something of a hole in the first period with a 2-0 loss, the Lakers returned in the second and third and kept chipping away at the Chippe-
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was before wrapping up their 4-2 victory. “It was a closer game than we thought it would be,” Marrett said. “It wasn’t our best game, but it definitely wasn’t our worst. We battled pretty hard, for the most part. We got a lot of chances that we didn’t capitalize on. It was nothing to be disappointed about — we got out of there with a win.” On Saturday, the Lakers traveled to Big Rapids, Mich., and faced off against the Clubdawgs, the teams’ first matchup of the season. After falling behind in the first, the Lakers stayed in the game with their aggressiveness, eventually turning it around in the third to win, 5-2. “While we were down early and didn’t really have the lead until late in the game, we controlled the play the whole time,” said senior forward Brad Keough. “Their goalie made some huge saves for them. We have a pretty hard working team and everyone comes prepared, so it doesn’t make much of a difference to us whether we play on the road or at home. We were really satisfied with how we played; we just caught a couple of bad bounces that put us down early.” Junior forward Chad Wilhelm, who was taken off the roster after a shoulder injury put him temporarily out of commission, had planned to play Saturday, but agreed that playing might have reinjured his shoulder. “It was very frustrating not
GVL Archive
The victors: Sophomore defenseman Dylan Dault (24) prepares for Oakland to move up the ice during a previous match. The Lakers defeated Central Michigan and Ferris State universities.
playing but I think it’s good to give my shoulder some more rest,” he said. “The team performed as well as they could against a team like Ferris State, who plays very well at their home rink.” This weekend solidifies GVSU’s first place regional ranking, and the team hopes to go 3-0 with the last three games of their season approaching. The Lakers will host Division III teams Saginaw Valley State University and Hope College on Friday and Saturday, respectively. While
the Lakers have not faced off against Hope this season, they tied Saginaw Valley, 1-1, in September and lost to them, 1-3, in October. The team is gearing up for two good games, and the Lakers feel prepared to settle the score. “They’re both solid teams,” Keough said. “We’re just looking to keep it rolling going into post-season. Everyone is prepared and we all want to get back at Saginaw because they beat us earlier this year.” jvanzytveld@lanthorn.com
SPORTS B3
Grand Valley Lanthorn MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2012 T R A C K
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GVL Archive
Battle of the sexes: Senior tennis player Alyss Lucas serves the ball during a past match. The GVSU women’s tennis team will begin their spring season on Feb. 24 in Indianapolis.
GVL Archive
Return to form: Sophomore runner Eric Parrish sprints during a previous home meet. The Lakers returned from the Indiana University Relays to sweep Saginaw Valley this weekend.
GV regains momentum in sweep of GLIAC rival By Zach Sepanik GVL Staff Writer
After a mediocre showing a week ago at the Indiana University Relays, the Grand Valley State University men’s and women’s track and field teams to combatted the sense of urgency they felt, defeating Saginaw Valley State University in an easy win at University Center, Mich. “We really focused on moving some kids around in different events to work on some weaknesses,” said GVSU men’s and women’s track and field head coach Jerry Baltes. “It was positive for us to come out with the W.” The men won 10 events and junior thrower Donny Stiffler hit the only individual national qualifying mark of the meet for GVSU, as the Lakers took home an 85.5-50.5 victory over the Cardinals. “It was a lot smaller meet, but we didn’t let that hinder us from going out there and competing,” said senior sprinter Xavier Parnell. “I think that was one of the biggest things we needed to take away from the Indiana University Relays. It may be a bad night, bad day, bad race, but we still need to be out there competing to the best of our abilities because we have been training too hard, and are too great a team, to let that affect us. I feel that we did respond in a positive manner and we are just going to take that momentum into the next couple weeks.” While Stiffler won the shot put with a toss of 17.43 meters, Parnell had arguably the biggest day for the Lakers. He took home victories in the 60-meter dash with a time of 6.91 seconds and the 200-meter dash, finishing in 22.41 seconds, both meet records. “I set a personal record
“I think that was one of the biggest things we needed to take away from the Indiana University Relays. It may be a bad night, bad day, bad race, but we still need to be out there competing to the best of our abilities because we have been training too hard, and are too great a team, to let that affect us.”
