Issue 40, February 5th, 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, F E B R U A RY 5 , 2 0 1 8 // VO L . 52 N O. 4 0

MONEY MATTERS See pages A6-A7

SPOTLIGHT

GV students partner with GE for design opportunity

BY DEVIN DELY DDELY@LANTHORN.COM

Students at Grand Valley State University and Kendall College of Art and Design got a rare chance to team up on a recent project.

Students from both schools combined their talents to work with First Build, a subsidiary company of GE Appliances, in a course offered last semester.

Their goal was to design innovative new products for the company.

The products designed were a dry meat ager and an automatic refrigerator door opener, done separately by two teams of three students each.

A number of GVSU faculty members, including marketing professor Paul Lane, guided the students throughout the process. Each team consisted of a marketing student and an engineering student, both from GVSU, and an industrial design student from KCAD. “It was a huge deal for me to be able to work on this project,” said Zach Skogheim, who worked on the dry meat ager. “I got a lot out of it, and it was great being able to work with my professors.

It was an awesome experience.”

Skogheim is a sophomore studying entrepreneurship and finance at GVSU. According to him, the dynamic within the teams was a big part of what made them successful.

“We all worked cohesively, but Jordan is a diamond in the rough,” Skogheim said, referring to Jordan Vanderham, the engineering student on his team. “He’s an engineer, but he’s got an entrepreneurial mindset. He’s a really talented guy, and he helped me out a lot as well. He actually recommended me for the marketing position, and then Dr. Lane agreed to be my supervisor and help me with everything.”

Stephen Lietz, who worked on the market research for the automatic refrigerator door, said he also appreciated the help of experienced professionals throughout the process.

“I feel that going forward I’ve got a lot of guidance,” he said. “It’s huge to have that in your network. Having the chance to work with the incredible faculty that were involved on the project was a big deal.”

According to Lietz, one of his biggest challenges in the project was identifying their market.

SEE DESIGN | A2

PRES. BALLIN’: A GVSU student shows off his moves at Presidents’ Ball on Friday, Feb. 2. More than 4,000 students, faculty and staff attended the event, which was located at the DeVos Place in Grand Rapids. The annual event is put together by Laker Traditions, a division of the Office of Student Life. GVL | EMILY FRYE

Masqueraded mystery Annual Presidents’ Ball draws crowd of students with masque theme

BY JENNA FRACASSI ASSOCIATE@LANTHORN.COM

S

now and all, this year’s Presidents’ Ball drew a large crowd of Grand Valley State University students on Friday, Feb. 2, with the theme “A Night of Masqueraded Mystery.” GVSU students entered the DeVos Place masks-on and ready for a night of dancing.

“It’s a celebration,” said Bob Stoll, associate dean of student life. “Grand Valley is a special place to be, and so this is hosted by the two presidents—the president of student government and the president of the university— and they come together and just celebrate a great university.

“I don’t know of any other schools that do anything like this, but for us to make that all come together, and Grand Rapids is a

special place with a great facility for us to do that. … It’s one of those memories, I think, when you leave college that you remember going to the Presidents’ Ball.”

This year’s Presidents’ Ball, which was announced to have sold out on Thursday, Feb. 1, began with a cocktail hour at 5:45 p.m., with dinner being served around 6:15 p.m. after hosts Greg and Dan Ziegenfelder walked onto the stage and welcomed attendees. The dinner portion of the event featured live entertainment, with performances from a cappella group Euphoria, the GVSU Fencing Club, and two song performances by Jo Wei Yek and Olivia Brown, respectively.

The 2018 award recipients were also announced prior to the dance. This year’s awardees include John Martin, Laker of the

Year; David Clark, Student Award for Faculty Excellence (SAFE); and Marlene Kowalski-Braun, President Appreciation Award.

Once the dinner portion of the evening came to a close, the DeVos Place Ballroom transformed into a strobe-lit dance floor. DJ Mark Witz provided the music for the night, and students were able to tweet in song requests using #GvPresBall. On the top floor, GVSU’s Swing Dance Club offered a more mellow vibe. Here, both beginner and skilled swing dancers were embraced with open arms and live music to boot.

Stoll compared the event to a high school prom, saying that Presidents’ Ball sees the highest attendance rate of any campus event other than a football game. He recalled Presidents’ Ball first making its debut in

the Kirkhof Center.

“You know it started off way back when here in the Kirkhof Center—I was actually here when we started it,” he said. “It’s grown from a couple hundred people to thousands, so it’s fun to see that and to watch all the energy and everybody.”

GVSU President Thomas Haas was able to see the success of the event firsthand, as he was enthusiastically greeted on stage with student senate president Jonathan Bowman.

“Are there any Lakers in the house?” Haas shouted over the crowd of cheers. “We’ve got the best students, we’ve got the best faculty; did I say we have the best students—in America!”

He finished his speech referring to Presidents’ Ball as “Grand Valley magic.”

GOVERNANCE

GV Board of Trustees approves increased housing budget, funding for downtown parking

BY EMILY DORAN EDITORIAL@LANTHORN.COM

MAKING HIS CASE: James Moyer, associate vice president for facilities planning, speaks at the Board of Trustees meeting Friday, Feb. 2. At the meeting, GVSU announced new parking projects downtown. COURTESY | UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS

At its meeting on Friday, Feb. 2, in the L. William Seidman Center, the Grand Valley State University Board of Trustees approved increases to the university’s 2018-19 housing budget and dining rates, as well as budgets for two parking projects in downtown Grand Rapids.

For the 2018-19 fiscal year, the housing budget is $55.1 million, a 1.7-percent total increase from the previous fiscal year’s budget of $54.2 million. According to the Finance and Audit Committee report brought before the Board of Trustees detailing and justifying the proposed increases, the $900,000 budget elevation means that students will be paying an average of $20 more for housing each semester. Per the same report, $5.8 million of the total housing budget will be dedicated to “repair and renovation projects for the housing and dining facilities.”

Meanwhile, GVSU’s primary meal plan option will increase by $25 per

semester. According to the report, the combined rate increase for housing and dining is 1.1 percent.

Specific increases for different housing and dining options are detailed in the report.

At the meeting, the Board of Trustees also approved funding for a new parking structure near the Medical Mile in downtown Grand Rapids. The project, which is a collaboration between GVSU and Spectrum Health, will provide parking spaces for both GVSU health students and Spectrum Health employees.

The six-level, 420,000-squarefoot facility will be constructed on land owned by both institutions at 335 Michigan St. The structure will be adjacent to the state-funded health building set to open at 333 Michigan St. in the spring of 2021.

According to a report provided to the Board of Trustees detailing the specifics of the project, the parking ramp “will replace existing surface parking lots owned by the university or Spectrum.” Most SEE BUDGET | A2

FEBRUARY 5, 2018 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

A2 | NEWS NEWS BRIEFS GV TO HOST ANNUAL 3-MINUTE THESIS COMPETITION

The 3-Minute Thesis (3MT) competition gives graduate students the opportunity to share their research with other students in a competitive atmosphere. Each participant will be allowed one static slide and will be required to deliver their presentation in under three minutes.

Currently, 17 students from various disciplines have been selected to compete this year, including from biomedical sciences, cell and molecular biology, College Student Affairs Leadership, criminal justice, biology, Doctor of Nursing Practice, engineering, public health and social work. A panel of judges will select a winner, who will take home $500 in cash and receive funding to attend the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools 3MT competition in Grand Rapids in April.

Students, faculty, community members and family members are invited to attend the competition, which will be held Thursday, Feb. 15, at 3:30 p.m. in the DeVos Center Loosemore Auditorium.

TICKETS FOR GV NIGHT AT COMERICA PARK NOW AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE

Comerica Park will host a special Tigers game Tuesday, July 31, that will benefit the Grand Valley State University community. The game will begin at 7:10 p.m., and the Detroit Tigers will be hosting the Cincinnati Reds.

More than 2,200 GVSU students, faculty, staff members, alumni and friends attended last year’s GVSU Night at Comerica Park. The event raised $11,225 for the GVSU Scholarship Fund.

To purchase tickets for the game, visit www.gvsu.edu/ tigers. Ticket purchases, ranging from $27 to $44, will include a $5 donation to the scholarship fund and a limited edition GVSU/Detroit Tigers branded baseball hat.

Those who purchase tickets by April 30 will be eligible to enter a drawing to be on the field when the check is awarded for the scholarship fund. Bus transportation to Detroit will be available from the Allendale and Pew campuses for $15 per rider.

‘LUNCH AND LEARN’ SERIES TAKING PLACE

Grand Valley State University Alcohol & Other Drugs Campus Education Services (ACES) will be hosting a monthly series titled “Lunch and Learn.” The series gives students the opportunity to bring a lunch to a discussion led by a GVSU speaker.

The first event is taking place Wednesday, Feb. 7, at noon in the Kirkhof Center, Room 0073. The discussion is titled “The Addictive Brain” and will be led by Dr. Eric Klingensmith of the GVSU Counseling Center.

Klingensmith will speak about the science behind the brain becoming addicted to substances.

One “Lunch and Learn” event will take place each month. For more information, contact ACES at 616-3312537.

INNOVATION: A team of GVSU students shows its project for the GE First Build competition in Louisville, Kentucky. Four GVSU students, as well as marketing professor Paul Lane, worked on projects for the competition with students from Kendall College. COURTESY | GVSU.EDU

DESIGN

CONTINUED FROM A1

“Initially we thought the market was just going to be people in wheelchairs,” he said. “But when we went down to Louisville and had a chance to talk to some experts, we realized that fall risk is a huge problem, and that broadened our market. Through some different validations, we gained some insight into our target market.

