Issue 52

Lanthorn G R A N D VA L L EY

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K-8 PHYSICAL EDUCATION CRITICAL FOR HEALTH, ACADEMIC SUCCESS

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SPORTS I B1

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M O N DAY, M A R C H 2 6 , 2 01 2

student VET thwarts robbery

BY Lizzy Balboa GVL NEWS EDITOR

A

Grand Valley State University student used his military background and mixed martial arts skills to foil an attempted robbery at Spike N’ Mike’s Party Store Thursday morning.

Zack Thome, an Iraqi War veteran, said the allegedy-armed, would-be

robber was already demanding money from the store clerk when Thome came in around 10 a.m. Video surveillance shows the male suspect aggressively grabbing at the clerk and trying to pull him over the counter before Thome entered the store. However, the altercation was merely verbal and, as Thome said, inaudible when the student came in.

When Thome realized

what was happening, he said he “just went into attack mode. I don’t really remember what I was thinking at that point. I grabbed him, put one arm around his neck, and held one arm against his arm to keep his would-be gun in his pocket and took him down to the ground.”

Thome said the would-be robber was standing at the counter waiting for the cashier to get the money when

the student walked in to get an energy drink to assist him with his day of paperwriting.

The student said he was oblivious to the robbery until he got in line, where another man had been watching the situation unfold and invited Thome to cut him in line.

“I stepped in front and I

SEE ROBBERY, A3

Laker crowned

DeHAAN

Ms. Wheelchair Michigan

GVSU installs new tornado warning system

BY Chelsea Lane GVL STAFF WRITER

With tornado season on the verge, Grand Valley State University’s campus is gearing up with a new emergency alert system.

Five new electromechanical tornado sirens are being installed on campus to replace the university’s current oldfashioned tornado siren behind the Fieldhouse, which will eventually be removed once installation of the new sirens is completed. The Grand Valley Police Department hopes to have all five new sirens up and running by the start of April.

The new sirens will be erected west of the Fieldhouse, north of Kliener Commons, on top of Zumberge Library, by Robinson Field and on Pierce Street near the Lake Michigan Credit Union kiosk. Two of the sirens have already been installed and regular testing of the system will commence once all five are operational.

The sirens, which are being installed by West Shore Services, are linked to Ottawa County’s 911 system, and in addition to broadcasting a traditional tornado warning siren, they can also act as public address system and play pre-recorded messages. When Ottawa County is alerted of an incoming tornado or other potential safety hazard, GVSU will automatically be alerted as well.

“Our current tornado siren does not cover the entire campus well, nor does it really penetrate any of the buildings,” said Capt. Brandon DeHaan, assistant director of the GVPD. “With these multiple locations, it should be able to cover the entire campus well, including the golf course, and should be able to spread to some of the off-campus apartments. It will be able to penetrate some of the buildings, but not all, and should be able to warn more individuals on campus.” clane@lanthorn.com

Courtesy Photo / mlive.com

On the scene: GRPD responds to an attempted robbery after GVSU alum Zack Thome helped detain the would-be assailant.

Courtesy Photo / Stephanie Dieble

Crowned: Stephanie Dieble is crowned Ms. Wheelchair Michigan. Dieble, who was born with cerebral palsy, will compete this summer for the national title.

By Sarah Hillenbrand GVL Staff Writer

Grand Valley State University student Stephanie Deible has been underestimated since birth. She was born with cerebral palsy and has been in a wheelchair her entire life, but those aren’t the only obstacles she overcame on her journey to being crowned Ms. Wheelchair Michigan on March 3.

Throughout her life, Deible has been passionate about advocating for people with disabilities, which is why she said winning the Ms. Wheelchair Michigan title is an exciting opportunity.

“I can’t wait to see where I can go from here and the amount of people that I can help,” she said.

The title involves traveling throughout Michigan advocating for people with disabilities by

trying to break down stereotypes and barriers that are in everyday society, Deible said. “I want to encourage people with disabilities to overcome any obstacles they may face. At the same time, I’ll use this as a tool to educate society about disabilities and about being in a chair.”

In August, Deible will travel to Rhode Island to compete in the Ms. Wheelchair America pageant.

Her platform in the competition focused on empowering youth with disabilities to set and achieve their goals.

“I chose this because I think that when you’re faced with obstacles, a lot of times you may want to give up,” she said. “Basically what I’m trying to do is spread the message that you can accomplish anything if SEE DEIBLE, A3

KCON changes admissions, requires interviews

BY Liz Garlick GVL STAFF WRITER

Grand Valley State University’s Kirkhof College of Nursing will change its admissions process in the fall of 2012 to be more accommodating to the almost 200 students who apply to the program each semester.