XAVIER PARNELL SENIOR SPRINTER
in the 60-meter and I was pretty excited about that,” Parnell said. “Honestly, I didn’t feel like I was going that fast. I guess the training pays off and I can see the progression from week to week. I just hope to keep that going.” Two meet records highlighted other strong performances by the GVSU men. Senior distance runner Anthony Witt finished the mile run with a time of 4 minutes, 17.37 seconds, running away with the victory, while sophomore jumper Patrick Livengood won the high jump at 2.03 meters. The GVSU women also won 10 events, including a clean sweep of the field events, routing SVSU 8353. “This week a lot of us were more focused on competing against ourselves and not necessarily worrying about the competition,” said senior mid-distance runner Chanelle Caldwell. “We knew that no matter what we can run a fast time, have a better jump or farther throw without that competition. That was different. We were more mentally focused.” Caldwell’s 4x400-meter
relay team, consisting of sophomores Aileen Lemanski, Kalena Franklin and Leiah Hess, set a meet record and provisional qualifying mark with a time of 3:52.26. Franklin also set a meet record in the 60-meter hurdles, finishing first in 8.76 seconds. However, it was junior thrower Sam Lockhart who stole the show for the Laker women. She grabbed automatic qualifying marks in both the shot put, with a toss of 15.85 meters, and the weight throw, with a mark of 20.61 meters, both meet records. Strong performances on Friday proved to be a turnaround from the Indiana University Relays. Each team will look to build on their accomplishments heading into the GVSU Big Meet this Friday in the Kelly Family Sports Center “It’s time to step up and get the job done,” Baltes said. “There are still two opportunities beyond next week, but chances are they are not going to be as great of opportunities.” zsepanik@lanthorn.com
Lakers use scrimmage against GRCC men to prep for season By Joe Maher-Edgin GVL Staff Writer
In a slight change to the typical format of competition, the women’s tennis team of Grand Valley State University hit the courts against the Grand Rapids Community College men’s tennis team in a friendly scrimmage at Ramblewood on Saturday. Freshman Leah Dancz said it was a lot of fun being able to go out and “play the boys.” “It was fun to get the boys and girls together from two local schools to play tennis,” Dancz said. But it was a little more than that for her when she paired up for her last match Saturday. “I actually played against a good friend of mine and it was so fun because we fought for every point right until the end,” Dancz said. Dancz was paired up against Casey Feenstra, a friend of five years, while playing in the Grand Rap-
“I think we’ll take the fun, relaxed energy from our scrimmage with the GRCC men’s team and carry that with us in the rest of our season.” LEAH DANCZ GVSU FRESHMAN
ids MVP Juniors Tennis Program. Teammate Alyssa Lucas also enjoyed the atypical scrimmage Saturday. “We always have a good time playing against the boys,” Lucas said. “It’s nice to be able to play them and to be able to have fun too.” Dancz and Lucas both agreed that the match was good practice against hard hitters. “Boys being boys, they certainly came out competitive and really hit hard,” Dancz said. “I had to dodge a few really fast serves.” Dancz said that the fun
matchup will help in producing wins the rest of the season. “We were so relaxed out there,” Dancz said. “Altogether we want to win and when you are having fun, it’s a lot easier to do that. I think we’ll take the fun, relaxed energy from our scrimmage with the GRCC men’s team and carry that with us in the rest of our season.” The preseason nationally-ranked No. 25 Lakers will be in action for the first time in the spring season on Feb. 24 at Indianapolis. jmaheredgin@lanthorn.com
B4 laker life
Grand Valley Lanthorn MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2012
lakerlife@lanthorn.com
L A K E R L I F E E D I TO R R A C H E L M E L K E
Pasta dinner raises record funds Alpha Omicron Pi fundraises $1,800 to benefit local Indian Trails Camp BY HANNAH MATRO GVL STAFF WRITER
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GVL / Allison Young
For a cause: A GVSU student scoops pasta during the AOII spaghetti dinner. The event raised a record $1,800 for Indian Trails Camp, a local camp for mentally and physically disabled adults and children.