“We found that they’re the people that might not necessarily have physical limitations right now, but they will in the future—people ages 50 to 75. It’s in their mind that things are going to change, so we thought, how

can we redesign the home to maintain independence?”

Lietz is a junior studying marketing and entrepreneurship. He said this experience was just as much about understanding people as it was about understanding the market.

“In design thinking, you have empathy; you’re trying to see the world from other people’s eyes,” he said. “In the future, I’d like to be coming up with more and more new ideas and be involved in some capacity in this new product environment.”

Samuel Oostendorp, a senior studying product development and manufacturing engineering, said he enjoyed the variety of majors that were represented on each team.

“This was valuable be-

cause it gave me a chance to work on an interdisciplinary team,” he said.

“All the other teams I’ve worked on have been just engineers, and we all think alike. But this project gave me a chance to see things from the industrial design side of things and the marketing side of things. In the real world, that’s more likely. It was also fun to pair up with someone from another college.”

At the end of the semester, the teams presented the results of their hard work to engineers from First Build in Louisville, Kentucky. Skogheim said the company has plans to continue the development of their products.

“The last I’ve heard is that they (GE) actually loved our

prototype, and they were going to take it to a convention of some sort,” Skogheim said.

“In February, we had plans to start the process of bringing the product to Kickstarter, and that was kind of how they were going to introduce it to the market.”

Oostendorp, who worked on the refrigerator, said he plans to continue work on the project this semester.

“We actually have two different design courses in my major,” he said. “I’m currently in the second design course, and I chose to continue this automatic fridge door project. I’m on a team with three other engineers. We’re just trying to improve the project and make it more applicable.”

AMA WITH RELIGIOUS LEADERS TAKING PLACE

Grand Valley State University Campus Interfaith Resources will be holding an “Ask Me Anything” event with religious, spiritual and secular leaders on Tuesday, Feb. 6, at 5:30 p.m. in the Kirkhof Center, Rooms 2215/16.

The AMA will allow students to ask questions anonymously. The event is also LIB 100/201-approved. Those interested in learning more can visit www.gvsu.edu/ events/ask-me-anything-with-religious-spiritual-andsecular-1/.

VOL . 52

NO. 4 0

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 BUSINESS STAFF

EMILY FRYE

Business Manager SHELBY CARTER

Digital Editor MATT READ

Asst. Business Manager ALEXIS LAMB

Layout Editor RACHEL SPRING

Distribution Manager MEGHAN FITZGERALD

MASK ON, MASK OFF: GVSU’s annual Presidents’ Ball took place Friday, Feb. 2, at the DeVos Place in Grand Rapids. The theme of the evening was “A Night of Masqueraded Mystery.” At the event, both the Laker of the Year award and the Student Award for Faculty Excellence were presented.

Layout Designer MAX GELDHOF

EMILY FRYE GVL

WEB TEAM Web Manager JUSTIN GREEN

BUDGET CONTINUED FROM A1

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.

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POSTMASTER: Please send form 3579 to: Grand Valley Lanthorn 0051 Kirkhof Center Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI 49401

GVSU faculty and staff currently parking in the area will be relocated. The new project is expected to provide roughly 1,220 parking spaces.

James Moyer, associate vice president for facilities planning at GVSU, said the parking ramp would be built in accordance with LEED standards even though no LEED certification for parking ramps currently exists.

“The university several years ago adopted LEED standards as a way of practicing construction,” he said. “There’s no category for LEED certification of a parking ramp, but we plan to practice (the) LEED requirements on this particular project as though it was a LEED project. We will not

receive any certification, but we will actually practice what we preach.”

The project will be funded by parking revenue bonds from GVSU worth $21,769,000, as well as $17,585,000 from Spectrum Health. Construction on the ramp is slated to start in May, with completion scheduled for May 2021.

The board also approved funding for a twostory parking deck at 333 Michigan St.—the site of the new health building— to provide spaces for “faculty, staff and visitors in the health professions and nursing programs,” per a report provided by Moyer.

The new parking deck, which will be funded by $4.95 million in parking revenue bonds, will replace an existing lot and provide 66 parking spaces.

PRESENTING: New VP of Finance Gregory Sanial at the board meeting Friday, Feb. 2. COURTESY | UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS

FEBRUARY 5, 2018 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

NEWS | A3

ISSUES

Title IX, GVPD partner with ‘It’s on Us As Lakers’ to host panel on sexual assault reporting

BY RACHEL MATUSZEWSKI RMATUSZEWSKI@LANTHORN.COM

As cases of sexual assault have gained national attention, Grand Valley State University will be reviewing its own policies for handling cases and educating students on reporting processes with “What’s Next?: The Process of Reporting with Title IX and GVPD.” The event will be hosted by “It’s on Us As Lakers,” which has partnered with GVSU Police Department Acting Director Brandon DeHaan and Title IX Coordinator Theresa Rowland to lead the discussion Tuesday, Feb. 6, in the Mary Idema Pew Library Multipurpose Room.

In addition to DeHaan and Rowland, a detective from the Ottawa County Sherriff’s Office will be at the event as well.

Rowland detailed some of the information that students can gain by attending.

“They will receive information (about) where students can go to get help, where are locations in the community where they can get appropriate medical care, what is the importance of preserving evidence for an

investigation, where can students report and what services are available to students on campus,” Rowland said.

Michelle Roldan and Maddie Varvaeke, members of It’s on Us As Lakers, want to empower students with resources for themselves, their friends and their families.

The group seeks to educate their peers so they are familiar with the law, understand their rights and know the resources available to them.

“Knowing these processes is so taboo; it’s hush-hush and it’s not something we are supposed to talk about because it’s just never supposed to happen, when in reality it does happen,” Roldan said.

“We have to accept that, and in a sense not accept it and try to change it by educating and by spreading this awareness so that we can decrease these numbers to hopefully zero.”

With only 10 percent of assaults on campus reported nationally, Roldan and Rowland understand the fear that comes with reporting an assault. Victims may fear for their identity, fear blame, want to keep it a secret, lack a support system

or not know who to report to.

Nevertheless, officials say that reporting is imperative.

“Doubting yourself, questioning yourself and you get victim blaming from other people,” Roldan said.

“That’s your doctor, that’s your (coworker), there’s just so many different factors, but I think when it comes down to it, it’s just fear, selfblame and victim blaming.

It happens every day, and

it’s not a victim’s fault.”

Rowland emphasized the benefits of reporting in two ways. First, reporting helps make sure the victim is safe and is assisted medically and emotionally. Second, reporting gives the police and university another resource to be able to monitor for patterns or themes in terms of assaulters.

“It’s really complex, but the more we report, the

more we get out there about what is happening so we can develop programs and services that better meet the needs of those that have experienced it,” Rowland said.

“It allows us to do better education, allows us to just do a better job in general, changing our culture.”

Ulti mately, the purpose of the panel is to protect and inform students.

“It’s going to give them

information that empowers them to be able to address their own needs, should they or have they ever experienced sexual assault or sexual harassment,” Rowland said.

“It helps them to support a friend that has experienced it, and it will also help us to hold each other accountable.

The more information we have, the better job we can do in our activist work.”

DISCUSSION: Sgt. Terry Dixon answers a question at the police brutality panel discussion on Oct. 20, 2016, in the Holton-Hooker Living and Learning Center. GVPD, Title IX and ‘It’s on Us’ will hold a panel on sexual assault reporting on Tuesday, Feb. 6. GVL | MACKENZIE BUSH

ACHIEVEMENT

Five GV students selected as Gilman scholars

BY TYLEE BUSH TBUSH@LANTHORN.COM

Five Grand Valley State University students have been recognized and rewarded for their achievements and academic scholarship. These students, along with more than 1,000 others at different institutions, were named as Gilman scholars and each received $5,000 to

put toward a global experience and cultural immersion.

The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship is available to any student receiving a Federal Pell Grant and attending a two- or fouryear institution with plans to study abroad or take a careeroriented international internship for academic credit. The scholarship enables students

AU CHATEAU: Justice Briggs, one of five GVSU students selected as a Gilman scholar, poses in France. COURTESY | JUSTICE BRIGGS

to cover program fees and makes it possible for them to experience and understand other cultures, countries, governments and economies.

Out of the 2,800 applicants, five high-achieving GVSU students were selected to help diversify the students studying and working abroad: Justice Briggs (Byron, Michigan); Crystal Juarez (Kentwood, Michigan); Krystle Lewis (Williamsburg, Michigan); Rachel Villafuerte (Wyoming, Michigan); and Cameron Zbikowski (Wyoming, Michigan).

With the help of the Gilman Scholarship, Briggs flew to France on Wednesday, Jan. 10, to pursue her studyabroad program. Briggs always knew she wanted to study abroad. Having been raised in a small town, Briggs felt an urge to experience diversity. When she enrolled in the international business program at GVSU, she was pleasantly surprised to learn that the major required a study-abroad experience in order to graduate.

She chose France as her destination, hoping to master her French skills and apply

them to her French minor.

After being in France for a few weeks, Briggs is finally feeling settled in.

“My first few weeks have been overwhelming in the best possible way,” Briggs said via email. She arrived a day later than anticipated due to a flight cancellation, and finding her classes and getting oriented in her location was a whirlwind.

Neverthess, Briggs is now feeling more established.

“I have begun to find my place in the city,” she said.

A few adjustments were particularly difficult for Briggs, such as the change in currency and cost of living.

“I find that it is important to look at the price in euros and remind myself that my bank account reflects U.S. dollars and to reduce my spending accordingly,” Briggs said.

