Issue 41, February 8th, 2018 - Grand Valley Lanthorn

GRAND VALLEY

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

T H U R S D A Y, F E B R U A RY 8 , 2 0 1 8 // VO L . 52 N O. 41

OPPORTUNITIES

New scholarship founded for incoming students

BY SARAH HOLLIS SHOLLIS@LANTHORN.COM

PANEL: A panel discusses new Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs). A team of four GVSU students—Phoebe Risk, Ana Grimaldo, Elizabeth Hurt and Francesca Ortisi—teamed up with Marina Kaneti, assistant professor of global studies and social impact, to work on the project. COURTESY | MARINA KANETI

GV students, professor team up for global sustainability initiative

BY JAMES KILBORN NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

I

n the continued wake of President Donald Trump’s decision to pull out of the 2015 Paris Agreement, some citizens remain skeptical of the federal government’s role in implementing goals to mitigate climate change and improve conditions in cities across the country. Marina Kaneti, Grand Valley State University professor of global studies and social impact, worked alongside four students to develop the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) compact, a system of goals that works to involve cities and local governments in achieving sustainability objectives.

Kaneti said that while the goals were established by the United Nations in 2015, getting people and municipalities to reach these objectives has been challenging.

“Several years ago, the United Nations came out with a proposal for global goals for sustainable development,” Kaneti said. “The goals actually built on an earlier initiative, which were called the Millennium Development Goals that were set up from 2000 to 2015, and the sustainable development goals are from 2015 to 2030, so this is an agenda for development for the entire world until 2030.

“There are 12 years left for the world to meet these goals, and there are certain things happening on the ground— various initiatives have popped up both at the local and global level—but there is a sense first of all that people don’t necessarily know, a lot of people don’t know there are goals.

Then the question is, if people don’t know, how exactly are we

going to meet these targets?”

The four GVSU students involved—Phoebe Risk, Ana Grimaldo, Elizabeth Hurt and Francesca Ortisi—all worked to collect data, organize materials, and contact organizations and local governments that could have been interested in the SDG compacts.

“The other interns and I compiled information to be sent to organizations that could potentially be funders and partners for this program,” Grimaldo said. “All of our work so far has been for those organizations to join the Global Development Incubator, and the first city to agree to partner with us was Los Angeles in a meeting to discuss the launch of the SDG compact. We conducted research and information to show how each organization could support this

program and better it.”

The team of students had been preparing for the meeting for months.

“The past few months of our work have been heavy preparation for the kick-off meeting currently taking place at Occidental College in Los Angeles,” Risk said via email. “Being well-prepared and organized for the meeting was quintessential as it dictates the future of the compacts.”

The initiative is multifaceted in that each community determines its own goals to reach, and then—through the compact—can measure its progress toward achieving those goals.

The compact acts as a way to tie distant communities together and develop working solutions from one city to another.

SEE SDG | A2

According to Debt.org, 70 percent of college graduates in 2017 left with student loan debt averaging $38,000. To help students from working families afford college and avoid taking on such an unhealthy amount of debt, Lynn (Chick) Blue, vice president for enrollment development at Grand Valley State University, has developed the Blue Working Family Endowed Scholarship.

“The Blue Working Family Endowed Scholarship is one of 500 donor-funded scholarships available to GVSU students,” said Karen Loth, GVSU vice president for university development, via email. “As an endowed scholarship, it has been established to help students for generations to come. The Blue Working Family Endowed Scholarship will assist students who have graduated from Michigan high schools yet are unable to attend college because of economic reasons. The scholarship will help fill unmet needs for students between the cost of attending Grand Valley and other sources of funds.”

The scholarship will be available for incoming GVSU freshmen for the fall 2018 semester and will be renewable for four years.

“It’s a scholarship that awards $5,000 a year for four years to students who come from families that are working families but don’t get paid enough to be able to afford college,” Blue said. “We look for people whose EFC (estimated financial cost) would be $12,000 or less.

“Through the admissions and financial aid office, we send a message to any student who’s admitted who meets the criteria and direct them to the myScholarships site on our Grand Valley website, and they fill out an application.

Then, there’s a committee of five people who read the applications and make the selections.”

After working at GVSU for nearly 50 years, Blue was inspired to start this scholarship to show her gratitude for her experiences at GVSU, as well as to continue her legacy of supporting GVSU students.

“I come from a working family myself, and since I’ve been adminisSEE SCHOLARSHIP | A2

EDUCATION

Board of Trustees approves graduate program in social innovation New communication sciences program also approved at February meeting

BY DEVIN DELY DDELY@LANTHORN.COM

A group of faculty members at Grand Valley State University recently took big steps in its effort to implement a new graduate program in the Brooks College of Interdisciplinary Studies. The GVSU Board of Trustees approved the college’s request for a Master of Arts in social innovation, as well as the College of Health Professions’ request for a new Bachelor of Arts in communication sciences and disorders on Friday, Feb. 2.

Anne Hiskes, dean of the Brooks College, first sparked conversation about the new major in 2013. According to her, its growth and progression to this point have been the results of a dedicated team effort. Those involved include Wendy Burns-Ardolino, professor of liberal studies, and Scott Berlin, director of the School of Social Work.

“Wendy and her colleagues took the lead in developing and designing it,” Hiskes said. “They developed the curriculum, got

the market surveys done and looked at the Department of Labor statistics for jobs. And, she organized the task force of the rest of the faculty involved.”

The master’s in social innovation will encompass six required, graduate-level courses, as well as electives from the schools of business, social work and other related disciplines. According to Hiskes, the program is meant to prepare students for work across various sectors and will have a strong focus on leadership skills.

“It’s geared toward students who major in the humanities and social sciences to get the kind of skills businesses want to help develop talent in the West Michigan area,” she said. “The point is to prepare people to solve conflicts and problems that can only be solved by looking at the intersection of different systems. Brooks designed a program that would address those needs, and it’s very cutting edge. It’s an exciting program, the only one of its kind in the state of Michigan, really.”

SEE SCIENCE| A2

APPLAUSE: GVSU President Thomas Haas claps during a Board of Trustees meeting Friday, Feb. 2. At the meeting, the board voted to approve two new programs, including a master’s in social innovation. COURTESY | UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS

FEBRUARY 8, 2018 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

A2 | NEWS NEWS BRIEFS FOUR GV STUDENTS COMPETING IN NATIONAL IDEA COMPETITION

Four Grand Valley State University students, Katarina Samardzija (entrepreneurship and marketing), Zach Skogheim (entrepreneurship and finance), Luciano Hernandez (management) and Jordan Vanderham (engineering) are competing in the Outdoor Weber Recreation Idea Competition.

The competition allows individuals to vote for the idea of their choice, and more than 80 entrants are competing in the contest. The winner of this competition will receive $30,000 to develop an outdoor recreation idea.

A popular vote will determine the top 25 competitors to proceed to the semifinals. After that, contestants’ success will depend on a panel of industry experts who will select 10 finalists to proceed in the competition. The final competitive event will take place March 22 through March 24 in Ogden Valley, Utah, when the remaining contestants will have the opportunity to improve their business plans with the help of professional experts. Marcus Lemonis, star of CNBC’s “The Profit,” will be the keynote speaker during the awards banquet.

Participants can vote once a day until Thursday, Feb. 15. Visit www.lanthorn.com for more information on individual entries.

TOWN HALL SERIES TAKES ON GRAND RAPIDS ARTS

The Grand Valley State University Community Service Learning Center’s Knickerbocker Town Hall Series is returning Monday, Feb. 12, from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. for a panel discussion titled “State of the Arts” at the Knickerbocker Brewery in Grand Rapids.

The discussion will be led by GVSU faculty. The Knickerbocker Town Hall Series occurs each month. For more information, visit www.gvsu.edu/events/knickerbocker-town-hall-series-state-of-the-arts/.

RADIO HALL OF FAMER VISITING GV TODAY

National Radio Hall of Fame member John Records Landecker will join Grand Valley State University professor of multimedia journalism Len O’Kelly for a discussion Thursday, Feb. 8, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. in the Kirkhof Center Pere Marquette Room.

Landecker was a student at GVSU (then Grand Valley State College) during the 1960s. He and O’Kelly will discuss the past, present and future of radio broadcasting.

Workshop for student organizations taking place The Grand Valley State University Office of Student Life is holding a workshop for student organizations geared toward running elections. The event will take place Wednesday, Feb. 14, from 12:30 p.m. to 1 p.m. in the Kirkhof Center, Room 2227. For more information, contact Tyler Clark at clarkty1@gvsu.edu.