nsalata, linguine, marinara, pane all’aglio. Alpha Omicron Pi went Italian, hosting a spaghetti dinner on Thursday to benefit the Indian Trails Camp, a camp for mentally and physically disabled adults and children located on Lake Michigan Drive. All of the food provided at the event was donated by Costco, Panera Bread, Meijer and Carrabba’s. This years’ event raised just under $1,800 for the camp, more than the group has ever raised in the past, said Amber Cullison, organizer of the spaghetti dinner. The sisters also volunteer with Indian Trails about once a month, whether it be spring cleaning, helping out at the camp’s Trick or Treat event or hunting for Eas-
ter eggs during one of the camp’s weekend retreats. In return for their help, Indian Trails Camp allows the sorority to have their retreat at the camp. “Indian Trails Camp is definitely close to our hearts,” Cullison said. “We love donating to them.” Over the years, the sorority has assisted the camp in a variety of ways. With the profits from their fundraisers, including Strike Out Arthritis, a large bowling event put on by AOII, and some annual events, the sorority has single-handedly opened the camp’s pool and given them a craft room, as well as other support. “It’s nice to know where out money is going,” said Christine Nowak, who has been a member of AOII since her freshman year. Now a senior, Nowak reflects on her experience in the sorority.
“One of the hardest things about graduating is going to be leaving the future of my chapter in the hands of other sisters, but seeing the fire in the younger members is really exciting and makes me comfortable passing down our sorority to them,” Nowak said. Nowak said there is strong sisterhood within the sorority. “One of our mottos is ‘individually unique but together complete’ — that really explains the atmosphere here,” she said. Friendships between the sisters are not limited to weekly chapter meetings, either. “If anyone needs to go to Meijer or wants to watch a movie, they just ask around,” Nowak said. “We’ve turned the apartment into a house by having such a close-knit group.” hmatro@lanthorn.com
Ultimate Euchre Tournament seals deal in Kirkhof Center
Courtesy Photo / Jenna Puisis
Front and center: Lilibeth Castillo speaks to GVSU Downtown Toastmasters Club members and guests during the club’s second-annual Speak-A-Thon event. Castillo was one of three speakers.
GV Toastmasters Club host ‘Speak-A-Thon’ BY HANNAH MATRo
GVL / Bo Anderson
Both bowers: Marisa Pierson and Joe Lenda square off in Friday’s Ultimate Euchre Tournament, sponsored by Delta Sigma Pi, Delta Upsilon and Just Tennis. Winners received $20 and a medal.
GVL STAFF WRITER
It’s 7:30 a.m. on Thursday. Most Grand Valley State University students are still sleeping, some having breakfast. And though the members of GVSU’s Toastmasters Club sound like a breakfast club, they’re not. They’re learning about the art of speaking, listening and thinking at their second annual Toastmasters SpeakA-Thon event. “This is a fun place to be,” said Jenna Puisis, vice president of the Toastmaster’s club. “Really. We’re not here to tear anyone down. This is a comfortable place for people to improve their speaking skills, whether they are already good speakers or not. We’re here to work together.” Speak-A-Thon speakers are provided a manual with specific guidelines in which to follow, in which they can pick any topic. The speakers are then paired with an evaluator who takes notes and gives the speakers feedback. The audience is given informal evaluations on a form provided.