Briggs has now gotten into a routine and has established a budget for herself, but she reflected on how critical the Gilman Scholarship has been in making this whole experience possible.

“Receiving the Gilman Scholarship was a huge financial burden off my shoulders,”

she said. “It’s still important that I budget while I am here and spend my money wisely, but I know I’ll be all right. It ensured that I would have enough money while abroad.”

Briggs recalled the application process for the Gilman Scholarship as being “the most exhaustive and timeconsuming scholarship application (she has) ever done.”

“I spent close to a month writing, editing, meeting with the Writing Center and the Office of Fellowships, and editing again to make sure my essays were the best they could be,” Briggs said. “I believe that the sheer amount of effort I put into the application process showed through.”

After receiving the Gilman Scholarship and a check for $5,000, Briggs said it was “the most rewarding scholarship experience” she has ever had.

Lewis, another recipient of the Gilman Scholarship, chose to continue her studies in hospitality and tourism management in Thailand. She has been in Thailand for a few weeks now and is excited to share that her experiences so far have been nothing short of amazing.

“In the short time I have been here I have had the opportunity to do so many amazing things,” Lewis said via email.

“One of my favorite days so far has been volunteering at the Agape House, an orphanage for HIV-positive children.”

Along with volunteering, Lewis has visited an elephant nature park, seen the Bhubing Palace and been pleasantly surprised by how much she enjoys wearing her uniform to Chiang Mai University.

“I wasn’t excited at first, but I love the fact that I don’t have to think about what to wear every day,” Lewis said.

Lewis always had a desire to study abroad, and she is grateful for the Gilman Scholarship enabling her to make this dream a reality.

“My parents are not able to help fund my college expenses, so I rely heavily on financial aid,” Lewis said. “Thankfully I received the amount I needed through grants and scholarships in order to make my semester abroad happen.”

Students interested in learning more about the Gilman Scholarship can visit www. gvsu.edu/fellowships.

GOVERNANCE

Student senate working to reduce textbook prices

BY SARAH HOLLIS SHOLLIS@LANTHORN.COM

Grand Valley State University’s student senate continued to work on promoting inclusion and decreasing student expenses at the general assembly on Thursday, Feb. 1.

This week, the senators announced that they are working to get approval for a task force that would create a grant for GVSU professors.

The grant would be tailored to help decrease what students are paying for textbooks.

“The Student Government Resource Center—it’s a nation-wide group that just works with student governments—they called, and we had this idea a little earlier in the semester but weren’t really sure how to go with it,” said Eric-John Szczepaniak, chair of the educational affairs committee. “They said we’ve

done this same thing at dozens of universities across the country, most recently at the University of Pittsburgh. The student senate, or the student government there, passed a resolution for their university to make a universitystanding committee that would figure out all the logistics of this grant.”

Szczepaniak further explained the logistics of the committee.

“This committee would build a grant that is for teachers that swap over to open textbooks, like OpenStax, or a widely used publisher,” he said. “All that means is these books are either available online or for much cheaper than current textbooks because they’re not published through a company like Pearson.

They’re published openly, and there’s professors and folks that actually take the time to

write these and then share them publicly so that they’re super easy and accessible for all sorts of people.”

The senate is just beginning to work on creating a committee to work on this grant, so there is no estimated time frame or guarantee that it will happen at this time.

While the textbook grant would go far to improve all students’ experiences at GVSU, student senate is also working to improve transfer students’ experiences at the university. They have created a survey to help them better accomplish this task.

“I feel like a lot of times we leave out resources to transfer students,” said senator Rachel Ibarra. “A lot of students don’t feel welcome completely on campus.”

Receiving this feedback is an important first step for the senate to help transfer students, so it’s impor-

tant for them to participate in the survey.

Transfer students interested in taking the survey can contact any members of student senate or email Ibarra at ibarrar@mail.gvsu.edu.

In addition to helping transfer students feel at home at GVSU, the student senate hopes to promote inclusion at GVSU by including their pronouns on their name plates.

“When we went to Oakland, I said, ‘We want to be inclusive. How can we do this?’” Ibarra said. “And this (adding pronouns to the placards) is an easy way to show inclusion. It’s low-cost and really easy. I’ve heard that somebody tried to do it in the past and it didn’t go through, so I just pushed for it. They’re supposed to be done next week.”

GVSU’s student senate meets on Thursdays at 4:30 p.m. in the Kirkhof Center Pere Marquette Room.

ACTION: A student speaks at senate on Thursday, Jan. 11. Senate is working to cut textbook costs at GVSU. GVL | SHEILA BABBITT

A4 | OPINION EDITORIAL

FEBRUARY 5, 2018 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

GVL EDITORIAL CARTOON

By Kayleigh Van Overen

GV responding to Nassar scandal appropriately

A

fter the seismic wave of damning victim-survivor testimonies in the Larry Nassar sexual abuse case, Michigan State University’s staff, administration, internal review policies and reporting mechanisms are consequently being put under the microscope and scrutinized by the public. While MSU is beginning to suffer the (welldeserved) consequences of being called out for gross neglect of victim survivors, other universities are now being compelled to conduct their own internal reviews and investigations to avoid the public relations disaster that MSU is currently experiencing.

Grand Valley State University, which has close ties with MSU, is not exempt from the fallout and scrutiny of the Nassar case, but unlike at MSU, the administration here has been responding appropriately to the whole situation. While GVSU has dealt with its own backlash from sexual assaults on campus and off, administrators have been striving to maintain transparency, renovate policies where needed and promote education among GVSU community members. Now, more than ever, GVSU administration is trying to scrutinize its own reporting practices and make students aware of the options available to them.

At the GVSU Board of Trustees meeting Friday, Feb. 2, GVSU President Thomas Haas concluded his report by reaffirming the university’s commitment to transparency and protecting its community members. He also said that in light of recent national issues, he had appointed members of his cabinets to conduct a review of the university’s sexual assault policies.

“As the nation’s attention has focused on sexual assault in recent weeks, I think it’s critical that Grand Valley uses this opportunity to assure our community and this board on these important matters,” Haas said. “We take seriously our responsibility to care for our students, faculty and staff in addressing sexual assault and sexual harassment in all forms.

“Our policies and procedures are continually assessed. However, I have appointed several members of my cabinet to lead the effort to re-examine our policies and procedures with regards to sexual assault and harassment. This includes looking at methods to educate our community on how to report sexual assault or sexual harassment and how survivors can seek support.”

Hinting at the Nassar scandal, Haas emphasized that GVSU Athletics is governed by the same reporting and investigative policies as all other university departments and does not adhere to separate standards.

“We seek to hold people accountable for their behavior regardless of their role or position in our community,” he said. “The athletic program is fully integrated into the university’s system of reporting and investigating.

There are no separate standards or processes for this program or any other.

“The university always investigates a report of sexual misconduct to the fullest extent possible. All measures are taken to ensure fair, equitable and timely investigation for all parties involved.”

In one of GVSU’s first steps to implement these assurances, “It’s on Us As Lakers” is partnering with Title IX Coordinator Theresa Rowland and GVPD Acting Director Brandon DeHaan to educate students on reporting processes with “What’s Next?: The Process of Reporting with Title IX and GVPD.” The event will be held Tuesday, Feb. 6, in the Mary Idema Pew Library Multipurpose Room. A detective from the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office will also be present.

All in all, GVSU is currently taking all the right steps to promote transparency and keep its sexual assault policies updated in light of the Nassar scandal. Although there is a long road ahead when it comes to bringing justice to victims and preventing future cases, it is good to hear our own university president emphasizing the seriousness of addressing sexual assault and sexual harassment.

2/5/2018

editorial@lanthorn.com

Nunes memo is bad news for everyone involved

BY YSABELA GOLDEN FRESHMAN UNDECLARED MAJOR EDITORIAL@LANTHORN.COM

On Friday, Feb. 2, Trump authorized the release of the Nunes memo, a four-page memorandum making the claim that the evidence (a dossier prepared by former British spy Christopher Steele) the FBI used to get a warrant against Trump’s former campaign adviser was partially financed by both the Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee.

Whether the document is true or not, it’s clearly damaging to the ongoing Russia investigation, since “may have used fabricated evidence while investigating treason” is a bad look on anybody, much less a

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.”

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.

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a poorly scripted James Bond movie, in 2018 it just feels like par for the course.

What’s really concerning here isn’t the accusations against the DNC or the Clinton campaign (who don’t really have a reputation to ruin anyway), but the fact that House Republicans seem to have joined the president in actively feuding against the FBI and Department of Justice. Still in recent memory are Trump’s December accusations against former FBI heads Andrew McCabe and James Comey (of accepting bribes to ease up on Clinton’s email scandal, which I guess we’re still pretending is relevant for some reason).

Even at the time, Trump’s accusations were theorized to be attempts at distracting the public from the progress of Robert Mueller’s investigation, which seems even more likely after Friday’s united Republican attempt to undermine it entirely.

The idea of the White House and the FBI being publicly opposed to each other is conceptually horrifying in a way that even two years of

disturbing headlines in the U.S. have rarely measured up to. The fact that the FBI has a 110-year history of clashes with the presidency that it has definitely come out on top of just raises the question of what the Trump administration even thinks it’s doing, picking a fight with such an unfortunate historical precedent.

Whether or not adding a Republican-majority Congress to the equation will shift the tide in the president’s favor, the Nunes memo represents an escalation in a conflict that can’t possibly be good for anybody, least of all the American people, who now have our domestic intelligence community and most powerful American political party going for each other’s necks. This isn’t just a fight between Republicans and Democrats anymore. Whether it’s Trump or Mueller who emerges victorious, it’s clear that the battle itself is going to be messy, complicated and public on such a scale that the results are going to be drastically unpleasant for absolutely everyone involved.