GRAND RAPIDS REOPENS SEARCH FOR CITY COMMISSIONER

The city of Grand Rapids decided to reopen its search for a new commissioner on Tuesday, Feb. 6. The city voted unanimously to start the search over following a motion by First Ward Commissioner Jon O’Connor.

The city is looking to replace former manager Greg Sundstrom, who retired Friday, Feb. 2. Originally, the city had conducted a search, vetting over 60 candidates before deciding to restart.

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NEW CONNECTION: Marina Kaneti, GVSU professor, worked with four students to develop the Sustainable Development Goals compact, a system of goals that works to involve cities and local governments in achieving sustainability objectives. COURTESY | MARINA KANETI

SDG

CONTINUED FROM A1

“Another city we are working with, Nairobi (Kenya), they’re interested in how they can provide food access to certain populations in the city,” Kaneti said. “We’re connecting them to Los Angeles, where in a lot of pockets the city is working with local communities on providing access to food for impoverished communities. We’re allowing cities to connect and develop a conversation and work on common lessons and goals around issues of sustainable development.

“I’ve started telling my four interns right now, we can take this to Detroit, we can take it to Chicago, we can take it to your local community. There’s nothing exclusive about it. It’s actually the other way around: The more conjoined the party, the better.”

Kaneti and her students

spoke of the grassroots nature of their initiative.

While the removal of the U.S. from the Paris Agreement distances the federal government from the implementation of sustainability goals, the team sees an opportunity for local stakeholders to get involved, both abroad and in the Grand Rapids area.

“With the SDG compact, we are trying to take these SDG goals—this grand, global vision of development—to the local level,” Kaneti said. “Instead of working with the federal government, we’re trying to take it on the ground, working with cities and communities where there is work happening.”

It’s the local communities that can spark the SDGs. “The main goal of this initiative is to endorse the SDGs at the local level, and we need local governments and cities to lead the way,” Grimaldo said. “All the SDG compacts are trying to do is facilitate conversations and actions across

different local governments and communities.”

“Our initiative is 100-percent grassroots,” Risk said.

“We believe the power for change rests in the hands of everyday people. Engaging the Grand Rapids community would be a great asset to the compacts. However, the city government needs to express interest. Aligning the work of the people and the government is imperative for progress.”

Getting students involved was a common theme since Kaneti believes the future of sustainability lies on the shoulders of those enrolled in universities across the world.

“This is where it would be very nice to pull in students to not only support the initiative but to lead it because, at the end of the day, this isn’t about me or what my generation thinks about it,” she said. “It’s more important that the next generation takes it because 2030 is the time they should be doing things. They

should take the baton from us and lead the way.”

In making for more sustainable living, the SDGs can provide for a cleaner, more ecologically viable future.

“We want to educate and shed light on how sustainable development can impact our everyday lives,” Ortisi said. “This concept is something myself and the team strongly believe in. I always try to remind myself that it’s better to light a candle than curse the darkness. That one candle means something and will draw another person with a candle. This is where movements begin.”

Kaneti was in Los Angeles this past week as the California city becomes the first to adopt the SDG compacts. She and her students hope other communities adopt the compacts as a way to encourage not only sustainable development and social equity but stakeholder and citizen involvement within those communities.

NO. 41

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

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LEAVING A LEGACY: Lynn (Chick) Blue (second right) sits with GVSU students. To help students from working families afford college and avoid debt, Blue has developed the Blue Working Family Endowed Scholarships to help ease academic obstacles. COURTESY | GVSU.EDU

SCHOLARSHIP 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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tering this scholarship for the Thompson Foundation for many years, I’ve come in contact with a lot of students and know how appreciative they are because otherwise they would either have way more loan money than they could

SCIENCE CONTINUED FROM A1

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This means that our newspaper is entirely compostable. Help us do our part to be kind to the environment by recycling or composting this newspaper after you enjoy reading it.

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By all outward appearances, GVSU is clearly a growing university. The student population has risen by almost 7,000 in the last 17 years, and many new buildings have been built to accommodate that increase. In fact, according to the GVSU Office of Institutional Analysis, 2016

healthily have or not be able to go to college at all,” Blue said. “I am nearing my 50th anniversary of working at Grand Valley and wanted to do something for part of my legacy of working here at Grand Valley and serving students. I feel a part of having built it, and I am always so proud of the students that we have here.

They’re great students, they

perform well, they serve the institution, and they go out there and make the institution proud because they’re great alumni.”

Those interested in learning more can visit GVSU’s myScholarships website at www.gvsu.edu/financialaid/ myscholarships-163.htm for more information.

“We are extremely grateful to Chick Blue for

her service to students at Grand Valley and her generous gift, which will carry her legacy of student support far into the future,” Loth said. “Donor-funded scholarships are critical to fulfilling our goal of giving every qualified student the opportunity to access a Grand Valley education.”

saw the highest level of enrollment yet, with a total student body of 25,460.

But it is the forward thinking that goes on behind the scenes that keeps driving the university to grow at such a pace.

As the process moves forward and these new ideas get closer to becoming a reality, there are still two important approvals that have to happen before these pro-

grams can be marketed to students. In April, the task force behind the master’s in social innovation will seek approval from the Michigan Association of State Universities. From there, they will take the step of presenting it to the Higher Learning Commission, the accreditation organization for GVSU. Hiskes said that step alone could take up to six months.

“Creating a new program

with the Board of Trustees was a big step,” she said.

“We can’t say for certain whether it will be approved

by HLC and MASU, but I’m very confident it will. We’ll likely begin marketing once we get approval from HLC.” Neither program is currently available for registration, but Hiskes hopes to have it open to students

by January 2019.

FEBRUARY 8, 2018 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

NEWS | A3

AWARENESS

GVPD, Title IX discuss sexual assault reporting at It’s on Us campus event

BY RACHEL MATUSZEWSKI RMATUSZEWSKI@LANTHORN.COM

To educate students on what to expect when filing sexual assault reports, It’s on Us As Lakers hosted an informative discussion Tuesday, Feb. 6, in the Mary Idema Pew Library Multipurpose Room.

The organization partnered with representatives from the Title IX office, the Grand Valley State University Police Department and the Ottawa County Sheriff ’s Office to hold the event.

The panelists explained the complex triangle of their affiliation with each other in their work, their individual processes when a student reports to them and the important details necessary to contribute to the investigations. “(I want students to know) a little bit of what to expect during an investigation after a sexual assault is reported (and) what’s going to happen next,” said Ottawa County Detective Sara Fillman. “I think that’s the biggest fear (and) sometimes where our challenges come in law enforcement, (when) someone (has) waited, or they’re just not sure what’s going to happen, so they wait or don’t report at all. The main thing is to feel more comfortable and realize it’s a process that is valuable and supportive of a victim survivor.”

A student should know that when they or a friend

have been sexually assaulted, there are options available to them. Theresa Rowland, GVSU Title IX coordinator and equity officer/director, emphasized prioritizing health in terms of emotional support and medical attention, preserving evidence and considering reporting incidents.

Whether students report to the Title IX office, GVPD or the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office, evidence is an important factor in all departments. Although surviving victims may want to destroy or forget their situation, Rowland and Fillman stressed the importance of protecting evidence, much of which is in the form of photos, text messages, social media posts and other electronic evidence.

These are the components Title IX investigators sift through when an assault is brought to their attention.

When a student seeks medical attention, which is available to them at the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA), the nurse examiner may collect and save evidence, such as bodily fluid or saliva, for 180 days. This gives enough time for the survivor to decide if they want to report and hand the evidence off to the police.

GVPD Acting Director Brandon DeHaan mentioned that saving anything from clothing to Snapchat pictures is vital to criminal investigators as they dive deeper into the incident.

KNOWING THE STEPS: Theresa Rowland, GVSU Title IX coordinator, speaks at a panel discussion on sexual assault reporting on Tuesday, Feb. 6. GVPD Acting Director Brandon DeHaan and Ottawa County Detective Sara Fillman also spoke at the event. GVL | EMILY FRYE

“Often, what we find during the course of any of our investigations is the first thing that happens with the victim survivor is they say, ‘I am very upset about what took place, and I want to destroy everything I saw that happened to me and everything that goes with it,’” DeHaan said. “While I understand that gut reaction and (the) reason why that is the case, often there is some very valuable evidence that can be important not only for the criminal investigation but also for the Title IX investigation.”

The panelists also discussed

how they assist students who have been sexually assaulted.

When surviving victims choose to proceed with reporting, they can choose to include Title IX, Ottawa County or both in the investigation. Title IX’s job is to remain neutral and search for facts during the discussions.

The office adheres to the rights of the reporting and responding parties and looks for violation of university policy.