Sue Mlynarczyk, assistant professor in KCON, said the new admissions process will include an interview, which looks beyond the applicant’s grade-point average and focuses more on their communication skills, well-roundedness and knowledge, as well as caring and compassionate attitudes.

“We’ve heard students are excited about the interviews, especially students who might not have [the best] GPAs,” Mlynarczyk said.

She stressed that the GPA is still

GVL Archive

Changes: A nursing student works in CHS. Under new policies, 30 percent of admissions would be based on an interview.

weighted because nursing school can be quite rigorous, but hopefully “this will give students an edge by having interviews as opposed to looking just at the GPAs.”

Mlynarcyzk said this program change will take effect for students in Fall 2012 who are applying for the Winter 2013 semester.

Students who have already applied

in February are still under the old admissions criteria without the interview.

SEE KCON, A3

A2 NEWS

Grand Valley Lanthorn MONDAY, MARCH 26, 2012

N E W S E D I TO R L I Z Z Y B A L B OA

NEWS BRIEFS GV faculty members, Gov. Snyder visit Germany Jeanine Beasley, associate professor of occupational therapy, got a chance to have her photograph taken with Gov. Rick Snyder at an event in Germany this week.

Snyder is overseas as part of a business trip on behalf of the state, and met Beasley at a reception.

Beasley fills in at the hand clinic she founded at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital in Grand Rapids. She has been an occupational therapist since 1979 but has been specializing in hand therapy since 1983. Beasley is a frequent guest lecturer and has spoken in 13 states and internationally.

Arn Boezaart, director of Grand Valley’s Michigan Alternative and Renewable Energy Center, and Robert Smart, executive director of the Center for Scholarly and Creative Excellence, accompanied Synder on his trip to Germany to meet with scientists, researchers and industry leaders.

GVL Archive

Slugger: This year, goods sent to Project Donation when students move out will be offered to GVSU students instead of being sent to local agencies. They are also starting a new program, International fREeCYCLE, to help international students get basic housewares.

Delegation from India visits GV A delegation from Pondicherry University in India visited Grand Valley March 20 to 23 to formalize a new faculty exchange program.

Mark Schaub, chief international officer for the Padnos International Center, said about five Grand Valley students visit Pondicherry each semester through the Semester in India program.

“This agreement is aimed at providing opportunities for faculty members to guest lecture there, and for Pondicherry faculty to come here,” Schaub said.

Louie the Laker celebrates reading month Louie the Laker headed north to Traverse City to help second graders celebrate March is Reading Month.

Tanya Darling, ’03 and ’08, invited Louie to Courtade Elementary School on March 20 to read to her second-grade class.

Darling’s room is decorated with lots of Laker items and she said she enjoys talking about Grand Valley to her students.

WHAT’S INSIDE SECTION B

SECTION A News Opinion YourSpace

A2 A4 A5

Sports Laker Life Marketplace

B1 B4 B5

CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS At the Lanthorn we strive to bring you the most accurate news possible. If we make a mistake, we want to make it right. If you find any errors in fact in the Lanthorn, let us know by calling 616-331-2464 or by emailing editorial@lanthorn.com.

Lanthorn Volume 46, Number 52 The Grand Valley Lanthorn is published twice-weekly by Grand Valley State University students 62 times a year.

One copy of this newspaper is available free of charge to any member of the Grand Valley Community.

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

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PLEASE RECYCLE

Project Donation to keep goods local

By Krisy Force GVL Staff Writer

P

roject Donation, the Grand Valley State University recycling program that takes place at the end of each year, is changing directions in order to better meet the needs of GVSU’s students. The program, started in 2005, places white boxes in the living centers around campus so students can recycle their unwanted housewares, clothing and food rather than throw them away. The items collected on the Allendale Campus are normally sent to outside organizations like Goodwill, Love Inc. and Guiding Light Ministries, but this year, the goods are being kept on campus.

Derek Plumb, assistant living center director for living and learning centers International House and PERL, said the original system was difficult to run because there was never a guarantee of getting the organizations what they needed.

This year, Facilities Services, Resident Housing Association, the Women’s Center and the Housing Department are coordinating the new program to meet the needs of the food pantry located in the Women’s Center.

The other new aspect of this year’s recycling program is a sub-program titled Project Donation: GVSU International fREeCYCLE, which aims to meet the needs of incoming international students. Boxes will be placed near entrances and exits on April 23.