Why we need to stop normalizing stress

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

national security organization.

To make the situation even more complicated, before the memo was declassified, Democrats protested that it was “not the same document” the House of Representatives’ intelligence committee had been reviewing since midJanuary, an accusation Rep. Devin Nunes didn’t deny, but instead insisted that the changes he made were “minor” enough that they weren’t relevant.

Following this conflict on Wednesday, Jan. 31, the FBI made a surprise public statement condemning the Republican-crafted document due to their “grave concerns about material omissions of fact that fundamentally impact the memo’s accuracy.”

To say that it is unusual for the FBI to publicly discredit congressional committees is an understatement. Of course, even the most neutral centrist could tell you that political developments since 2016 have been one exponentially unusual situation after the other.

So, as surprising as it would normally be for U.S. current events to be playing out like

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

Sometimes, as papers and assignment pile up, I feel like I live in a constant state of stress. For college students, extreme levels of stress are really just everyday occurrences that almost feel normal. But really, we shouldn’t normalize heightened stress and we shouldn’t glorify it, either.

Stress can be serious, and we

should treat it accordingly.

While we all experience it in different degrees, stress can affect all areas of life, whether we are aware of it or not.

College in general is stressful. We put a lot of pressure on ourselves to get good grades, to get into a specific major, to pass difficult classes and to make something out of our lives afterward. Overall, it feels like our whole future is dependent on right now. Given this mindset, it’s no wonder we experience stress. With high expectations and incredibly long to-do lists, sometimes the workload gets the best of us.

While some stress is normal and expected, high levels of stress can be dangerous.

According to WebMD, “Stress can play a part in problems such as headaches, high blood pressure, heart problems, diabetes, ... asthma, arthritis, depression and anxiety.” Since

stress can make you feel tired or emotional, it can also build up stress-related tension in the body that ultimately affects overall health. WebMD also states that “75 percent to 90 percent of all doctor’s office visits are for stress-related ailments and complaints.” Stress may seem like a small issue, but it has large side effects.

As college students with high expectations and workloads, we are extremely prone to high levels of stress. It’s important that we understand what stress is, what causes it and how we can each deal with it. When I think of stress at school, I think of it as an endless cycle. We are stressed out because we have so much to do and want good grades.

We get less done and don’t do as well because we are stressed out. Finally, our lack of success stresses us even further. Like I said, it’s an

everyday part of our lives.

Overall, I think the severity and implications related to stress are largely overlooked.

Stress can cause mental instability and physical ramifications, and it can also impact social life. It can make you feel tired, irritable, depressed and unmotivated. So, why do we consider these feelings to be normal? We shouldn’t live our lives under constant stress.

At college, we experience stress all the time without really knowing its consequences.

And while some stress is normal and healthy, heightened stress is not. I think that stress is a huge issue for students that needs to be taken seriously.

It affects both our lives and our grades, and it also affects us each differently. Instead of experiencing it and recognizing it as an everyday part of life, we need to treat stress as the serious issue that it is.

VALLEY VOTE

THIS ISSUE’S QUESTION

ONLINE EXCLUSIVE

Who do you think will win the Super Bowl?

Have you ever taken advantage of GVSU’s Career Center?

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Philadelphia Eagles New England Patriots

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57% 62%

QUESTION OF THE ISSUE

By Amy McNeel www.lanthorn.com

HAVE YOU EVER TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF GVSU’S CAREER CENTER?

NOAH LINDHOUT

JESS PIKE

“Yes. They really beefed up my resume.”

“No. I have heard about it, but I haven’t visited yet.”

YEAR: Freshman MAJOR: Clinical exercise science HOMETOWN: Grandville, Michigan

YEAR: Freshman MAJOR: Undeclared HOMETOWN: Rochester Hills, Michigan

MYAH KUBE

BRANDON SANTANA

“No, I know it’s there, but I don’t know what it’s for.”

“Yes. They do a great job with resumes, cover letters and personal statements. I highly recommend it.”

YEAR: Freshman MAJOR: Special education HOMETOWN: Huntington Woods, Michigan

YEAR: Graduate student MAJOR: Higher education HOMETOWN: Barrington, Illinois

FEBRUARY 5, 2018 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

NEWS | A5

FUTURE

‘Five Under 35’ panel shares career advice with students

PROFESSIONALS: The ‘Five Under 35’ event, where students were able to listen to GVSU graduates about how to be successful in college and transition into the professional world, was held Thursday, Feb. 1. The panel consisted of graduates with degrees in fields relating to science, technology, engineering and math. About 20 students attended the event, which was located in the Alumni House. GVL | HANNAH ZAJAC

BY ITA TSAI NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

Many students struggle with pursuing work after they graduate, and the thought of leaving the safe haven of campus can be intimidating as graduation draws nearer and nearer.

To help orient students in their future career paths, the Future Alumni Association hosted a panel of five recent Grand Valley State University graduates to discuss life after college at the “Five Under 35” event Thursday, Feb. 1, in the Alumni House.

About 20 attending students got to ask questions and hear about transitioning into the professional world.

For this particular session, the panel featured gradu-

Christopher Davis, DO

ates from science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) professions.

The panelists explained how they came across internship or co-op opportunities and connected with their jobs.

“I really wanted to get an internship in order to have an experience of the real world, so I started to search for a position and got accepted into a finance internship,” said Chelsea Dreyer, who graduated in 2009 with a degree in chemical engineering and has an MBA. Billy Neuson, a 2016 graduate in computer science, said he attended a co-op fair, got an internship and put in his time as an intern before eventually receiving a job offer after

Scott Graham, MD

showing his peers that he was serious about his work.

Thomas Pikes, a graduate in computer science with a master’s degree in computer information systems, tried another approach: Over the course of two weeks, he persistently sent emails to positions of interest, and eventually the employers told him to come in for an interview.

Autumn Goulet graduated in 2010 with degrees in chemistry and criminal justice. She urged students not to be discouraged if they were turned down by their internships at first.

“I had 75 applications once I graduated,” she said.

“Of all the applications, I didn’t hear back from any of them.” Goulet currently works at Gentex Corpora-

Jaime Halverson, MD

tion as a process development chemist.

The panelists also warned students not to lose track of what they wanted to pursue and to continue to seek knowledge, stay flexible and maintain a wide set of skills.

“It’s easy to become complacent with your job when you’re busy trying to get your job done, but if you want to improve your skills, you need to move,” Pikes said.

“A lot is self-motivating,” Dreyer added. “Your company is not going to challenge you to go out there and obtain skills. You have to stay relevant to your field, stay engaged.”

The panelists agreed on the importance of maintaining a balance between work

and personal life. Goulat mentioned that at her business, many people would stay extra hours to continue their work or would even take their work home with them.

“When I was at college, my life was all college,” she said. “However, when you get a job, you need to learn how to value work and life both.”

The panelists also discussed the relative importance of having work or other relevant experience to put on a resume.

“If you don’t have much work experience, your best option are class projects,” Neuson said. “After I finished a group project, I would write an article explaining what my work was about, what I did wrong or right. … This shows that

you’re aware of your surroundings and yourself.”

Dreyer, currently a lead concept and cost development engineer at JR Automation, said when her company interviews applicants without a lot of experience, projects are really important.

“We will ask you about the role you played in the group project, how you responded to problems,” Dreyer said. “If it’s not on the resume, you need to lead us to the information about who you are. That helps us read you as an individual.”

Volunteer work was also mentioned as an option for those who don’t have much experience in their field.

For more information about the Future Alumni Association, visit www.gvsu. edu/faa.

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Online scheduling now available! MercyHealthScheduleOnline.com

A6 | MONEY MATTERS

FEBRUARY 5, 2018 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

How to save money Bargain shopping with your student discount on texbooks

Make your school-issued ID work for you with streaming services, retailers

Students at Grand Valley State

ever) used, it’s hard to justify

University know it’s not cheap

spending a few hundred dollars

to buy textbooks. Coupled with

on books every given semester.

tuition, room and board, and

However, if you do your text-

Though being a student often

Student” specifically created

other expenses, textbooks can

book shopping right, you can

means money is tight, there are

for college students. Students

leave a big hole in students’

save yourself some extra mon-

ways to use your student status

who join will get a free six-

pockets. And, considering that

ey. See the list below for some

to your benefit. For example,

month trial period before hav-

many classes require textbooks

money-saving tips.

there are tons of companies

ing to pay the half-discounted

that offer free or discounted

price of $5.49 per month for

services to students with the

Prime services. Some of the

1. Steer clear of the bookstore

presentation of a student ID or

perks of signing up include

email. Below, you will find a list

free two-day shipping, access

While the bookstore is a good campus resource, it doesn’t offer the lowest prices around town. If your book is offered elsewhere, check around before you buy. GVSU even offers a price comparison tool online when you look up your textbooks, so you can search around to find the cheapest deal. A few good places to look would be Chegg, Amazon.com or even Brian’s Books, located directly off campus.

of some of the best deals. Am-

to tons of free movies and tele-

azon.com offers a membership

vision shows, and other exclu-

program called “Amazon Prime

sive savings opportunities.

that are subsequently rarely (if

2. Rent Renting textbooks is a much cheaper alternative to buying.

The only downside is you can’t sell your textbook back at the end of the semester, but the price difference almost always makes it worth it. Renting books has become a very popular option for students over the last few years, and most online/instore textbook stores offer this budget-conscious option, too.

So, when in doubt, rent it out.