Ottawa County also seeks to remain unbiased and fair to both parties as its officers look to enforce the law. In reporting to police, survi-

vors may help others testify in similar cases because perpetrators often use the same method when sexually assaulting. Even if there is doubt about a student’s case being solved, a pattern could be found within students’ cases, and they may be able to testify for one another in court about the same offense.

“I would encourage if you have a friend or someone who feels like there’s not enough evidence, (so) it won’t get prosecuted, to report it to us anyway,” Fillman said. “And maybe down the line, maybe

we can’t prove your case, but I may have enough information from you and someone else’s case (to) make their case.”

For attendees, the event was informative.

“I thought it was really inspirational,” said GVSU student Katelyn White. “I didn’t know anything about Title IX at all before this. I think it’s kind of cool (that) now I know what to do if someone asks or if I ever need it myself, and I thought it was helpful.”

GO TO: www.gvsu.edu/vro/ FOR MORE INFORMATION

SUSTAINABILITY

LIVING GREEN: Carrie Rivette, Grand Rapids stormwater manager and lead on green infrastructure. Rivette will be speaking at GVSU in Mackinac Hall B-1-118 on Monday, Feb. 12, at 7 p.m. The event is sponsored by the GVSU Urban Planning Association. Green infrastructure refers to the methods that local goverments can use to conserve water and push other sustainable initiatives. COURTESY | RAPIDGROWTHMEDIA.COM

Grand Rapids stormwater manager to speak at GV on green infrastructure Work on Mackinac Island this summer The Island House Hotel and Ryba’s Fudge Shops are seeking help in all areas: Front Desk, Bell Staff, Wait Staff, Sales Clerks, Kitchen, Baristas.

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BY ANNIE GIFFELS NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

Grand Valley State University students interested in learning more about Grand Rapids’ sustainability initiatives will have the chance to do so next week.

The GVSU Urban Planning Association (UPA) is bringing in engineer Carrie Rivette, Grand Rapids stormwater manager and lead on green infrastructure, to speak in Mackinac Hall B-1-118 on Monday, Feb. 12, at 7 p.m.

The main topic of discussion will be green infrastructure in Grand Rapids.

Green infrastructure is an umbrella term for the many methods of conserving water and protecting the environment in ways that are natural and that mimic the water cycle.

It means using nature to fix

problems caused by urbanization. Though green infrastructure is also used in rural areas, it is considered especially important in larger, more urban cities.

Of the many different solutions and approaches to green infrastructure, one of the most popular is stormwater management. In general, to prevent flooding in areas of impermeable soil, stormwater management is a method of retaining stormwater that cannot infiltrate the soil of urban areas, such as Grand Rapids.

Without measures like stormwater management, erosion and pollution are high on the list of negative repercussions.

“Green infrastructure is a major hot topic right now, especially in Grand Rapids,” said Christian Carroll, UPA president. As the head of the UPA, Carroll was in charge of reaching out to potential speakers

and putting on the event itself.

The UPA is an organization that advocates for the progression of urban planning and bettering the community, among other goals.

To Sarah Steffens, financial officer for the UPA, Rivette and her pursuits to improve Grand Rapids with green infrastructure are hugely important.

“Rivette is an inspiration because she’s so knowledgeable about green infrastructure,” Steffens said.

“Her passion is definitely something that I strive for.”

With more than 20 years of experience in water resources, Rivette has helped the Grand Rapids’ stormwater management program earn “gold level” in project management and innovation. Rivette also played a role in initiating and implementing the Vital Streets Initiative in Grand Rapids.

Following her lecture on green infrastructure and its benefits in Grand Rapids, Rivette will take questions and talk to guests for the last 15 minutes of the hour-long event.

The discussion is LIB 100-approved, so GVSU students studying any major are invited to attend and learn more.

Carroll is sure this discussion will benefit all those attending, especially those who have an interest in preserving and protecting the environment.

“This event is for anyone that’s interested in sustainability and environmental studies,” Carroll said. He expects a turnout of up to 20 students.

“The discussion is open to anyone,” Steffens said.

“It’s something that is interesting to learn, especially since it’s happening right in Grand Rapids.”

A4 | OPINION EDITORIAL

GV adapting to student needs with new majors

T

he economy and workplace are constantly evolving, and understandably, students’ educational needs and desires evolve with them.

Grand Valley State University has stayed consistent with meeting students’ needs, adapting its programs and financial accessibility to accommodate both undergraduate and graduate students.

One example of this is the Board of Trustees’ recent approval of two new majors at GVSU. The board approved the Brooks College of Interdisciplinary Studies’ request for a Master of Arts in social innovation, as well as the College of Health Professions’ request for a new Bachelor of Arts in communication sciences and disorders on Friday, Feb. 2. Neither program is currently open to enrollment, but they are anticipated to be open by January 2019.

The master’s in social innovation—which will incorporate six required, graduatelevel courses, in addition to electives from the schools of business, social work and other related disciplines—is designed to prepare students for work across different sectors and will have a strong focus on leadership skills, according to Anne Hiskes, dean of the Brooks College.

On top of adding new majors, GVSU has also restructured many colleges/ programs in an effort to best serve students’ needs.

For example, GVSU’s School of Communications underwent reorganization in the fall 2017 semester. The changes included the theater program becoming part of the music and dance department, and photography (along with film and video production programs) joining the art and design department. This change was meant to bring new opportunities for GVSU students in the respective majors, as well as to bring new visibility and focus to

the various programs.

These program, major and college changes exemplify GVSU’s consistent willingness to evolve—an important feature for a university to have. On a related note, as tuition continues to increase, more and more students are finding themselves with an overflow of debt or completely unable to afford college. To help students from working families afford college and avoid taking on such an absurd amount of debt, Lynn (Chick) Blue, vice president for enrollment development at GVSU, has developed the Blue Working Family Endowed Scholarship.

This scholarship— one of 500 donor-funded scholarships available to GVSU students—will assist students who have graduated from Michigan high schools and would be unable to attend college otherwise because of economic reasons. The Blue Working Family Endowed Scholarship will be available for incoming GVSU freshmen for the fall 2018 semester and will be renewable for four years.

Between the cost of attending GVSU and other financial requirements, such as rent, meals and books, many students who come from working families are left with few resources for attending college. Even if these students want to come to a university like GVSU, economic factors can rule out the opportunity for them to attend entirely.

That’s why scholarships like this are so important: They offer possibilities where they didn’t before exist.

Evident in these different initiatives is GVSU’s cross-disciplinary commitment to providing students with opportunities and resources. As a university, GVSU has to constantly evolve to adapt to students’ changing needs, and from what we are seeing, they are doing a pretty good job of it.

FEBRUARY 8, 2018 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

GVL EDITORIAL CARTOON

2/8/18

editorial@lanthorn.com

The significance of Trump’s rhetoric

BY SHAE SLAUGHTER SENIOR ENGLISH MAJOR EDITORIAL@LANTHORN.COM

On both sides of the aisle, journalists, politicians and their supporters are immersed in the use of rhetoric. Without written speech and verbal communication the flow of information would be non-existent, so it isn’t surprising that the political realm has found a way to wield this power. Even people who don’t consider themselves to be “normal” politicians, like our current President Donald Trump, have found a way to manipulate words to suit themselves.

In the continued wake of this year’s State of the Union, it is important to understand just

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

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what we’re hearing and seeing from our president.

It is no secret that Trump is a repeat offender when it comes to saying things that are politically incorrect, offensive or even “alternatively factual.” Still, he got elected as our president, and some would wonder how someone who is so divisive could accomplish such a monumental task. I would argue that part of Trump’s political prowess actually rests in his repetitive and offensive rhetoric.

There are certain buzzwords that come to mind when one thinks of Trump.

The majority of Americans could probably associate him with ideas like “fake news” or “Make America Great Again.” His vocabulary, for better or worse, is cyclical. He continually repeats himself in a way that no other politician does.

Some people reference this repetition to make an argument for his lack of intelligence, but it could prove to be just the opposite.

Yes, it is true that

Trump’s speech is less refined than prior presidents’, but that makes it accessible to a wider variety of Americans. Since most Americans don’t have Ivy League degrees, this simplicity may be attractive in some situations. But Trump’s repetition also makes his ideas memorable.

Even those who are left-leaning cannot help but remember the words Trump types on Twitter or broadcasts vocally. You can roll your eyes at Trump’s depiction of CNN as fake news, but the more you hear it, the more you start to associate the two ideas.

Trump uses this same tactic when he talks about “crooked Hillary Clinton” or “dangerous illegal immigrants.”

Without our knowledge he is successfully planting a pairing of words in our minds.