“We’re not here to tear anyone down. This is a comfortable place for people to improve their speaking skills...” JENNA PUISIS VICE PRESIDENT, GVSU TOASTMASTERS
Included in evaluations is a “ah counter” as well as a grammarian. The “ah counter” counts the number of times the speaker says filler words such as “like,” “um” or “so,” while the grammarian looks for misuse of words and grammar. The tallies of each were revealed at the end of the meeting. Jeff Blair served as the “ah counter” and Elizabeth Blair as the grammarian. Both are GVSU alumni and active participants of the group. “I visited a few times after repeatedly seeing this event on GVSU’s calendar,” Elizabeth said. “I realized it was a great club and a good place to be.” The three speakers for the meeting — Monica Kaiser, Diane Hvizdos, and Jenna Puisis — spoke for
five to seven minutes each. The subject matter ranged from butterflies to Aminatta Forna to skin cancer, keeping the audience of roughly a dozen people entertained and attentive. After each speech, the evaluator gave feedback politely and constructively. “It can be kind of intimidating, but even if you give a bad speech, the goal is to improve, and everyone here will give you their support,” Jeff said. “You just power through.” The GVSU Downtown Toastmasters Club meets every Thursday in the University Club on the DeVos campus from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. For more information, visit www.gvsudowntown. freetoasthost.info. hmatro@lanthorn.com
BY RACHEL MELKE GVL LAKER LIFE EDITOR
Grand Valley State University fraternities Delta Sigma Pi and Delta Upsilon and recreational group Just Tennis used euchre’s popularity among Michiganders as an opportunity to raise funds and hosted their very first Ultimate Euchre Tournament at Kirkhof over the weekend. Overall winners received an engraved gold medal and a $20 pre-paid debit card. Runners up received silver medals and $10 prepaid debit cards. “It would be ideal to have over 30 teams, giving $100 to each group,” Mitch Burdick of Delta Upsilon and Just Tennis said before the event. Each team paid $10 to enter the euchre tourmanent. The money was split up evenly between the three groups. Delta Sigma Pi’s used the funds for their LEAD regional conference in South Bend, Ind., next weekend,
Delta Upsilon donated to Global Service Initiative, which helps build schools in third-world countries, and Just Tennis’ portion went into general funding for the group. With three different groups organizing the event, it took a lot of work for each person involved. “It was really about communication between all three organizations,” Burdick said. “We may joke around, but we can also get down to business.” The planning of the event began in Fall 2010, when Jeff Winther of Delta Sigma Pi came up with the idea. Winther started by writing a letter to every casino in Michigan and after three donations, he ended up with 320 decks of cards. With failed attempts collaborating with other groups in addition to his study abroad trip to Spain, the event was delayed. When Winther began talking with a member of Delta Upsilon, he got into contact with Burdick, who
had been beginning to organize a similar event since July. Winther and Burdick wanted more organizations involved and because Burdick was a member of Just Tennis, John Rojowski, the group’s president, became involved as well. “From there, we decided to work together in an attempt to make it the biggest Euchre Tournament ever,” Winther said. “Maybe the six degrees of separation concept led to us working together, I don’t know. But it’s amazing what the power of a well written letter and a new friend can do when you’ve got an idea.” The planning as well as the event itself has proven to be nothing but a positive experience for the guys, they said. “It was good to be able to help Delta Upsilon and Delta Sigma Pi,” Rojowski said. “Getting involved with fraternities is good for us to get our name out into the community.” lakerlife@lanthorn.com
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Grand Valley Lanthorn TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2012
MARKETPLACE Announcements GVSU Facilities Services thanks you for helping to reduce energy, natural gas and water costs by making small changes to your daily routine! GVSU Facilities Services thanks you for helping to reduce energy, natural gas and water costs by making small changes to your daily routine! Get in the game! RecycleMania: Campus Challenge, January 22-March 31. Join thousands of college students across the nation and help GVSU bring home the RecycleMania title! Visitgvsu.edu and click on our web banner.
Roommates Female subleaser needed. May-July 2012. 48 West Apt Style B. Price negotiable. If interested contact Megan via email sundbeme@mail.gvsu.edu or call/text (248)974-6834. Subleaser needed. 48 West. Fully furnished. January and February rent paid. Rent is $415/mo. Willing to negotiate price/move-in fees! Please call ata (989) 859-6144.