3. Go for online books E-books, or books offered in an online format, are available at a much lower price than the physical text. Many online services have adapted to students’ needs: You are able to take notes, highlight and bookmark pages in most online books today. Chegg, Redshelf and Amazon.com are all services that offer e-textbooks. This makes it easier on students, too, who won’t need to lug around a heavy backpack full of books all day.

4. Share with a classmate One way to save money is to share books with classmates. If you have a class with someone you know, it’s not a bad idea to go in on a book together. This only works in some cases, however, because it can be difficult to ensure everyone gets equal time with the book. Determine if this option is smart by looking at your syllabus; if you are going to be using the book throughout the week, it may not be a great choice. If you are only going to be consulting it once in a while, though, this may be the best option for you.

5. Buy used books This is a great line of advice for saving money on textbooks.

Unless you are purchasing a book that has an online code or a reason you absolutely need to purchase new, buy used. When people think of used books, they often conjure up images of torn pages and sloppy pen marks, but used books are frequently presented in good or even like-new condition. You may get lucky and buy a used book with some helpful annotations and strategic highlighting, too.

GVSU is home to over 6000 students that reside in our fully maintained on campus living facilities, but sometimes issues can occur!

If there is a problem in your living space, always place a work order to Customer Services rather than taking matters into your own hands! It’s better for you and better for us.

DO YOUR PART! To Conserve Energy Facilities Services Energy Department

Spotify has a “Spotify Premium” bundle available for students for only $4.99 a month. Even better, Hulu now comes attached to that deal. That’s right: two apps for less than $5 a month. By taking advantage of this deal, you’ll be able to listen to music with no ads, stream offline without burning through data, and stream tons of shows and movies both at home and on the go.

Apple Music also offers a discounted membership price for students. With this service, rather than paying per song to stack up your music library, you pay per month with the ability to add unlimited music to your playlist. With the Apple Music student membership, you get your first three months free. After that it’s only $4.99 per month—half of what the regular rate is—and it’ll pay off the next time you’re passed the aux cord.

Many retail stores offer students reduced rates, too. Some stores that participate in giving student discounts include Alex & Ani, Banana Republic, Levi’s, TopShop, J. Crew, Ann Taylor and more. If you are unsure whether or not your favorite retailer offers a student discount, don’t hesitate to ask; you may save some money in the process. Another good tip would be to check out UNiDAYS, a site that offers students exclusive discounted deals daily.

FEBRUARY 5, 2018 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

MONEY MATTERS | A7

How to prepare financially for life post-graduation It’s never too late to start planning for your life post-graduation and learn how to secure your financial future. Visit the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships to learn more.

Spring commencement

derclassman—you should

is fewer than three months

be thinking about your

away, which means that a

financial future and how

fresh batch of Laker alumni

you’ll transition fiscally

will be graduating from

from college to your post-

Grand Valley State Univer-

graduate life. Luckily, there

sity with diplomas, 120-plus

are plenty of resources at

college credits and—in

GVSU through the Office

many cases—thousands

of Financial Aid and Schol-

of dollars of student loan

arships to help you sort

debt.

out your finances and pre-

If you’re a senior—or,

pare for the future.

better yet, a junior or un-

Also available through the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships is MoneySmart Lakers, a financial literacy program for GVSU students. Among other resources, MoneySmart Lak-

1

ers offers free and confidential financial counseling to share information about financial aid, credit cards, budgeting, investing, student loans and more. In addition, MoneySmart Lakers will be hosting its MoneySmart Week from Monday, March 19, through Friday, March 23.

More details about the week of events will be forthcoming, but individuals who attend the events will have the opportunity to win a scholarship.

If you’re looking to start saving some money now or make your semesters a little easier fi-

2

nancially, check out the Student Employment Office, which houses the LakerJobs database and provides information about job fairs, work study and other resources. On LakerJobs, you can look for different on-campus job opportunities and tailor your search to receive email alerts any time a new job that fits your criteria is available.

If you’re a senior who will be graduating in April, now is also the time to start thinking about post-graduation careers. GVSU’s Career Center offers plenty of resources to help

3

students in their job search. The Career Center’s website includes information about how to construct a compelling resume and cover letter, how to go about looking for a job or internship, how to prepare for an interview and more. In addition, students can also make one-onone appointments with Career Center advisers to review resumes and cover letters or conduct mock interviews to practice for the real deal. Students can also visit the Career Center for its walk-in 10-minute consultations to review a resume and ask questions.

Wenger’s Bowling A westside tradtion for over 75 years!

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Wild Wednesday’s: 9:30 p.m. - close - $1 games - $1 shoes - $3 fireball, $4 bombs, $5 pitchers

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A8 |ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

FEBRUARY 5, 2018 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLARTS

EXHIBITION SPACE

ARTS AT A GLANCE ELTON JOHN STOPPING IN GRAND RAPIDS FOR FINAL TOUR

Elton John will be coming to the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids on Monday, Oct. 15, during his “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” tour. This will be the last tour of his musical career, so if you’ve ever wanted to see him perform live, this is the time.

Tickets went on sale for the general public on Friday, Feb. 2. Ticket prices range from $49.50 to $224.50 and will be available for purchase at the Van Andel Arena and DeVos Place box offices, online at www.ticketmaster. com or by phone at 1-800-745-3000. Only eight tickets can be purchased per customer.

COMEDIAN KEVIN HART COMING TO GRAND RAPIDS Comedian Kevin Hart will be coming to the Van Andel Arena this summer on Sunday, July 22, at 7 p.m. Many venues hosting Hart sell out, so he just recently added 100 more dates to his tour schedule.

Tickets went on sale for the general public on Wednesday, Jan. 31. Ticket prices are $37.50, $52, $82 and $127.50. Tickets are available for purchase at the Van Andel Area and DeVos Place box offices, online at www. ticketmaster.com or by phone at 1-800-745-3000.

GV OPERA THEATRE PRESENTS ‘OKLAHOMA!’

Come support Grand Valley State University students in their production of “Oklahoma!”, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein’s first musical collaboration.

Christopher Carter, GVSU alumnus, will be directing the show.

Remaining showings are Friday, Feb. 9, and Saturday, Feb. 10, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 4 and Feb. 11, at 2 p.m in the Louis Armstrong Theatre in the Haas Center for Performing Arts. Admission is $14 for adults; $12 for GVSU faculty, alumni and staff; and $6 for students.

‘JERUSALEM’ MOVIE TO BE SHOWN AT CELEBRATION CINEMA NORTH

The National Geographic award-winning movie “Jerusalem” will be showing at Celebration Cinema North on Wednesday, Feb. 7, at 6:30 p.m. The film offers three different vantage points of Judaism, Christianity and Islam that allow viewers to experience and understand the Holy City.

Following the movie, two pastors, one rabbi and one imam from Grand Rapids will share their experiences from their trip to Israel and Palestine. This event is LIB 100- and 201-approved.

GV FACULTY ARTISTS TO GIVE RECITAL

Grand Valley State University faculty will perform in a string orchestra concert in the Haas Center for Performing Arts on Tuesday, Feb. 13, at 7:30 p.m. The music for the program includes the work of Tomaso Albinoni, Aaron Copland and Claude Debussy, among others. Several of the GVSU faculty orchestra members will be playing solos.

This event is free and open to the public.

STUDENT THEATER GROUP REACT! TO PERFORM MONDAY, FEB. 12 Grand Valley State University’s anti-violence peereducation theater troupe ReACT! will perform Monday, Feb. 12, from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. in the Kirkhof Center Pere Marquette Room. For more information, contact Jack Lane at lanejack@gvsu.edu. This event is LIB 100- and 201-approved.

Documenting resistance Standing Rock photography installment highlights national movement, discussion

BY NICK MORAN NMORAN@LANTHORN.COM

Starting in 2016, demonstrated resistance to the Dakota Access Pipeline running through the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation has been vibrant. Journalist Levi Rickert has captured the reactions of on-site confrontations and marches around the U.S. in more than 1,500 photographs, many of which are currently featured in the Mary Idema Pew Library’s newest Exhibition Space installment.

The exhibit, titled “Standing Rock: Photographs of an Indigenous Movement,” is a collection of Rickert’s work as an editor and publisher for Native News Online, which captured the protests as they unfolded.

Filling the Exhibition Space with images of the movement and his accompanying narrative, Rickert aims to lay out the long story of the movement around the nation.

“The exhibition is laid out to tell the story of resistance, triumph and even survival at Standing Rock,” Rickert said via email. “The photographs help tell the story of American Indians’ long struggle to retain their indigenous sovereignty in contemporary times.”

The exhibition is a collaboration between Rickert and the Kutsche Office of Local History, directed by Kimberly McKee. As part of the Gi-gikinomaagemin Project—meaning “we are all teachers”—the exhibit aims to capture the lives and experiences of Native Americans in West Michigan, McKee said.

“In 2016 and 2017, our special projects graduate assistant worked closely with Mariano Avila from WGVU on the documentary ‘We the 7th,’ which documented the largest public gathering of American Indians in over 100 years at Standing Rock,” McKee said via email. “(It) followed the experiences of Native Americans from Michigan who felt compelled to lend their support at Standing Rock. … (This new) ex-

GATHERING: Levi Rickert has captured the reactions of on-site confrontations and marches around the U.S. in more than 1,500 photographs. Many of these are featured at GVSU. COURTESY | LEVI RICKERT

hibit is part of our (continued) commitment to examine how a national movement has local connections.”

Working closely with Rickert, the office helped fund the exhibit, select photos, create graphics and manage the process, Rickert said. Through this collaboration, Rickert aimed to share a theme of rallying in his photography, especially supporting the importance of water to those in Standing Rock.