The idea for the new program

spawned from Douwe Driehuis, an international student from the Netherlands who arrived at GVSU in the fall of 2011 with nothing more than a suitcase.

“People used to come over and ask if we were robbed and I said no; it’s just because we can’t bring that much,” Driehuis said.

Driehuis and his roommate, also an international student, had to purchase all of their living essentials, including pots, pans and lamps, upon arrival in the U.S. At the end of the year, he said he noticed students were getting rid of gently used pots and pans, among other items.

“People throw [items] out because they don’t want them, or their parents are going to buy them a new set in the summer, or they just don’t use it anymore, but it is still perfectly usable,” Driehuis said, adding that he thought he could save the items for future international students in order to make their study abroad experience a little cheaper.

“I had a feeling that I had gathered a lot of stuff but it was gone in 10 minutes,” Driehuis said of a trial for the project.

All items collected will be sorted by volunteers and stored until next semester when a free “garage sale” will take place.

Plumb said the majority of the items come from graduating seniors, people studying abroad, transferring freshman and international students themselves.

“We are collecting goods from the same people but essentially we are going to keep house wares for a free garage sale with the understanding that they will be given it back at the end of the year to

keep a continuous cycle,” he said.

Plumb added that one of the main goals of Project Donation is to give students the opportunity to give back to their community.

“We are always trying to get students to give back to the community, usually through money,” he said. “College students are not financially savvy so this creates the idea of giving back with what you can.”

Raven McClinon, assistant supervisor of Facilities Services, added that the department wanted to give everyone a chance to donate, so the donation is also open to faculty and staff members who want to do some spring cleaning.

Another goal McClinon, Driehuis and Plumb agreed on was the idea of sustainability.

“It keeps the trash we take off campus lower,” McClinon said. “It has kept more things out of the landfill and as GVSU tries to become more sustainable I think that is an important goal.”

The Women’s Center Food Pantry will also be benefiting from the change in Project Donation. All food collected will be donated to the pantry to benefit all students in need. Kate Anderson, an intern at the Women’s Center, said that the pantry was used 250 times in the Fall 2011 semester and is in constant need of items.

“Helping Grand Valley’s students who are most in need would allow those students to focus their time, money, and energy upon more academic pursuits,” Anderson said. kforce@lanthorn.com

NEWS A3

Grand Valley Lanthorn MONDAY, MARCH 26, 2012

DEIBLE

continued from A1

THOME

you set your mind to it.”

Although she has encountered obstacles, Deible has worked in her own school system to make changes to help those with disabilities.

She said one of the reasons she chose to go to GVSU was because she could get around campus easily and, if encountering any difficulties, the university was accommodating and quick to help.

However, Deible has worked hard all her life to gain independence.

“I just kept setting little goals and eventually I got to the point where I could function and do all these little personal needs like get dressed and care for myself on my own,” she said.

Weighing just over two pounds when she was born, at first it was uncertain if she would live very long. Growing up, doctors told her she would likely never have enough mobility or strength to be able to live on her own or go through school.

“I didn’t want to have to depend on other people for my entire life,” Deible said.

Cerebral palsy affects people in different ways. For Deible, her muscles are underdeveloped, which is why she is unable to walk. Over the years, she has had five different operations, two of which left her in a body cast from toes to bellybutton for two months. The purpose of the operations were to help her muscles to relax, because many people with cerebral palsy will often have muscle spasms, Deible said.

“I would say the big-

ing so I didn’t realize he was out.” continued from A1 He said he then called think he kind of expected the sheriff, who instructed me to pay attention to what Thome to get off the suswas going on when he said pect and personally do a pat that [I could cut in line],” down. The police entered Thome said. “I didn’t [pay the store about 30 seconds attention, though] and an- later, Thome said. other second goes by and he As for tactics used, says to me ‘I don’t know, I Thome said he credits both think that he’s got a gun.’” his martial arts background After the other customer and his military experience. repeated his words, Thome “The actual tactic of the said he began to listen to choke was what I learned the conversation between from Grand Rapids Mixed the cashier and suspect. He Martials Arts,” he said. “I caught the cashier’s blood- want to stress that [because] shot eyes, mouthed to him the Grand Rapids Mixed to ask whether the store was Martial Arts is probably the being robbed and began reason why I had the confidevising a plan when the dence to do something, for cashier confirmed the at- sure. As far as protocol for tempted robbery with a nod. isolating, say, a person of The suspect had a hand in interest and making sure his pocket and claimed he there’s no threat, that was had a gun, which Thome from the military. So as soon said was his main concern. as I had him on the ground, “So I’m thinking about it was like snap, snap, snap how to get this guy, so I from what I learned in the think to myself if I can hold military for apprehending a that hand straight against suspect.” his leg, then I won’t have Thome said he never to worry about the gun,” he considered that his plan continued from A1 said. “…At the very most, could fail. he would shoot himself in “I never really quesUnder the new criteria, the leg.” tioned it,” he said. an applicant’s GPA accounts Thome said he grabbed Despite the adrenaline for 65 percent of the adthe man according to plan, rush, the student was able missions decision, with 30 with one arm around his to focus on his homework percent coming from the neck and one clutching the schedule and return to his interview. The final five suspect’s arm with the al- paper. percent will come from the leged weapon.