Moving past the president’s obvious linguistic quirks, Trump is also fantastic at diverting attention. People often laugh at his gaffes, whether it’s a misspelling in a tweet, an inaccurate statement or the

misuse of a word in a speech.

He is viewed as silly or inept, but still he is the focus of our conversation. Maybe these slip-ups are unintentional, but that doesn’t mean they are ineffective.

Trump’s rhetoric is always enough to keep us distracted. There are entire news articles written about his flaws, but while we pay attention to these miniscule mistakes, there are so many other newsworthy things happening. While we grammatically correct Trump’s every move, he is able to slide shady policies, deals and actions right past us.

It is hard not to get distracted by Trump’s lack of eloquence. Nonetheless, it is important to acknowledge the cleverness of his verbal and written speech, whether it is intentional or not, because all publicity is good publicity, right? Still, if we continue to pay attention to his grammatical inaccuracies instead of how they manipulate us, we will most certainly be missing out on the bigger political picture.

Making the best of failure in college

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

By Natalie Schunk

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

Failure in college, as in life, is inevitable. The truth is that college is hard, and with so much information to learn, memorize and deliver, sometimes we fall short of our expectations. In a place where it seems like the only thing that matters is a good GPA, failure can feel like the end of the world. However, I think that failure might be one of the

most important aspects of college. It allows us to learn and to grow not only as intellectuals, but as humans.

As college students, we have certainly experienced failure at some point in our lives. Whether big or small, critical or seemingly insignificant, our failures tend to surround us. In elementary school, I used to cry every time I got a bad test grade as if my whole future was ruined by a single failed math exam. Today, I still feel disappointed when I do poorly, but I have other ways to deal with that disappointment.

It’s important to realize that we are not defined by our failures but by how we react to them. Of course, all failures are not academic, either.

Failures can be personal, and they can occur in all different shapes and sizes. Failure to you could be not making the team, not getting the job

or not reaching your goals.

No matter the circumstance, failure can be detrimental if not treated properly.

It can be so easy and appealing to just give up after things don’t work in your favor, but ultimately, there is no greater failure than doing just that. If you give up, you are only amplifying the letdown.

Instead of giving up, you need to learn from the failure. If you fail an exam or class, you need to learn better ways to study. If you don’t make the team, you need to practice harder. If you didn’t get the job, you need to practice your interview skills.

After a failure, you need to fight back.

We are who we are because of the times we have failed.

Failure makes us work harder and it makes us learn from our mistakes. I am a strong believer that school is not all about a good GPA. While grades are important, I think the most

significant part of college is growing and developing as a student and a person. A part of this development is failure, and I think it is a key component of learning. If it weren’t for my failures, I wouldn’t have the work ethic or passions I have today. Due to this, I think that failure is important and even crucial during our time here.

As a college student, our lives are full of new beginnings and opportunities. While it is our job to study hard, it is also our job to experience failure and start something new from it. I think that failure needs to stop being stigmatized at universities. While it can be a heartbreaking and huge setback, it can also help you to be so much more. We should not be afraid of failing during our endeavor for success, for it is inevitable. Instead, we should be afraid of standing stagnant in our endeavor for success.

VALLEY VOTE

THIS ISSUE’S QUESTION

QUOTE

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

Do you think that GVSU adapts to students’ needs?

“If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you always got.”

Yes No

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33% 67%

QUESTION OF THE ISSUE

- James P. Lewis

DO YOU THINK THAT GVSU ADAPTS TO STUDENTS’ NEEDS?

CONNOR O’BRIEN

BRIANNA ALDRINK

“Yeah, but maybe more forthright about scholarships.”

“Yes, I think GV has options. The hard thing is to get students to go to offices and events. There’s events, but you have to make people aware.”

YEAR: Sophomore MAJOR: Natural resources management HOMETOWN: Hudsonville, Michigan

YEAR: Senior MAJOR: Psychology HOMETOWN: Haslett, Michigan

JOSE CONTRERAS

ANNA DUNNIGAN

“They do adapt. I never have problems finding stuff.”

“For the most part, yes. They could improve on all of the above (scholarships, programs, etc.), except majors. They don’t handle housing well.”

YEAR: Sophomore MAJOR: General business HOMETOWN: Holland, Michigan

YEAR: Junior MAJOR: Marketing HOMETOWN: Holland, Michigan

FEBRUARY 8, 2018 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

NEWS | A5

HERITAGE

Asian New Year Festival returning to campus mote Asian culture on campus.

Jo Wei Yek, a sophomore exchange student from Malaysia, will be hosting a Malaysianthemed dinner to celebrate the Chinese New Year as well.

“Being brought up in an Asian environment taught me collectivism, which is essential in my culture, as opposed to the independence that’s so prevalent in the U.S.,” Yek said. “My country is all about being one unit and striving together. It’s about valuing teamwork and individual uniqueness that contributes to a whole group’s strength.”

Exposing people to new cultures and traditions, the ASU hosts these events in order to foster understanding and open-mindedness in the surrounding community.

“These events allow us to learn about diversity, which is the key to opening people’s minds to different possibilities and opportunities in the world,” Nguyen said. “In our lives, we come across different people from different cultures, and I think this is the best way to promote diversity, through these activities which will help us appreciate the uniqueness and values of other cultures.”

CELEBRATION: Members of the Asian Student Union perform their skit during the Feb. 4, 2016, Asian New Year Festival in the Kirkhof Center. This year’s event is Saturday, Feb. 10. GVL | SARA CARTE

ENGAGED: GVSU students make origami during the festival of the Asian New Year on Feb. 4, 2016.

Sponsored by the Asian Student Union, this year’s event will occur Saturday, Feb. 10. GVL | SARA CARTE

SHINING: Performers display a skit during the Asian New Year Festival on Feb. 4, 2016. This year, YouTuber A.J. Rafael will be among the perfomers at the festival on Saturday, Feb. 10. GVL | SARA CARTE

BY ITA TSAI NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

Grand Valley State University’s Asian New Year Festival will be celebrated Saturday, Feb. 10, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Kirkhof Center Grand River Room. The festival will be hosted by the Asian Student Union in order to showcase the traditions of the New Year celebration from various Asian cultures.

At the event, which will be open to the public, students can expect many performances, including from special guest A.J. Rafael. Rafael is a popular YouTube singer who has more than 700,000 subscribers. Aside from the shows, there will also be Asian food and decorations lining the halls of the Kirkhof Center.

The Lunar New Year will take place Friday, Feb. 16, and will be welcoming the year of the dog and leaving behind the year of the rooster, according to Asian astrology. Because this calendar is based off the Chinese lunisolar calendar, the date is not fixed, changing every year.

“It’s an event hosted at GVSU annually based off the

lunar calendar,” said Casey Nguyen, activity coordinator for the ASU. “This festival is usually an accumulation of different celebrations from all countries over Asia, and since this year the lunar calendar marks the year of the dog, that’s what we’re going to base our celebration on.”

Traditionally, the Lunar New Year was a celebration to honor deities as well as ancestors.

“It’s important for people to see how Asian countries celebrate the New Year and engage in their traditions and celebrations,” Nguyen said.

“As an Asian-American, I feel students need to understand how big the Asian community really is in Grand Rapids, and even Michigan as a whole.

“It’s also important for us to promote cultural diversity because many people in the States have only lived in one culture which they’re used to. When they’re exposed to other cultures, they will be able to understand the reasoning behind other culture traditions and celebrations.”

Aside from the Asian New Year Festival, there will be other activities held in order to pro-

CAMPUS

CIVIC ENGAGEMENT: Darren Walhof and Melissa Baker-Boosamra speak about same-sex marriage rights at a Democracy 101 event on Wednesday, Jan. 31. The Democracy 101 series will have an event focused on the argumentative culture that grips our modern society, led by GVSU associate professor Lisa Perhamus, on Wednesday, Feb. 14, from noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Kirkhof Center, Room 2266. GVL | DYLAN MCINTYRE

Professor to lead Democracy 101 event on civil discourse

BY DREW SCHERTZER DSCHERTZER@LANTHORN.COM

It may be difficult for some people to see someone else’s point of view in a discussion, and this inability can make people feel a range of emotions, from anger to confusion. According to Lisa Perhamus, an associate professor at Grand Valley State University, if two sides “agree to disagree,” then a “stressing point” has been reached. Perhamus is seeking to break down the argumentative approach to discussions, which lead to stressing points.

Perhamus has a planned list of civil discourse skills that she will teach at the event “Disentangling From the U.S.’ Argument Culture: Keeping It Real About the ‘Sticking Points.’” This will be a dis-

cussion Wednesday, Feb. 14, from noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Kirkhof Center, Room 2266.