“In Lakota, the theme is ‘mni wiconi.’ In English, the saying is ‘water is life,’” Rickert said. “On the boards (in the exhibit) that contain the narrative and photos, water is screened into the background. The message of ‘water is life’ is woven in throughout the exhibition.”

For McKee, the exhibit is all about localizing a national issue. While issues of indigenous rights and environmental protection are key to the Standing Rock movement, representing

those who resisted the pipeline locally is crucial to understanding how larger issues impact the community. “(The Kutsche Office of Local History’s) mission is to give voice to diverse communities through history,” McKee said.

“This exhibit preserves the experiences of Michiganders who traveled to Standing Rock and how the work nationally affects local efforts concerning environmental justice.”

While the stories and photographs stand on their own, Rickert said the turnout will ultimately determine the success of the exhibition. He said he aims to spread the message created by the Standing Rock movement to as many viewers as possible in order to educate them on the importance of water to life.

“I think the success will be when (interested) institutions and others sign up to host the exhibition so that more people

beyond GVSU will view it— with the hope that others will become educated about why water protection is critical to survival of humans regardless of skin color,” Rickert said.

Rickert believes that discussions created by this exhibit are as important as ever due to the distance in time from the climax of the movement. This distance gives protesters and bystanders alike time to reflect, lending this installment greater depth, Rickert said. He hopes this allows viewers to see that the movement pertains to all Americans, not just those on the reservation.

“In a broader sense, Standing Rock was about the environment,” Rickert said. “It was about big oil companies doing what they want to do for their own benefit. So, even though Standing Rock was an indigenous movement, the environment should be a concern of all responsible Americans.”

DESIGN

EXPRESSION

Art professor’s book named ‘Most Beautiful Art Coffee Table Book of 2017’

GV student on passion for drag, fine arts photography

BY ARIE NIENHUIS ANIENHUIS@LANTHORN.COM

Renee Zettle-Sterling, professor of jewelry, metalsmithing and foundations at Grand Valley State University, worked with New York jeweler Jen Townsend to release the book “Cast: Art and Ob-

jects Made Using Humanity’s Most Transformational Process” in June 2017.

Recently, this book was named the “Most Beautiful Art Coffee Table Book of 2017” by ArtNet News.

“Cast” documents the practice of casting throughout human history, displaying its uses in art, industry,

ART: Renee Zettle-Sterling and Jen Townsend worked together on “Cast,” documenting the casting process. COURTESY | GVSU.EDU

design and daily life. Going beyond Zettle-Sterling’s own craft of jewelry and metalsmithing, the book explores the ways that casting appears in practically every aspect of life.

“This gorgeous tome takes a comprehensive look at casting, touching on fine art, craft, design and everyday objects made in all manner of materials through the use of molds,” said Sarah Cascone from ArtNet News on the top-15 list of the “Most Beautiful Art Coffee Table Books of 2017.” “Cast will make you newly aware of the process’ omnipresence, both today and throughout history.”

Zettle-Sterling and Townsend spent three years working on this book, from laying out the design to writing essays and curating content, and the recent recognition is really gratifying to Zettle-Sterling.

“I am thrilled that our book is recognized at this level,” Zettle-Sterling said via email. “Thoughtfully pairing images based on form and content took the most amount of time, and this is why being recognized

by ArtNet as 2017’s ‘Most Beautiful Art Coffee Table Book’ means so much to us.”

Beverly Seley, professor and area coordinator of jewelry and metalsmithing, is thrilled to see a colleague and friend receive such high praise, especially for such a beautiful book.

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

BY ANNE MARIE SMIT ARTS@LANTHORN.COM

When students decide on a career path, looking at what they used to do when they were younger can help them choose which path might be best suited for them. For Grand Valley State University senior and photography major Rachel Britton, finding a career path has been a back-andforth process, but photography has been pretty constant in their life. “(Photography) started in middle school when I had, like, dinky point-and-shoot cameras, and I would take a lot of self-portraits, and then I would do a lot of crazy editing to them,” Britton said.

Britton said that while they were drawn to photography in their middle school years, their journey to being a photography major wasn’t a steady one. Their choice to be a photography major was a “roller coaster,” going back and forth between math, a subject in which they excelled, and photography, which they really loved to do.

“I was a band geek for awhile,” Britton said. “I was in marching band in high school, so I really kind of stopped playing around with photography. Then, my senior year of high school, I got back into it because I had some free classes. … Then I came here to do photography, switched out of the major for math and stats for a year, and then came back to photography.”

At the time when Britton was torn between pur-

MAKEUP: Rachel Britton, passionate about drag and photography, features photos in “Art Is a Drag.” COURTESY | RACHEL BRITTON

suing math or pursuing photography, their sister, Kaylee, started to do drag, which is when Britton realized that photography and performing arts was what they wanted to do.

“I was really torn between the (math and photography), and that’s where drag comes into play,” Britton said. “In my sophomore year, at the end of me being a math and statistics major, I did really poorly in school and I almost dropped out. … That’s when Kaylee and a couple of their friends started doing drag, ... and that’s when I picked my camera back up. They would do their makeup and costumes and stuff, and we’d go on campus at midnight and go and take photos and do stupid stuff.

“Then I started photographing drag shows and stuff,

and over that summer before my junior year, I was just like, ‘Yep, I think this is for me.’”

The photos of drag that Britton took started out as portraits, but then they began to photograph Kaylee and their friends’ drag performances. Kaylee and Britton’s work evolved into the “Art Is a Drag” series, a collection of images that catalog their performances and makeup for drag characters.

“Kaylee at that time had started their ‘Art (Is) a Drag’ series,” Britton said. “I started photographing Kaylee and their friends doing makeup, then I started photographing them performing. Then, after awhile, I was like, ‘I want to start doing this,’ so I started doing drag.”

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SPORTS | A9

FEBRUARY 5, 2018 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLSPORTS

QUICK HITS

W. BASKETBALL

GV SWIMMING AND DIVING EARNS SCHOLAR TEAM HONORS The Grand Valley State men’s and women’s swimming and diving programs have both earned College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of American Scholar Team honors for the fall 2017 semester.

The 14th-ranked Laker women tallied a team grade point average of 3.21 with 18 student athletes achieving a 3.0 or better, while the 5th-ranked men recorded a team GPA of 3.08, and 21 student athletes notched a GPA of 3.0 or better.

To earn the honor, teams were required to post a GPA of 3.0 or higher for the fall semester.

GVSU, the defending men’s and women’s GLIAC Champions, will return to action at the 2018 GLIAC Championships Wednesday, Feb. 14, through Saturday, Feb. 17. All of the action will take place at the Jenison Aquatic Center.

GV MEN’S TENNIS DROPS SEASON OPENER VERSUS LAWRENCE TECH The Grand Valley State men’s tennis team fell at home to Lawrence Tech by a final score of 6-3 on Friday, Feb. 2, at the Premier Athletic & Tennis Club.

The loss puts the Lakers at 0-1 to start the season.

Alex van de Steenoven and Sebastien Lescoulie won 8-5 at the No. 1 pairing, followed by another 8-5 decision from DJ Colantone and Jack Geissler from No. 2 doubles. Eric Zwemer and Nicholas Urban posted strong performances from the No. 3 doubles position, winning 8-1.

GVSU will be back next week on Friday, Feb. 9, at 7 p.m. when they host Cornerstone for another non-conference matchup.

GV RIFLE CLUB QUALIFIES FOR NRA RIFLE CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS The GVSU Rifle Club competed in the NRA Intercollegiate Indoor Metric Position Smallbore Rifle Sectional and Precision Air Rifle Standing Sectional on Jan. 25 through Jan. 27 at the Grand Rapids Rifle and Pistol Club.

Qualifications for an invitation to the NRA Intercollegiate Rifle Club Championship are determined from minimum qualifying scores fired in the sectional matches nationwide.

The Championship is hosted at Fort Benning in Columbus, Georgia, on March 23 through March 25. Individuals who fired a score of 450 (smallbore) or 495 (air rifle) qualify for the Championship. Four-person teams can also qualify for the Championship by shooting a combined score of 1,800 (smallbore) or 1,980 (air rifle).

For the second time in club history, GVSU has qualified for the Team Championship. The air rifle team, composed of Christian Yap, Joseph Lentine, Alexander Straith and Alexander Ryan, posted a score of 2,195.

The score was a 100-point improvement over last season.

The smallbore team, composed of Lentine, Yap, Straith, and Ethan Potts, posted a score of 2,104. The score was a 137-point improvement over last season.

In total, eight Lakers qualified for the Individual Championship.

Joining Yap, Lentine, Straith, Potts and Ryan were Collin Fox, Evan McMahon and Nelson Schrader. Yap led all competitors with a score of 564 in air rifle and was second in smallbore with a personal best 544.

MAKING THEM COUNT: GVSU sophomore guard Jenn DeBoer drives past her defender for a layup during the Lakers’ victory over Purdue Northwest on Saturday, Jan. 28, at the GVSU Fieldhouse Arena. The Lakers split their road series, falling to Michigan Tech 68-61 but defeating Northern Michigan 52-38. GVL | SPENCER SCARBER

GV women’s basketball splits Upper Peninsula GLIAC series

BY BRADY MCATAMNEY ASSISTANTSPORTS@LANTHORN.COM

I

t was not an easy weekend for the No. 24 Grand Valley State women’s basketball team.

Along with their eight-and-ahalf-hour bus ride to the Upper Peninsula, the Lakers were also tasked with taking on the No. 17 Michigan Tech Huskies and Northern Michigan Wildcats.