“So from that point, I Laker Score count, a score “The guy wasn’t big gave my story to the police that takes a maximum of 29 enough where I thought I’d officer, got my energy drink, credits from budding nurshave a problem overpower- went back to the house and ing students who have taken ing him,” Thome said. started studying,” he said. all of their prerequisites at He then brought the According to a report by GVSU, which gives them suspect down to the floor. Fox 17 News, owner Sunny a slight edge over transfer While keeping the suspect’s Singh said the store, located students. arm close to his leg, he in- at the corner of Diamond Elaine Van Doren, assostructed the other men in Avenue SE and Fulton ciate dean for undergraduthe store to pat the suspect Street, hadn’t been robbed ate programs and associate down to make sure he was in about a decade. professor in KCON, said the unarmed.

The case is currently goal of these interviews is Thome said he ended upForbeing investigated by the more information, contact: to give a “nice full view of choking the man out.

Detective Unit of the Grand applicants to best help them Diane Maodush-Pitzer “As soon as he’s out, IProgram Rapids Coordinator: Police Department, prepare for secondary adkind of hold him there forPhone: which616-331-8020 was unavailable to mission into the KCON.” a little bit,” he said. “MyEmail: provide further details. relstudies@gvsu.edu adrenaline was kind of gonews@lanthorn.com

ROBBERY

Courtesy Photo / Stephanie Dieble

Make a difference: Stephanie Dieble (pictured), who was crowned Ms. Wheelchair Michigan earlier this month, plans to use her platform to encourage young people with disabilities.

KCON

gest obstacle was trying to overcome the operations, of course, but also trying to get myself to gain enough strength and mobility to be able to live independently without a constant need for assistance from my family and other friends,” she said.

Deible’s accomplishments will hopefully serve

as a source of inspiration for other people with disabilities, she said.

“When I look ahead and see the opportunities that are in front of me, the most important thing that I want to take away from this is being able to impact the lives of other people with disabilities so that they know that in

life, of course obstacles are going to come up, but the important thing is to keep working at whatever you’re trying to do because you never know when an opportunity is going to be waiting on the other side,” Deible said.

Van Doren is also involved with the KCON Office of Student Services, where four advisors and the office director will help students prepare for these interviews and any difficulties they might encounter. The Office of Student Services provides sample questions, an opportunity to meet with advisors and tips on what to say in an interview.

The Pre-Nursing Club also helps with secondary admission to the nursing school.

“During preparing [for applying to KCON], the Pre-Nursing Club is used by students to better understand

what is nursing, and what it’s really like to be a nurse, and not just what students see on TV,” Van Doren said.

Another trial that has been talked about in nursing admissions is Community Leaders, which involves the interaction of students with nursing experts like alumni or faculty members to provide a broader view of nursing. Van Doren said the process has not yet been organized, though, and will be considered in late summer.

Van Doren said no extra

cost is tied to the new process of interviews into the nursing admissions. Mlynarcyzk added that a main challenge of carrying out this new program will be finding the time to interview about 200 applicants each semester.

For more information about changes to the nursing program, visit the KCON’s Facebook Page, www.facebook.com/#!/KCON.Advising, or to their website at www.gvsu.edu/kcon/. egarlick@lanthorn.com

FRESH.

Winter 2013 REL 200 Intro to Religious Studies 6:00-8:50 p.m.

ANNOUNCING!

New Major/Minor

Website: http://www.gvsu.edu/rel Find us on Facebook (or the Facebook Logo): GVSU Religious Studies Classes Offered, 2012-2013: Fall 2012 REL 200 Intro to Religious Studies 1:00-2:15 p.m.