Services Do better in classes with the help of the Fred Meijer Center for Writing and Michigan Authors. Bring your work in for help with grammar and revision. Visit gvsu.edu/wc for location and hours.
Don’s Flowers, Zeeland. Treat your Valentine to Special gifts and flowers this February 14th. Order flowers online at dons-flowers.com or stop by the store. (616)772-3667. enjoy life more by taking advantage of the resources at GV Outdoor Adventure Center. Rent snowshoes and other adventure equipment by visiting B170 in the fieldhouse. Check out gvsu.edu/oac for more information.
Boltwood Apartments, Pet-Friendly, Huge Bedrooms, & a Bus Stop. Leases start at $395.00 per month. Call today to schedule a tour. 616-895-5875. www.boltwoodgvsu.com Campus View, live close to campus and get the most for your money. Apartments and Townhouses available, Leases start at $285.00 per month. Call Today! 616-895-6678 or visit www.campusviewhousing.co m
Internships
ESL Tutor willing to assist with presentations/speeches, academic papers, etc. Available evenings and weekends. Email: laughing_stream@yahoo.com, phone: (616)895-1850. (Ask for Tina). $10/hour.
Progressive Media Partners Job Title: Multiple Internships Available Location: Grand Rapids, MI For more information visit www.gvsu.edu/lakerjobs/
Long Night against Procrastination. Defeat bad habits by visiting the Writing Center in 120 Lake Ontario Hall on Thursday, March 15th, 8:00 pm to 8:00am.
Art Prize Job Title: Technology Intern Location: Grand Rapids, MI Search Job ID: 15561239 Apply By: February 20, 2012 For more information visit www.gvsu.edu/lakerjobs/
Employment Make lifelong friends. The Island House Hotel and Ryba’s Fudge Shops are looking for help in all areas: Front desk, Bell Staff,Wait Stuff, Sales Clerks, Kitchen, Baristas. Housing, bonus and discounted meals. (906)-847-7196 www.theislandhouse.com
Housing At 48west enjoy individual leases, private bathrooms, on-site bus stop & much more! Call today for leasing information 616-895-2400, 48west@48west.info, www.48west.com
Remembrance Ranch Job Title: Marketing Intern Location: Allendale, MI Search Job ID: 15561245 For more information visit www.gvsu.edu/lakerjobs
SMG- DeVos Place Job Title: SMG, Group Sales Intern Location: Grand Rapids, MI Salary: $9/ hr. Search Job ID: 15561213 Apply By: February 19, 2012 For more information visit www.gvsu.edu/lakerjobs
Muskegon Area First Economic Development Corporation Job Title: Research Assistant Location: Muskegon, MI Search Job ID: 15561281 For more information visit www.gvsu.edu/lakerjobs Mill Steel Company Job Title: Purchasing Support Intern Location: Grand Rapids, MI Salary: Paid Search Job ID: 15561135 Apply By: February 29, 2012 For more information visit www.gvsu.edu/lakerjobs Sofia Bella Couture Job Title: Executive Assistant, Party Planner, and Childcare Assistant Location: Grand Rapids, MI Search Job ID: 15561324, 15561325, & 15561326 For more information visit www.gvsu.edu/lakerjobs Gerber Life Insurance Company Job Title: Technology Consultant Location: Fremont, MI Salary: $12/ hr. Search Job ID: 15561332 Apply By: February 24, 2012 For more information visit www.gvsu.edu/lakerjobs
FREE CLASSIFIEDS FOR STUDENTS, FACULTY AND STAFF some restrictions apply FOR COMMERCIAL RATES CALL 616-331-2460 classifieds@lanthorn.com
MCPc Job Title: Field Inventory Specialist Location: Grand Rapids, MI Salary: $10/hr. Search Job ID: 15561290 Apply By: February 24, 2012 For more information visit www.gvsu.edu/lakerjobs
Miscellaneous Get Caught Promotion. Rules and Restrictions. Only one student or faculty is a winner per issue. Readers will be chosen at random throughout the week on campus. The prize awarded is to-be-determined at random but may include gift cards, t-shirts, etc. Winners are requested to have their picture taken and answer some questions to be published in the Lanthorn. Voting is now open for the 2012 Homecoming Theme Competition. Check out the entries at gvsu.edu/studentlife/homecoming and pick your favorite.