“If no one changes their mind or opinion in a conversation, it is usually a conversation stopper,” Perhamus said. “We instead need to talk about it and challenge it.”

Perhamus talked about the possibilities of going past stopping points. She believes that civil discourse is the cure to halted conversations fueled by an argumentative nature.

“What if we learn how to stay at the table and keep the conversation going?” she said. “Each person isn’t going to change, but if they can keep having conversations, it changes to learning more about why we think what we feel and why they think what they feel.

“If we get to that kind

of work, it’s much easier to honor where the other person is coming from.”

Melissa Baker-Boosamra, associate director of student life for civic engagement and assessment, shares a similar thought process with Perhamus about learning from a different perspective.

“By starting from a place of attempting to seek understanding of another’s position, you open a door to doing just that,” BakerBoosamra said.

Baker-Boosamra said that civil discourse is fundamental to the health and vibrancy of GVSU’s campus. By listening to one another and understanding your own actions, you can see from the same place that others do. Baker-Boosamra believes this is the

key for good discussion.

Perhamus said there are three steps to handling sticking points that are concrete strategies. She said students will arrive at the event, and she will have a conversation in the room with them all. Perhamus will share information about how to combat these sticking points and how to further civil discourse.

Some basic civil discourse skills include listening more than you speak and remembering that everyone has something to teach you and everyone has a right to be understood, Perhamus said. She hopes that students will learn from the event and as a result have better conversations with people who have different opinions than their own in the future.

Democracy 101 is a series of talks and discussions about modern-day issues. They are led by a variety of speakers several times a month.

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A6 | LAKER LIFE

FEBRUARY 8, 2018 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLLAKERLIFE

STUDENT LIFE

ARTS AT A GLANCE LAST LAKER STANDING FINALS TO BE HELD SATURDAY, FEB. 10

The final installment of Last Laker Standing, the annual stand-up comedy competition for students at Grand Valley State University, is set for Saturday, Feb. 10, starting at 8 p.m. in the Kirkhof Center Pere Marquette Room.

The competition, put on by Spotlight Productions, has given GVSU students a chance to test out their comedic chops, make their peers laugh and see if they have what it takes to be named the Last Laker Standing. The event is free and all are welcome to attend.

For more information, contact Spotlight Productions at spotlight@gvsu.edu.

SPEED READING COURSE SET FOR SATURDAY, FEB. 10 A speed reading course is set for Saturday, Feb. 10, to help Grand Valley State University students learn techniques to make keeping up with assigned class readings easier and more manageable. The course will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Kindschi Hall of Science.

Sponsored by the GVSU Lions Club, the four-hour event will be designed for approaching technical material more efficiently in order to help students not only get through their readings at a quicker pace but also remember what they read.

Interested students can RSVP online, where costs are being subsidized with the code GVSU2018.

For more information, visit www.irisreading.com/gvsu.

MUSIC AUDITION DAY BEING HELD SATURDAY, FEB. 10 Auditions for acceptance into the Grand Valley State University music program are set to be held Saturday, Feb. 10, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Thomas J. and Marcia J. Haas Center for Performing Arts.

The GVSU music program offers students the option of major, minor and piano pedagogy programs.

For accepted students interested in performance, composition, music technology, graduate studies in music or studio teaching, the GVSU music program offers a study track.

For more information, visit www.gvsu.edu/music/ audition.

LATIN PUBLISHERS EVENT SET FOR MONDAY, FEB. 12 The Grand Valley State University department of Latin American and Latino/a studies is set to host Ksenija Bilbija, a professor from the department of Spanish and Portuguese at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, to give a lecture about cartonera publishers. Bilbija’s lecture will be held from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 12, in the Kirkhof Center, Room 2263.

The event, called “Handmade Future: Cartonera Publishers in Latin America and Beyond,” is LIB 100and 201-approved and is free for all interested GVSU students, faculty, staff and community to attend.

For more information or special accomodations for the event, contact professor David Stark at starkd@gvsu.edu.

WGS students inducted into ‘Triota’ honor society

BY TY KONELL LAKERLIFE@LANTHORN.COM

Major-specific honor societies have the potential to make a student feel proud and connected to the subject area they study. One major-specific honor society at Grand Valley State University is Iota Iota Iota (sometimes called “Triota”), which is a national women and gender studies honor society.

Triota inducted its new members for the 2017-18 academic year with a celebratory induction breakfast on Wednesday, Feb. 7, in the Kirkhof Center.

More than 20 GVSU students were inducted into the honor society, more than doubling the number of inductees from the 2016-17 academic year.

“Personally, I think the reason that Triota’s numbers are up is because faculty members and Triota’s e-board have made concerted efforts to get the word out this year,” said Ruth Ott, Triota president. “I remember last year, when I joined, there wasn’t as much mention of Triota in my classes. This year, e-board members have gone into sessions of WGS 200 to spread the word, and faculty members have been promoting the events that we’ve held and talking about Triota with students more.”

Ott also said she is

hopeful that the increase in number is a sign of a new level of student involvement in the honor society.

“I’m really excited to see that Triota’s numbers are up, and I think that we’re going to have a larger presence on campus in the semesters to come,” Ott said. “Hopefully this will translate to more involvement in the WGS department as well.”

The speakers at the induction said the ceremony was a way of celebrating the achievements of the inducted students, who must maintain a 3.0 grade point average in their women, gender and sexuality studies courses to be accepted.

“This is a women and gender studies honor society, and we are here to really recognize and celebrate students and their success,” said Cael Keegan, assistant professor of liberal studies and women, gender and sexuality studies, and faculty adviser for Triota.

Ott, who helped induct members, said the organization works to highlight and celebrate different gendered experiences, as well as preserve feminist values that are important within the field of women, gender and sexuality studies.

“Iota Iota Iota strives to maintain feminist values central to women, gender and sexuality studies: egalitarianism, inclusiveness and celebration of

INDUCTION: Triota president Ruth Ott and faculty adviser Cael Keegan induct new members Wednesday, Feb. 7. GVL | TY KONELL

the diversity of gendered experiences,” Ott said. “The purpose of this organization is to encourage and support scholarship and excellence for women, gender and sexuality studies at Grand Valley State University.”

Using a real-life example to detail the impact of the honor society, keynote speaker Nathan Bentley, GVSU alumnus and former member of the honor society’s executive board, spoke about his involvement with the Grand Rapids drag scene.

“The first time I picked

The upcoming Grand Valley State University Wellness Summit invites students to be focused on health this semester. Various departments and initiatives on campus will be presenting health strategies for students, faculty and staff on Tuesday, Feb. 13, from 11 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. The event will be held on the Pew Campus in the DeVos Center, Building C. The Wellness Summit is spearheaded by the Health and Wellness Task Force,

which includes staff from all different areas of GVSU. “We come together and meet quarterly to make sure there is a comprehensive strategy and focus around health and wellbeing for students, faculty and staff,” said Lindsey DesArmo, GVSU’s Health and Wellness manager and cochair of the task force.

The event gives each department a chance to showcase their goals.

“We’re excited to get out of the Rec Center to show who we are and what we do,” said Amy Campbell, associate director

GO TO: www.gvsu.edu/wgs FOR MORE INFORMATION

EVENTS

PROMOTIONAL: The promotional flyer for the health and wellness event is photographed above. The event, set to take place on the Pew Campus from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 13, will encourage healthful lifestyles among GVSU students. COURTESY | GVSU.EDU

GV to host Wellness Summit

BY TASMAN MATTOX TMATTOX@LANTHORN.COM

up a makeup brush, it was more than grabbing a utensil and smearing paint on my face: It was an act of rebellion,” Bentley said in his keynote address. “As time went on, my partner and I both started performing comedy. It was through drag comedy, and of course my involvement in the women and gender studies program and Triota, that I gained a voice.”

of Campus Recreation and cochair alongside DesArmo. “It’s fun for us to put on an event of this scale. We’re curious and excited to be present on the downtown campus.”

Many of the university’s health-related resources will be showcased at the Wellness Summit. Students will be able to get flu shots, depression screenings and talk to Campus Dining dietitians.

“I think our hope is that attendees will walk away knowing about a resource or something that can help improve our health or wellbeing,” Campbell said.

The Summit will also help give students a sense of what wellness really is.

“Wellness is certainly not limited to just diet and exercise, and I think we’ve done a good job of expanding on wellness,” said Michelle Dawes, visiting professor of biomedical sciences. “The summit lets people’s personal stories be told, and it lets students, faculty and staff become more aware.”

Dawes will be giving a presentation at the Wellness Summit on workplace wellness.