Game one took place Thursday, Feb. 1, against MTU, a team the Lakers lost to in overtime earlier in the season by only four points. With

revenge on their minds, GVSU fell behind 16-4 early in the first quarter, but the Lakers were able to rally back and even capture a 34-33 halftime advantage—their first lead of the game—on a layup by forward Taylor Parmley with a mere three seconds left on the clock.

The third quarter seemed to indicate that the Lakers’ lead was around to stay, as they got ahead by as many as 11 points late in the period. However, the Huskies went on a 5-0 run in the last 67 seconds of the third quarter.

That’s where things changed.

MTU outscored GVSU 22-9 in

the fourth quarter and took the game 68-61 to hand the Lakers their second loss by the Huskies this season.

“I don’t think we really wanted to play basketball to start the game; I don’t know what we were doing,” said head coach Mike Williams.

“We kind of did whatever we wanted to do. I thought our kids did respond a little bit—they came out in the third and got ourselves back in the game and we got up by 11—and then down the stretch in the fourth quarter we just, Tech showed a lot of maturity, a lot of toughness, and just took it to us in that end of the

third and fourth quarter.” `Parmley scored 22 points on only 12 shots, while guard Jenn DeBoer scored 14.

From a numbers standpoint, the game looks as though it was basically even, with each team recording the same number of rebounds (36), fouls (15), turnovers (13), blocks (3) and steals (5).

“I don’t know if there’s one thing,” Parmley said. “I think sometimes we over-help or we’ll forget about who we’re guarding. I don’t know if I could say it’s one thing.

SEE W. BBALL | A10

M. BASKETBALL

Long road home

GV men’s basketball comes up empty during UP weekend series

BY ROBBIE TRIANO SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM

It was a long, long bus ride home to Allendale for the Grand Valley State men’s basketball team.

The Lakers dropped both of their contests during their Upper Peninsula road trip against Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) contenders Michigan Tech Huskies (12-9, 9-5 GLIAC) on Thursday, Feb. 1, and the Northern Michigan Wildcats (13-8, 10-4 GLIAC) on Saturday, Feb. 3.

With both losses, GVSU’s record now falls to a balanced 11-11 overall (6-8 GLIAC). In the GLIAC North Division—the league’s most top-heavy division—the Lakers currently sit in fifth place.

FALLING SHORT: GVSU freshman forward Jake Van Tubbergen goes for a contested layup against Purdue Northwest Saturday, Jan. 28, at GVSU. GVL | SPENCER SCARBER

GVSU 75, Michigan Tech 77 Heading up to Houghton, Michigan, the Lakers knew exactly what to expect from Michigan Tech. In mid-December, the Lakers fell to the Huskies 78-68 in their first “Downtown Thursday” game, but they had a chance to watch and scout GLIAC leading scorer Kyle Monroe (25.7 points per game).

In the weekend prior, Monroe had scored 41 points against Davenport on Thursday, Jan. 25, and 31 versus Northern Michigan on Saturday, Jan. 27, to earn his fourth GLIAC North Division Player of the Week nod of the 2017-18 season.

“He’s just a handful,” said

GVSU head coach Ric Wesley after their first meeting on Dec. 7, 2017. “Whether it’s inside, outside or from the free-throw line, he has this presence of mind on offense that’s unlike any other player in our league.”

Monroe finished the contest with 22 points but only completed eight of his 23 field-goal attempts. GVSU forwards Jake Van Tubbergen, Chris Pearl and Zach West were tasked with the job of guarding Monroe throughout the contest.

Despite converting 54 percent of their total shot attempts on offense, the Lakers headed into the halftime break down 43-39. Although they were able to limit Monroe’s game, Michigan Tech shooting guard Bryan Heath replaced his offense by hitting four 3-pointers for 16 first-half points.

Before you could blink, Monroe got it going on offense, leading the Huskies to a 14-5 run to start the second half and place GVSU in a 59-44 deficit with 14 minutes remaining. GVSU guard Hunter Hale kept the Lakers within striking distance after three momentum-shifting 3-pointers, while senior Chris Dorsey and Van Tubbergen did their work inside the paint.

Down 77-75 with eight seconds remaining, GVSU’s Chris Pearl blocked a 3-point attempt from Monroe leading into a layup attempt, but the shot rimmed out as time expired to give SEE M. BALL | A10

FEBRUARY 5, 2018 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLSPORTS

A10 | SPORTS

Chuckin’ knucks M. CLUB HOCKEY (DII)

GV men’s DII hockey tops Adrian College in slug fest

BY KELLEN VOSS KVOSS@LANTHORN.COM

Grand Valley State’s entire men’s Division II club hockey roster should be feeling sore this week after their matchup with Adrian this past weekend. In what was arguably the most physical hockey game they’ve played all year long, GVSU held on to win 6-3.

In a game that featured multiple fist fights, 26 combined penalties, 100 total penalty minutes and three disqualifications, it was bit of surprise that no one left the contest with more than just a black eye. Despite all the physicality from both teams—highlighted by more than a few cheap shots from the Bulldogs—GVSU picked up the victory.

Captain Troy Marrett was proud of the way his team handled a rather dirty hockey game, as GVSU had fewer penalties and did not retaliate much against Adrian’s hits.

“I thought we really handled ourselves well, and I’m really proud of how my teammates kept their composure,” said Marrett, who had a goal and an assist. “We played physically and showed almost no retaliation, so it was nice to see our team hold back from their dirty play.”

While the first period didn’t have a lot of physicality, what it did have was a whole lot of scoring. Connor McEvoy got it started five minutes into the game, assisted by Grant Smith and Cameron Dyde. The Bulldogs responded quickly, as less than five minutes later, Adrian’s Dalton Anderson intercepted a pass on GVSU’s side of the ice and found Brandon McLean for a quick score.

With seven minutes left in the first period, GVSU found the back of the net again, as Austin Lenar slapped the puck in off an assist from McEvoy. After Adrian’s Jack Clary scored unassisted at the end of the period to tie the game at

GETTING CHIPPY: GVSU left wing Troy Marrett passes the puck to a teammate during the team’s 6-3 victory over the Michigan State Spartans in their ‘Pack the George’ event Friday, Jan. 26, at the Georgetown Ice Center. Against the Adrian Bulldogs, the Lakers escaped a physical contest with a 6-3 victory on Friday, Feb. 2. GVL | DYLAN MCINTYRE

2, the Lakers needed a big scoring push to fend off the hungry Bulldogs.

And a scoring push is exactly what the Lakers got in the second period. While the Bulldogs got much more physical, GVSU proceeded to score four unanswered goals in the period. GVSU went into the third period with a commanding 6-2 lead, along with a lot of bruises to show for it.

“We did a great job of putting pressure on them and getting the puck deep into their zones,” McEvoy said.

“We also looked great in our defensive zones, and I’m proud of the way we did what we had to do to get that dub.”

Goals in the second period came from Zach Resnick, German Samvel, Marrett and Reede Burnett, with both of the last two goals coming off the power play. Assists came from all over the ice as well, as Ryan Hein, Tommy Carey, Daniel Smith and Marrett saw their passes lead directly to GVSU goals.

While the third period was

obviously the most physical and featured two of the disqualifications (both being Adrian players), it was rather quiet in the goal-scoring department.

Clary scored again for the Bulldogs, but with the majority of their penalties coming in this period, Adrian continued to look less like a hockey team.

Dylan Knox, GVSU’s new tough transfer, posted a solid night in the net. He had 26 saves, including a penalty shot block in the first. He also held the Bulldogs scoreless in the second period.

If GVSU keeps up the hard work, a long run in the playoffs seems inevitable.

“We’ll for sure be in contention for (a championship),” McEvoy said. “It’s going to be a long road, but I feel like we can make that trip fast and fun.”

The hockey team sits at 22-3-2 and looks ready to make another deep run in the postseason. Given the progress they’ve made, the Lakers believe they can catch lightning in a bottle and get the job done.

“Each day we’ve been get-

ting better, and all of our guys are finally healthy,” Marrett said. “The pieces are coming together, so we really got a good shot at this.”

GVSU looks to improve on the regular-season campaign with two key matchups this weekend against the University of Michigan.

The Lakers travel to Yost Arena on Friday, Feb. 9, for a 10 p.m. puck drop before a rematch back at the Georgetown Ice Center on Saturday, Feb. 10, at 4:30 p.m.

W. BBALL

the fourth—to come out of Marquette with a 52-38 victory.

DeBoer served as the spark the team needed, scoring 20 points with 15 in the second half alone. No other Laker scored more than eight in the entire game.

The Lakers won despite grabbing only 23 total rebounds and dishing out a measly five assists on the game.

Where GVSU clearly shined was on defense, as the Lakers swiped up 12 steals as part of NMU’s 25 turnovers, leading to 20 points off turnovers.

The 38 points allowed by the Lakers are the second fewest allowed all season by GVSU (36 against Purdue Northwest, Jan. 27).

“I’d just say that I’m always proud of our team and I’m excited to see how we respond from this and we just have to keep grinding,” Parmley said.

The Lakers will seek to avenge the victory that could have been when they conclude the “Downtown Thursday” series in a battle against the Wayne State Warriors (15-5, 10-4 GLIAC) on Thursday, Feb. 8, at 8 p.m.

CONTINUED FROM A9

PATTY CAKE: GVSU basketball players Taylor Parmley (left), Jenn DeBoer (middle) and Natalie Koenig (right) all celebrate after making a basket during the team’s blowout 78-36 victory over Purdue Northwest Saturday, Jan. 27, at the GVSU Fieldhouse. GVL | SPENCER SCARBER

M. BALL

CONTINUED FROM A9

Michigan Tech the victory.