Opportunities Bartending. No Experience Needed. High income potential. Training courses available.Call 1-800-965-6520 ext. 226
American RV Sales & Service, Inc. Job Title: Sales/Marketing Assistant Location: Grand Rapids, MI Salary: $8-$10/hr. Search Job ID: 15561360 For more information visit www.gvsu.edu/lakerjobs
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B6 laker life
Grand Valley Lanthorn MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2012
Activist discusses Israeli-Palestinian conflict at GV Finkelstein: Twostate solution would end conflict, give Palestine vital land BY Joel Campbell GVL STAFF WRITER
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rand Valley State University’s student organization Peace M.E.ans brought their advocacy and awareness efforts to campus on Wednesday with speaker and activist Norman Finkelstein, who spoke about his involvement in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict that has been ongoing for the past 95 years. “There’s an element of sheer lunacy,” Finkelstein said. “It just goes on and on and on.” Elizabeth Kuchenmeister, president of the group, said Peace M.E.ans is geared at raising awareness about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict overseas and believes peace is possible through education and open discussion. Finkelstein’s involve-
ment in the conflict arose from the Lebanese-Israeli war in 1982. He said he was disgusted with the treatment of the Lebanese and decided to take action. “You’re young, you’re Jewish, you’re liberal, you’re idealistic, you don’t want to come into a situation like this defend it,” Finkelstein said. “You don’t.” Over the past three decades of involvement, Finkelstein said he has come to the conclusion that it is ridiculous for him to leave it alone. “They don’t have a choice of being bored and moving on,” he said. “Why should I?” He is slightly more optimistic about the situation these days as public opinion has shifted in favor of Palestine. Finkelstein has passionately worked towards a two-state solution that would allow for Palestine to receive vital pieces of land in exchange for Israel returning to their 1967 borders. Although some in the crowd dissented to this idea
“The Soviet Union was born in 1917, the same year as the Palestinian conflict began, and it fell in 1991. Let’s put it where it belongs; in the pages of a history book.” NORMAN FINKELSTEIN POLITICAL SCIENTIST AND ACTIVIST
— one calling the solution a “lousy loaf of bread” — Finkelstein said just trying to reach a two-state solution is monumental enough. “The victory is also the start of victory,” Finkelstein said. Finkelstein spoke on the misconception of politics and why it has affected the way he has handle the situation. Politics, to him, is uniting the many against the few in order to achieve victory. This cannot be done by alienating supporters by having a very strict set of demands, he said — instead, the demands should be broad.
Finkelstein said in an annual BBC poll asking what countries affect the world negatively, Israel placed in the bottom four with Pakistan, North Korea and Iran. “Let’s remove it from the pages of current events,” he said. The Soviet Union was born in 1917, the same year the Palestinian conflict began, and fell in 1991. Let’s put it where it belongs; in the pages of a history book.” jcampbell@lanthorn.com
Courtesy Photo / normanfinkelstein.com
Seeking peace: Norman Finkelstein (pictured), an American political scientist and activist, spoke about the IsraeliPalestinian conflict at a Peace M.E.ans event on Wednesday.
FIRST WEEK RESULTS FOR ON-CAMPUS RESIDENTS: Residence Hall Niemeyer South CDE West A B North A B C Hoobler-Weed Siedman Kirkpatrick Murray VanSteeland Swanson Stafford Robinson Kistler Pew Pickard Devos Copeland Calder Residence
Bags of Recycling 23 23 21 19 15 15 15 12 10 8 3 3 0