“The motivation behind it really was my own story related to a pain I was having

Event to showcase university’s health-related resources

while working on a computer after conversations I’ve had with my physical therapist and chiropractor learning that my positioning at my desk might be a large player in my symptoms,” Dawes said. “The more research I did, the more I realized a lot of people probably experience the same things and haven’t given it much thought.”

There are many takeaways students can gain from spending time focusing on their wellness.

“Self-care needs to be a priority for many individuals,” Campbell said. “Many students and faculty put things before

their own self-care. It could be as simple as more sleep; taking time to be active; or being preventative, like going to the doctor and getting a flu shot.”

DesArmo encourages students to take time in their personal journey.

“It’s okay to go slow or tackle small things,” DesArmo said. “It doesn’t have to be a huge grandiose goal. It can be small, daily things you do that can add up to live a healthier life.

And don’t compare yourself to others; what works for someone else doesn’t necessarily work for you.”

DIVERSITY

Care Allen, OMA to present ‘Body Image and Blackness’

BY TAYLOR CROWLEY TCROWLEY@LANTHORN.COM

Care Allen, style consultant for Fashion With Care, has teamed up with the Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA) to present “Body Image and Blackness” and discuss the evolution of black body image. The presentation will be held Friday, Feb. 9, from noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Kirkhof Center, Rooms 2215/2216.

The OMA is celebrating February being Black History Month with various events and presentations.

Allen’s presentation is open to the public and is LIB 100- and 201-approved.

“Body Image and Blackness” will focus on uncovering truths, myths and rumors about black body image, tracing all the way back to slavery to target realizations and encourage reflection on how slavery has affected the idea of black body image today.

The presentation will also cover historical features of

black body image and how it has transformed today.

Allen will discuss body image and blackness as two separate beings but will describe how the two intersect.

For Allen, body image is essential to her everyday life. Being a fashion consultant, she pieces styles together that work for a particular body type.

However, this presentation is the first time Allen will truly dissect body image, rather than just clothing.

“This presentation will, pretty much, describe a timeline from slavery all the way up to today based on ideas and perceptions placed on individuals who have black skin, who identify as black or who associate with blackness, which is the experience of being black or black culture,” Allen said.

Allen is passionate about her work and is excited to talk with students at GVSU. She hopes to form bonds with students and get them to really understand the truth behind

the stereotypes and myths.

Sage Edmonds, a GVSU student, is thankful to see presentations like this at GVSU because, she said, it should be talked about. Edmonds has attended open discussions about topics involving blackness and body image, and she stressed her concerns for the women she is surrounded by.

“Darker skinned women, or women who don’t have European features, sometimes feel ostracized or uncomfortable in their own skin,” Edmonds said. “Black women have always been taught to hate their features.”

At GVSU, where the majority of the student body is not black, events like these may offer students a space to feel free to express themselves fully and authentically. The “Body Image and Blackness” discussion will nail down not only blackness and body image, but will also touch on social acceptance.

GO TO: www.gvsu.edu/oma FOR MORE INFORMATION

CONVERSATIONS OF COLOR: ReChard Peel speaks to students inside the GVSU Office of Multicultural Affairs on Sept. 21, 2016, as part of the ‘Conversations of Color’ series. GVL | KEVIN SIELAFF

SPORTS | A7

FEBRUARY 8, 2018 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLSPORTS

QUICK HITS

FOOTBALL

GV TRACK AND FIELD SWEEPS CONFERENCE AWARDS

For the second time this season, the Grand Valley State men’s and women’s track and field teams have swept the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) weekly awards, announced Tuesday, Feb. 6.

Senior Wuoi Mach and sophomore Jacob Battani took home the awards on the men’s side, while junior Rachael Walters and freshman Elli Kimes captured the women’s awards. The Lakers already have a combined 12 (eight women, four men) GLIAC Track & Field Athletes of the Week honors since the beginning of the season, which started early December.

For the women, Walters received the GLIAC Track Athlete of the Week recognition for the second time this season, while Kimes seized the GLIAC Field Athlete of the Week honors for the second week in a row.

Walters had an excellent weekend at the Meyo Invitational in the 800-meter run, as she set a new personal best after she captured an NCAA automatic mark of 2:06.41. Walters’ blazing time was the second best time regardless of division, and she now has the best time in the conference and in Division II. Kimes had another outstanding performance after she hit a provisional mark and cleared 3.82 meters (12’ 6.25”) in the pole vault, the best mark in the GLIAC this season.

On the men’s side, Mach received his first GLIAC Track Athlete of the Week award this season, as Battani took home the GLIAC Field Athlete recognition. Mach, who competed in the 3,000-meter race during the Meyo Invitational, hit an NCAA automatic time of 8:04.81, setting a new personal best and breaking the GVSU men’s indoor track record of 8:05.19. Battani received his first career GLIAC Field Athlete of the Week award after he had a top performance this weekend in the pole vault during the Hillsdale Wide-Track Classic, as he hit an NCAA provisional mark of 5.12 meters (16’ 9.5”) en route to a first-place finish.

Both GVSU track and field teams will compete in the GVSU Big Meet on Friday, Feb. 9, and Saturday, Feb. 10, at the Kelly Family Sports Center.

GV SOFTBALL PICKED AS FAVORITE TO WIN GLIAC IN PRESEASON POLL

With 12 returning letter winners and seven starters from last season, it’s no surprise that the Grand Valley State softball team was picked as a favorite to win the 2018 GLIAC Title in the Preseason Coaches Poll, per a release from the league office Tuesday, Feb. 6.

After receiving 60 points and four first-place votes in the coaches poll, the Lakers finished one point ahead of Saginaw Valley State, which received the other four first-place votes.

GVSU advanced to the NCAA Tournament last season for the seventh straight year and the 15th time in program history, as the Lakers finished their campaign with a 33-18 overall mark and a 17-5 record in GLIAC play. Out of their 12 returning players, four of those were All-GLIAC honorees and one All-Region honoree.

Although the spring season still seems far away, the Laker softball team will kick off its season at the 2018 Music City Tournament in Hendersonville, Tennessee, on Friday, Feb. 16, through Sunday, Feb. 18.

SIGNING DAY: Five of the Lakers’ 44 new recruits in action during their high school careers.

GVL | BECKY OPPMAN

GV football signs largest recruiting class in school history

BY BRADY MCATAMNEY BMCATAMNEY@LANTHORN.COM

Teams are built off of recruiting.

Without a steady flow of the region’s top high school football players, teams would not be able to reload their rosters following the significant turnover that occurs at the end of each season.

During last season’s signing period, Grand Valley State football added 31 players to the Laker family—a strong number—as well as 23 in 2016.

If 31 recruits is good, then this year’s count of 44—the largest class in school history—is out of this world.

The 2018 Laker football class is comprised of 30 players from Michigan, five from Indiana, four each from Illinois and Ohio, and one from Canada. Twenty-three of the players are on defense, 20 on offense and one kicker. Impressively, 10 of the signees received significant interest from Division I schools.

“To be fully transparent, when you don’t make the playoffs and you’re used to making the playoffs, the next competitive thing is you want to win recruiting,” said head coach Matt Mitchell. “We got pretty aggressive. We got out there.”

One reason the class reached the number of players it did was social media. When players committed, they would make their way to outlets like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to announce their decision and persuade their friends and teammates to consider GVSU.

In addition to sheer numbers, the recruiting class sees its strengths in the trenches and at quarterback. They signed three quarterbacks—Josh Czarnota (Fenton, Michigan); Cal Endicott (Flushing, Michigan); and Cade Peterson (Maple City, Michigan) — along with 10 offensive linemen and eight defensive linemen.

The offensive lineman class is highlighted by a quartet of potential Division I athletes in Quinton Barrow, a 6-foot-6-inch, 310-pound behemoth out of Romulus, Michigan; Brian Buchman, a Detroit Free Press All-East honoree from Warren, Michigan; Trevor Dilley, a defensive-standout-turned-lineman from St. Joseph, Michigan; and Jake Kochanny, an AllState player from Cadillac, Michigan.

On the defensive side, Caleb Murphy from Dowagiac, Michigan, stands out with three varsity letters and an All-State honor in his senior year in which he recorded 97 tackles, 27 tackles for loss and 13 sacks. “(At) O-line, we only signed two prospects last year,” Mitchell said.

“You can’t go back-to-back years with o-line—a developmental position—lacking depth, so we hit that hard, and same thing with defensive line. We signed two defensive ends in 2017. We need more than that. Because of the cycles of things, we had to hit hard, and I think with o-line, d-line and quarterback we killed it.”

Mitchell emphasized that teams that are strong in those three positions oftentimes see ample success at any level, citing the Jacksonville Jaguars’ defensive line, the Philadelphia Eagles’

offensive line and, of course, the New England Patriots’ Tom Brady.