REL 305 Christianity: Scriptures and Tradition 10:00-10:50 p.m.

shillenbrand@lanthorn.com

FAST. TASTY.

RELIGIOUS B.A. STUDIES B.S.

TR

MWF

T

CLASSES OFFERED Fall 2012 REL 200 Intro to Religious Studies TR 1:00-2:15 p.m.

REL 305 Christianity: Scriptures and Tradition MWF 10:00-10:50 p.m.

Winter 2013

PERCENTAGES 2008-2012 Week 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Avg.

2008 19% 12% 16% 16% 20% 11% 26% 15% 17%

2009 22% 27% 24% 21% 20% 23% 22% 26% 23%

2010 30% 30% 29% 28% 17% 36% 25% 32% 28%

2011 36% 32% 36% 34% 34% 34% 31% 28% 33%

REL 200 Intro to Religious Studies T 6:00-8:50 p.m.

REL 300 Contemporary Theories & Issues in Rel. TR 4:00-5:15 p.m.

2012 40% 32% 42% 37% 33% 34% 36%

FREAKY FAST

DELIVERY! ©2011 JIMMY JOHN’S FRANCHISE, LLC ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Program Coordinator: Diane Maodush-Pitzer Advisors: Chris Drewel Shel Kopperl Stephen Rowe Brent Smith Deana Weibel Judy Whipps

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Phone: 616-331-8020 Email: relstudies@gvsu.edu http://www.gvsu.edu/rel Facebook: GVSU Religious Studies

A4 OPINION

Grand Valley Lanthorn Monday, March 26, 2012

L A N T H O R N O P I N I O N O N L I N E AT L A N T H O R N . C O M VA L L E Y VOT E : Do you think that the investigation into Trayvon Martin’s death in Sanford, Fla., has been mishandled?

L AST I S S U E ’ S Q U E ST I O N : Did you participate in GVSU’s transportation survey?

Vote online at lanthorn.com

Y E S 67% N O 33%

EDITORIAL

AWARENESS Q uick, nighttime runs to the store — like the trip Florida teen Trayvon Martin, 17, took on Feb. 26 — are a frequent occurrence for many college students, but few worry that they could be killed during the trip.

Since that night, the case has become a media firestorm and caused public outcry.

The Change.org petition to arrest George Zimmerman, the self-appointed neighborhood watch captain who shot Martin in what he alleges was self defense, has surpassed 1.5 million signatures — the fastest-growing petition in the website’s history — and ev-

Tragedies like Trayvon Martin’s death act as a reminder that despite great strides, racism is not a non-issue in the U.S.

eryone from celebrities to former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm have taken to social media to post photos of themselves wearing hoodies in support of Martin.

Martin’s tragic death is an important reminder that despite the great strides of the past 50 years, racism is still very much alive and well in the U.S. Whether examining the handling of the case itself, which is at best a careless investigation and at worst symptomatic of the same racism that led to an unarmed black teenager wearing a hoodie and carrying Skittles to be equated to a dangerous criminal, or the

QUESTION OF THE ISSUE

media responses, it is clear that we need to revisit the issue of racism in the U.S. On Friday’s episode of “Fox and Friends,” TV personality Geraldo Rivera made a series of comments about the case that display the sort of casual racism many of us pretend no longer exists.

“I am urging the parents of black and Latino youngsters particularly not to let their children go out wearing hoodies,” he said on-air. “I think the hoodie is as much responsible for Trayvon Martin’s death as much as George Zimmerman was.”

Rivera’s comments are a reflection of

one of the most common racist stereotypes that pervades our culture — that a black or Latino person in a hoodie is dangerous, but a white person in a hoodie is OK. The conversation would be different if the story was different — say, if there was some indication that Martin was armed, or if he was wearing an article of clothing symbolizing gang activity. But when it’s boiled down, this was a 17-year-old boy who ran to the store to buy candy during the NBA AllStar Game halftime show and was gunned down on his walk home, likely because of the color of his skin.

GVL EDITORIAL CARTOON I BY DAN SILLS

How do you feel about how the handling of Trayvon Martin’s case?

“This Zimmerman fellow needs much harsher punishment due to the fact that he killed a colored boy armed with Skittles and an iced tea. Unfair, unjust and inhumane the way he is getting away with murder.”

Emma Breen Junior, nursing Rockford, Mich.

“Outraged at the entire situation, particularly the lack of procedure followed by the officers on-scene.

There should have been more done with Zimmerman ... To let him go without any questioning or alcohol testing is ridiculous.”