Hale finished the contest with a double-double, recording 24 points (9-17 FG, 4-9 3PT) and 10 rebounds.

Van Tubbergen finished with 14 points, while Dorsey finished with 13.

GVSU out-rebounded Michigan Tech 43-24 but also allowed 12 3-pointers against the perimeter-

dominant Huskies.

GVSU 75, Northern Michigan 85 Staying in the UP, the Lakers traveled another two hours to Marquette, Michigan, to face off against the Northern Michigan Wildcats on Saturday, Feb. 3. Just like Michigan Tech, the Lakers also lost to the Wildcats earlier in the season, this time in a 71-68 overtime shootout.

The Wildcats are

equipped with two of the top-five scorers in the GLIAC, including Isaiah Johnson (17.8 points per game) and Naba Echols (17.2).

The Lakers took the advantage early on, finding themselves up 40-32 heading into halftime. Senior center Drake Baar tallied 10 first-half points (5-7 FG), while Van Tubbergen and Ben Lubitz added 9 each.

But it was a tale of two halves for the Lakers, as once again GVSU came out flat to start the second

half. Northern Michigan exploded on offense, outscoring the Lakers 53-35.

Three of their 53 secondhalf points came from a 3-pointer from Echols’ knees, which eventually made No. 9 of ESPN SportsCenter’s “Top Ten Plays” of Saturday.

The Lakers’ greatest downfall came from the turnover department, as GVSU coughed up eight of them in the second half to erase all of their offensive

“If you can’t tell, I’m sad.”

Even though both games against the Huskies this season were nail-biters, Williams is not pleased with simply hanging around with the elite teams in the conference, let alone the country.

“If you like being close, if you’re not interested in winning games and being close, we’re doing a pretty good job,” he said. “But if you’re interested in winning games, then we’ve got to do a better job. No matter who you’re playing, if you want to be a good team, if we want to be a good team, we’ve got to be able to beat the good teams, and we haven’t done that yet.”

Saturday, Feb. 3, was the rebound day, but again, the Lakers were sluggish out of the gate. After scoring only 22 firsthalf points and hitting 29.6 percent of their shots (18.2 percent from 3-point range), GVSU came out of halftime rejuvenated and ready to compete.

The Lakers tallied 30 points in the latter half, while holding the Wildcats to only 10—four in the third quarter and six in

momentum. Final score: Northern Michigan 85, GVSU 75.

Ben Lubitz led all Lakers with 16 points (7-9 FG, 2-2 3PT), while Van Tubbergen and Baar each added 14.

Final thoughts With only six regularseason games remaining in a three-week span, the Lakers will be forced to play their best basketball in order to secure a spot in the GLIAC Tournament to continue

their campaign. GVSU is currently No. 7 in the GLIAC, and only eight teams make the tournament.

The Lakers will next face GLIAC rival Wayne State Warriors (12-9 overall, 9-5 GLIAC) on Thursday, Feb. 8, at the DeltaPlex Arena for their season finale of “Downtown Thursdays.” After that, they will face Davenport (10-12 overall, 4-10 GLIAC) at the GVSU Fieldhouse on Saturday, Feb. 10.

FEBRUARY 5, 2018 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLSPORTS

SPORTS | A11

COLUMN

Column: Welcome to Detroit, Blake Griffin

BY D’ANGELO STARKS DSTARKS@LANTHORN.COM

Imagine yourself in the shoes of NBA superstar Blake Griffin, playing for the same team for the first seven years of your career and set to become a free agent in the offseason following your seventh season.

The offseason free agency finally comes around, and you hold the keys to your future destination. But before making a decision, you meet with your old team.

Upon arriving at the arena, you realize a sort of maze full of pictures from your career has been constructed. The maze lead to the stands of the arena where you sit down and a presentation starts. It’s a mock jersey retirement and the announcer says, “Tonight we are honoring a lifelong Clipper.”

This was the pitch the Clippers put together to keep Griffin in LA only six months before trading him

to Detroit. Truly heartbreaking for Griffin and Clippers fans, but for Pistons fans, it’s time to rejoice because we finally have a superstar.

The Clippers traded Griffin, Willie Reed and Brice Johnson to the Pistons for Avery Bradley, Tobias Harris and (sadly) Boban Marjanovic. Also, the Pistons added a top-four protected draft pick to sweeten the pot.

The short version of what I’ll say in the rest of this article is this: I absolutely love this trade for a few different reasons.

Since Reggie Jackson went out with an ankle injury the day after Christmas, the Pistons have been on a bad, bad skid.

Posting a 4-12 record without Jackson prior to the trade—including an eight-game losing streak—the Pistons had to decide whether to rebuild for the future or make one last push for the playoffs. The move in the front office was that trading for Griffin not only gives them one of the league’s most recognizable stars, but—more importantly—it gives them another playmaker to direct the offense.

Griffin may be classified as a power forward, but at times he can play with the skill of a much smaller guard. His dribbling skills and precise passing make him the ideal running mate for Andre Drummond, as demonstrated by their smooth pick and roll during the Pis-

tons’ victory over the Grizzlies on Thursday, Feb. 1. Griffin’s vision and playmaking ability should have Pistons fans everywhere itching to see more of these pick and rolls.

Griffin brings so many things to the table that the Pistons have lacked, like floor spacing. Every time he dribbled inside the 3-point

line Thursday night, he drew so much attention that he was able to pass the ball out to an open teammate and get a solid shot.

Those with criticisms of the trade have said the Pistons gave up too much for a player who is frequently injured. I disagree, as the chance Stan Van Gundy

took was worth it because a healthy Griffin is a top-25 player in the NBA. There is one thing that rubs me the wrong way about the trade, and that is Griffin’s massive contract, a five-year, $171 million deal, along with a player-option. The only player who makes more than him is two-time NBA MVP

Steph Curry. That’s a lot of money for one player, and if it goes wrong, it could set the Pistons back quite a bit.

Nevertheless, at the very least, the Pistons have something they can sell with this trade, and they have a player who is exciting and can (and hopefully will) help sell tickets.

PUT YOUR HANDS UP FOR DETROIT: Newly added Detroit Piston Blake Griffin hypes up the crowd during his Detroit debut—a 104-102 win over the Memphis Grizzlies—Thursday, Feb. 1, at Little Caesars Arena. Griffin finished with 24 points. COURTESY | DETROIT FREE PRESS

FEBRUARY 5, 2018 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLSPORTS

A12 | SPORTS M. CLUB LACROSSE

GV men’s lacrosse gears up for season with batch of young players

IN STRIDE: GVSU junior Matt Foreman sprints past a pair of defenders during the Lakers’ fall season victory over Oakland University on Sept. 22, 2017, at the Kelly Family Sports Center. GVL | MATT READ

BY LOUIS RICARD LRICARD@LANTHORN.COM

The Grand Valley State men’s club lacrosse team has been one of the most successful programs in the school’s recent history. Last year, GVSU lost in the final four of the MCLA against Saint Thomas University, losing 13 seniors to graduation in the offseason.

So what now?

“We’re very talented, but we’re very young,” said GVSU head coach Tim Murray. “But as long as you have talent, you can be successful, and we have the talent.”

Murray is excited about this season because things have dramatically changed, both within the team and with the conference. GVSU will be competing in a conference that includes six out of the top seven teams in the country, according to the preseason national rankings.

The inexperience could be seen as a handicap, but Murray is excited about it.

“We’re playing the best, day in and day out,” Murray said. “It’s a gauntlet, but our inexperience may be an advantage because our kids will just go out and play.”

It’s hard to fear something you’re unaware of, and

Murray is banking on the innocent mindset of his team to play without fearing their opponents. His team may be young, but Murray knows the potential of his players, including freshman Blake Rankin, a natural-born athlete, according to his coach.

The young Laker recorded three goals along with three assists in his first game wearing the blue and white uniform.

Rankin may become a focal point of the system, and Murray is not afraid to give responsibilities to his freshmen.

“In the past we had a lot of upperclassmen, whereas this year we rely more on underclassmen,” Murray

THE BALL IS LOOSE!: A GVSU men’s lacrosse defender knocks the ball out of an opponent’s pocket during the Lakers’ victory over the Oakland University Grizzlies on Sept. 22, 2017. GVL | MATT READ

said. “That’s not a bad thing.

It’s just different. It’s encouraging—we’re not anywhere near close to (playing) our best lacrosse right now.”

Senior Cade Butch acknowledged the immediate contribution his younger teammates made right from the start, but he knows there is a long way to go and they may need some guidance along the way.

“We have five seniors spread out all over the field,” Butch said. “So, we can provide leadership at every position we’re at.”

Beyond leadership, the Lakers need to learn how to work together. They all logged in a lot

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ter job at clearing the ball,” Butch said. “We gave them (Sienna Heights) a couple goals early on by not clearing the ball efficiently.”

As Murray said, GVSU is far from playing its best lacrosse, and May is a long ways ahead, but paying attention to detail and learning how to play with one another is what will ultimately make the difference for the club.

GVSU will compete against Florida Gulf Coast in a month, giving them plenty of time to get acquainted and forge their own identity on their quest for the ultimate trophy.

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of miles before the start of every practice to get up to speed on their conditioning level, but team chemistry takes longer to build than five or six minutes.

However, the conditioning is what got GVSU their first win of the season against Siena Heights. Down by 2 early in the first quarter, GVSU slowly woke up and started to pick up the pace in the second half.

They never looked back, winning 16-10 on Saturday, Feb. 3.

A win is always a great feeling, but Butch knows this is only the beginning and the Lakers have some work to do in order to compete in their conference.

“We need to do a bet-

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