As far as immediate-impact players are concerned, the Lakers are currently unsure if any of their 44 freshmen will be called upon in 2018 to serve in a substantial role. With quarterback Bart Williams returning for his senior season, in-game reps will be scarce for the young players, and both lineman positions require development before any of those athletes receive playing time.

However, there is one signee who could have a good opportunity to get some quick exposure to the big time: kicker Josh Gorball out of Elkhart, Indiana.

“We had our struggles at kicker this year, not so much kickoff, but extra point/field goal may have hurt us a few games,” Mitchell said. “We signed a prospect out of Indiana, Josh Gorball. I think he’ll have a chance to compete.”

A few other players who could wind up being significant within the Laker program are Tariq Reid, a running back out of Davison, Michigan, and Jayden Rodgers, a defensive back from Columbus, Ohio.

Reid was regarded by some as the best running back in the state, and his accolades support that notion, as the 6-foot, 209-pound player comes to Allendale with four varsity letters and three all-state nods (as well as two academic all-state honors). He was also a two-time Michigan Player of the Year finalist. He accumulated 1,301 all-purpose yards and 14 total touchdowns in his senior year alone.

As for Rodgers, the 6-foot-1inch, 175-pound DB also earned four varsity letters and two allstate placements. He recorded five interceptions in his final two seasons at Olentangy High School and recoded four sacks as a senior.

So, the question asked by people outside the program is often this: How does GVSU, a Division II school, attract such talent?

“I think, when you take a look at the profile of our institution, the size of our institution, our record, the tradition, the history, but even more so we look at the game-day atmosphere,” Mitchell said. “We had 16,000 people at our opener.

That was more than Eastern Michigan and Central Michigan had at their home opener. All of our home games are broadcast on ESPN3.

“Even though we have the Division II approach to things, I don’t know that our level of commitment to winning or our level of commitment to exposure is any less than some of those other places, and I think that through education, prospects, parents and coaches see that about Grand Valley.”

Overall, this class could very well be looked back upon as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, recruiting classes in GVSU history. Will any of the newest Lakers join names like Matt Judon and Brandon Carr in the NFL? Will they lead GVSU to a fifth National Championship?

Only time will tell, but one thing is certain: The potential is abundant.

VARSITY SCHEDULE MEN’S BASKETBALL Thursday 6 p.m. vs. Wayne State (Downtown Thursday) Saturday 8 p.m. vs. Davenport WOMEN’S BASKETBALL Thursday 8 p.m. vs. Wayne State (Downtown Thursday) Saturday 6 p.m. vs. Davenport TRACK AND FIELD Friday 10 a.m. vs. GVSU Big Meet Saturday 9 a.m. vs. GVSU Big Meet

MAN IN CHARGE: GVSU coach Matt Mitchell argues a call during the Lakers’ loss to Ferris State Oct. 21, 2017. Mitchell was the main recruiter for this year’s class. GVL | EMILY FRYE

ZEBRAS: Once again, GVSU head coach Matt Mitchell argues with the refs in the game against Wayne State Nov. 12, 2016. GVL | EMILY FRYE

FEBRUARY 8, 2018 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLSPORTS

A8 | SPORTS M. BASKETBALL

GV men’s basketball to face Wayne State in final ‘Downtown Thursday’ matchup

BY ROBBIE TRIANO SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM

When the Grand Valley State men’s basketball team takes the court, it’s not hard to see how much the players want to succeed each and every game.

But the harsh reality is, the amount of hunger to succeed doesn’t determine how successful you’re going to be. Wins and losses do.

And with an 11-11 overall record (6-8 GLIAC), the Lakers will have to play their best basketball during their last six regular-season contests to prove how successful they can be in order to clinch a spot in the GLIAC Tournament.

That first step to finish off the regular season starts against the Wayne State Warriors (11-8 overall, 9-5 GLIAC) in the final installment of the “Downtown Thursdays” series at the DeltaPlex Arena on Thursday, Feb. 8. Tip-off will start at 6 p.m., while the women’s game will start at 8 p.m.

Tickets are just $5 for students and $10 for all other fans. For more information on tickets, visit www. gvsulakers.com, or you can purchase your tickets at the DeltaPlex Arena box office.

The Lakers dropped their first contest against the Warriors 76-73 on the road Nov. 30, 2017. But to compare the beginning of the season to where they are now would not be fair, according to GVSU head coach Ric Wesley.

“It was a time of the year where we were really searching for ourselves,” Wesley said regarding their 3-7 overall start to the season.

“We were just a lot different than where we are now.”

A major reason for that sudden emergence has come from the play of freshman forward Jake Van Tubbergen. Besides leading the team in field-goal percentage (58 percent) and rebounds per game (6.2), and coming in second in points (10.9), Van Tubbergen has proven to be versatile enough to allow the rest of his teammates to get open on offense. GVSU currently ranks third in the GLIAC in points per game (78.0) and 3-point percentage (37.8).

I feel confident that we can play against anyone in our conference on a given night, but again, we are what our record says we are.”

RIC WESLEY BASKETBALL COACH However, the Lakers will face the task of breaking down a strong Wayne State defense.

In the GLIAC, the Warriors are second best in fewest points allowed per game (67.5) and first in opponent 3-point percentage (29.6).

Though the Lakers usually depend on their strong 3-point shooting from Hunter Hale and Ben Lubitz, they

also have offensive options— like senior center Drake Baar and senior guard Chris Dorsey—to score inside.

Along with their defense, the Lakers will have to focus on slowing down the Warriors’ senior point guard Ronald Booth on offense. Standing at 5 feet 7 inches, Booth currently leads his team in scoring with 16.1 points per game.

Matching up to guard Booth will be GVSU point guard Myles Miller, who is recently recovering from the flu and an ankle injury.

“We know it’s going to be a physical matchup, and it has been during each of my 14 years here at GVSU,” Wesley said. “It’ll be interesting to see the intensity each team brings at a professional venue like the DeltaPlex.”

The top eight teams in the conference will qualify for the postseason GLIAC Tournament, and the Lakers currently sit in seventh. With the GLIAC being one of the more dominant conferences in Division II, Wesley just wants to see his team qualify for the tournament before making any more goals.

“I feel confident that we can play against anyone in our conference on a given night, but again, we are what our record says we are,” Wesley said. “In our conference, getting into the tournament is a significant accomplishment.

“I look at the teams below us, and those teams could give even the top teams a run for their money.”

Along with their Thursday matchup, the Lakers will also face Davenport University on Saturday, Feb. 10, at the GVSU Fieldhouse Arena at 8 p.m.

BATTLING THE WARRIORS: GVSU junior center Justin Greason leaps over a defender for a layup during the Lakers’ scrimmage victory over Macomb Community College on Oct. 22, 2017. GVL | SHEILA BABBITT

W. BASKETBALL

Bouncing back

BY KELLEN VOSS KVOSS@LANTHORN.COM

After a tough road loss Thursday, Feb. 1, to the Michigan Tech Huskies 61-68, Grand Valley State women’s basketball must have been listening to

some Big Sean in the Upper Peninsula because they “bounced back” beautifully with a win against Northern Michigan 52-38 on Saturday, Feb. 3. The Lakers are now looking to carry that momentum into their games this week.

The Lakers faced a tough test this past week against two good teams in the GLIAC, but they still sit in the bronze medal position in the GLIAC standings, with a second-place seat in the North Division.

They play two more games

this week, with matchups against Wayne State and Davenport on the docket.

Despite the team’s loss last week, coach Mike Williams is confident his team will not see another defeat this week as they have some good momentum going.

DETERMINATION: GVSU forward Taylor Parmley prepares to sink a layup against contact during the Lakers’ 77-57 victory over Indianapolis Nov. 18, 2017, at the GVSU Fieldhouse Arena. Parmley is currently averaging 12.2 points in 28.9 minutes per game. GVL | SPENCER SCARBER

GV women’s basketball to face Wayne State, Davenport in home matchups “Obviously, you want to get both wins, so it was disheartening to lose our lead (to Michigan Tech),” Williams said. “It was nice to bounce back and play really well in the second half against Northern. I think that was really good for our team.”

Williams appreciates how much pride his players take in getting back into their practice grind and improving every day.

“They really do enjoy practice for the most part, and our team has been practicing hard,” Williams said. “We always say these girls have been one of the best practice teams in the country, and they always do what we tell them to do and get after it, and I love that.”

GVSU’s first game this week is against the Warriors of Wayne State, who currently post an impressive 15-5 overall record, good enough for second place in the GLIAC South Division.

Wayne State’s strong offense has been led by guards who can score at will; both Nastassja Chambers and Ja’Nae Williams can light it up quickly on offense. They have both posted game highs of more than 20 points and are both shooting over 70 percent from the free-throw line.

“They attack the rim very well, so we’re just trying to stay in front of them defensively,” Williams said. “They are very aggressive defensively and get in your space, so we’ve been working on a lot of pressure drills and passing drills to handle them.”

One interesting wrinkle in Thursday’s matchup with Wayne State is that the game

will be played at the DeltaPlex Arena in Grand Rapids, but Williams is confident the Lakers will not be phased by playing in the new location.

“Like any good basketball team, they just love playing the game,” Williams said. “They are excited to play any basketball game, no matter where it is.”

After Thursday’s 8 p.m. matchup at the DeltaPlex, the Lakers will play a home game against the Davenport Panthers on Saturday at 6 p.m. in the Fieldhouse Arena.

Although the Panthers have struggled a bit this year (7-14, 5-9 in conference), GVSU is not taking them lightly because they do have several strong basketball players, including forward Emily Severn, who leads the team in scoring (12.2 ppg) and is second on the team in rebounding (5.5).

“They are a completely different team from Wayne State,” Williams said. “They really like to shoot the ball, and they are not really a penetrating team, so we’re playing two completely styles of basketball in each game this week.”

Despite the Lakers’ decent conference record (11-3), Williams still sees more than a few things they need to improve down the stretch .

“We still need to get tougher, and we need to find a balance of limiting our turnovers but still be aggressive,” Williams said. “We also need to focus on defending better as a team. (We’ve) been trying to defend individuals too much, and we got to work on our team defense to see more success.”

FEBRUARY 8, 2018 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLSPORTS

SPORTS | A9

SOCCER

BUILDING THE FOUNDATION: GVSU soccer head coach Jeff Hosler gathers his team together to discuss their plan of attack during their matchup against Tiffin University in the GLIAC Tournament on Nov. 11, 2017, at the GVSU soccer field. Although seven pivotal Lakers will be graduating in April, the team has signed 11 freshmen and four transfers to fill in those gaps and stay atop the GLIAC. GVL | EMILY FRYE

Maintaining the dynasty

GV soccer inks 15 new recruits on National Signing Day

BY LOUIS RICARD LRICARD@LANTHORN.COM

With the conclusion of National Signing Day on Wednesday, Feb. 7, Laker fans finally got the chance to see the new faces who will impact our sports programs for the next four years.

But to Grand Valley State soccer head coach Jeff Hosler, National Signing Day was especially important for a dynasty that welcomed 15 new players to the ranks of this prestigious program.

GVSU soccer is no stranger to the National Championship scene. But during the past fall season, the Lakers lost in the Elite Eight to No. 1 ranked Central Missouri, ending their season on a bitter note. However, GVSU lost much more than just a game.

With the graduation of seven seniors, the team now has to fill crucial positions, including that of former forward Gabriella Mencotti, who scored 30 goals this past season and 29 the season prior.

“We’ve been telling our returners the same thing we’ve

told our recruiting class,” Hosler said. “Everyone has got to do a little bit more to make up for the loss of 30 goals.”

Hosler had time to prepare to recruit this incoming class as he knew he would lose some of his best players due to graduation. His recruiting philosophy did not have anything to do with the personnel he lost this year. Instead, it was all about talent. With that mindset, GVSU recruited the best players available among high school and transfer students.

“We like versatile players capable of playing multiple positions (and adapting) their roles to best fit our group,” Hosler said.

Although this group is talented, Hosler knows the team may be lacking experience.

The roster for the upcoming season will be largely composed of first- and secondyear players, while there will only be one junior and four seniors.

Hosler did get four transfers who already have a year of college experience under their belts. Among the trans-

fer recruits are Caitie Baron, a midfielder from Xavier University; Tokyo native Riko Sagara; defender Sydney O’Donnell from Vanderbilt University; and Olivia Trombley from Michigan State.

“I’m excited about that group,” Hosler said. “The transfers and the 2018 class counts for half of our team.”

Hosler is especially looking forward to working with Sagara, a Japanese international player whose soccer IQ stands out to Hosler. The dynamic midfielder led her Japanese club in the National Tournament four consecutive seasons and led the Grand Rapids FC to a National Championship. Hosler expects his players to learn a lot from her experience on the biggest stages.

Hosler is also looking forward to the incoming 2018 high school class.

Three forwards had already committed to joining GVSU next season, including Greta Deloach (Grosse Pointe, Michigan); Chantel Carranza (St. Charles, Illinois); and Madeline Becker

JOB WELL DONE: GVSU coach Jeff Hosler wishes senior Gabby Mencotti, who scored 30 goals this past season, good luck on Nov. 11, 2017. Mencotti is one of the seven graduating players. GVL | EMILY FRYE

(Ada, Michigan).

Another big recruit for GVSU is also international, from Haiti. Darline Radamaker is a striker who already has two international caps under her belt. The 18-year-old striker will be a major asset for the team and will help the younger players with her experience.

“This group is working really hard,” Hosler said. “We’re going to be a young group, but a group that works hard, that’s motivated and that is getting along. You combine that chemistry with that energy, we have the potential to do something special.”

Hosler signed 11 high schoolers to his team. Although things may be different with the departure of key players, the expectations are still high for the young group, and the workload will be as heavy as the expectations.

“We can’t take any shortcuts, any days off with this group,” Hosler said. “We have to be at our best in training every day, and the results will follow.”

COACH HOSLER: GVSU head coach Jeff Hosler directs his team in their matchup against Tiffin on Nov. 11, 2017. GVL | EMILY FRYE

FEBRUARY 8, 2018 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLSPORTS

A10 | SPORTS M. CLUB HOCKEY (DIII)

Preparing for playoffs

GV men’s DIII club hockey gets ready for hopeful Nationals run

BY D’ANGELO STARKS DSTARKS@LANTHORN.COM

The Grand Valley State men’s Division III club hockey team finished its regular season this past weekend after winning its final home series against Adrian College 8-6 and 3-2.

These wins brought the Lakers’ record up to a successful 27-7 overall on the regular season, setting them up to capture a high seed in the upcoming regional playoffs.

“We’re ranked a little higher coming in this year,” said GVSU captain Alex Bjork. “Normally, we come in as a five or a six seed, putting us right in the middle. This year, we are probably going to be the three seed, so we are hoping to give ourselves a better path to Nationals.”

Four teams will move on from the regional bracket into the national bracket. In order for the Lakers to move to the next round, they must win both of their regional games.

Head coach Charlie Link knows that the teams they are projected to play are much like themselves, but he believes he has the key on how they can separate themselves from the rest of the pack.

“There are a lot of teams who are very equal, and it just comes down to who wants it more in the playoffs,” Link said.

One area where this team has thrived this year is in close games. The team played in 12 games over the course of the regular season that were decided by

GOING FOR GOLD: GVSU sophomore defender P.J. Schnepp fights for possession of the puck during the Division III team’s matchup against University of Michigan-Flint Sept.

22, 2017, at the Georgetown Ice Center. Finishing with a 27-7 record, the Lakers expect to make a National Championship run starting Friday, Feb. 16. GVL | SPENCER SCARBER

one goal in regulation or overtime. Furthermore, the team performed very well when their games went into overtime, winning all five of those contests.

The seniors on this team have been in this position before, so they know what they need to do to get past regionals and into the National Tournament, and they

can pass that down to the younger players on the team.

“The older guys are using previous years as motivation, and we are trying to push the younger guys to see the bigger picture,” Bjork said. “Time is going to fly, and they’ll be seniors and wish they had a shot at a ring. Younger guys are starting to catch on to the reality that this a special team, and

this is a unit we can do it with.”

Those previous years that Bjork alluded to did not end well for the Lakers as they were one win away from moving on to nationals but just couldn’t manage to do it.

Coach Link talked about some players who have stepped up for the team and made a big impact.

“Our freshmen have

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Context for a complex World: Staying informed matters more than ever. The World Affairs Council's annual Great Decisions series begins January 29 and brings 8 critical global conversations going on till March 26. Get more information at worldmichigan.org or call 616.776.1721

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lumbus,” Bjork said. “The past few years we’ve come up one game short, and I think a lot of guys remember that feeling and don’t want that feeling again.”

Although the team does not know their seeding quite yet, the Regional Tournament will begin Friday, Feb. 16. The locations of those contests are TBD.

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stepped up and given us more depth,” Link said.

“Freshman year is always a tough year, and they have managed to come in and fulfill the roles that we needed them to.”

Bjork and the rest of the team have high expectations for a postseason run.

“We expect to end up in the National Tournament in Co-