Lawrence Julson

dsills@lanthorn.com

Junior, business and history Potterville, Mich.

“I feel like it was a terrible tragedy and that Zimmerman should be tried. However, I feel like most of us don’t know all of the detail nd it is unwise to judge him guilty before all of the evidence has been presented.”

U.S. most armed, but shouldn’t be

Malcolm Goldblum

Sophomore, film and video Grand Rapids, Mich.

“I feel like the police aren’t doing their jobs. They should have investigated the case to a greater extent.”

Hayden Brown

Sophomore, film and video Fenton, Mich.

“I guess this would be considered a lack of handling. A 17-year-old boy lost his life at the hands of a trigger-happy, self-appointed watchman. The fact that no charges have been brought against this man is a crime in itself.”

Angela Green

Senior, psychology Adrian, Mich.

Lanthorn

BY Andrew Justus

GVL Assistant News Editor

There are myriad aspects I could focus on about the death of Trayvon Martin: subtle racism in our society, inconsistent law enforcement across the country or the role of neighborhood watches would all be suitable topics, but I cannot talk about all of them due to space constraints. The part of the Trayvon Martin saga that has me most fired up is the prevalence of handguns in our society today and their

EDITORIAL PAGE BOARD Editor in Chief Managing Editor Web Managing Editor Advertising Manager

GVL OPINION POLICY The ultimate goal of the Grand Valley Lanthorn opinion page is to stimulate discussion and action on topics of interest to the Grand Valley Community. Student opinions do not reflect those of the Grand Valley Lanthorn.

The Grand Valley Lanthorn welcomes reader viewpoints and offers three vehicles of expression for reader opinions: letters to the editor, guest columns and phone responses.

Letters must include the author’s name and be accompanied by current picture identification if dropped off in person. Letters will be checked by an employee of the Grand Valley Lanthorn.

Letters appear as space permits each issue. The limit for letter length is one page, single spaced.

The editor reserves the right to edit and condense letters and columns for length restrictions and clarity.

All letters must be typed.

The Grand Valley Lanthorn will not be held responsible for errors that appear in print as a result of transcribing handwritten letters or e-mail typographic errors.

The name of the author may be withheld for compelling reasons.

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

maintaining order.

With the exception of hunting for food, nothing good comes from a gun.

Some argue that gun ownership or possession offers a level of safety against would-be assailants. Firearm ownership also opens up the possibility of accidental injuries or death and to unwanted escalation of situations similar to the Trayvon Martin incident in Florida. Any sense of security from gun ownership is therefore a false one because of the chaos and death guns bring to otherwise civil society.

Guns and the problems they bring won’t be going away any time soon, but from a public policy standpoint we can work to make sure that firearms play

as small a role in criminal and otherwise tragic events as possible.

Gun owners should have to be registered much in the same way as car owners are.

Gun owners should also have to be more strictly checked for violent tendencies and psychological abnormalities and be checked on a regular basis. Finally, gun owners should have to pass stringent safety classes similar to what we require of those who want concealed-carry licenses. These measures are not ideal, and won’t completely end gun related violence; but it’s a start, and will hopefully prevent tragic cases like Trayvon Martin’s from occurring in the future. assistantnews@ lanthorn.com

An apology to gen ed profs

The student-run newspapers at Grand Valley State University

SAMANTHA BUTCHER ANYA ZENTMEYER HALEY OTMAN KEVIN HAUSFELD

involvement in major crimes.

The U.S. has more firearms per person than any other country in the world.

At 89 guns per 100 people, Americans are more heavily armed than people in wartorn countries like Yemen (55 per 100) and Iraq (34 per 100). Americans are also several times more armed than people in other industrialized countries. Finland and Sweden are the next most-armed industrialized countries, with 32 and 31.5 guns per 100 people, respectively.

Why do we need to be the most heavily-armed peoples on the planet? We live in a relatively safe and peaceful society compared to other, lesser-armed countries. We have competent and effective police forces capable of

BY CHRIS SLATTERY GVL COLUMNIST

Dear Gen Ed professors,Hey there, sirs and madams. My name is Chris Slattery. I don’t know if you remember me or not (I was not a star pupil, by any means) but I remember you, all of you. Not names, because I’m not really a “names” kind of guy. I’m also not a “hat” kind of guy either, but that has nothing to do with this column.

Perhaps some other time.

Going to Grand Valley State University forced me to take some classes I would not have thought (wanted) to take. Without the requirement, there is no way I would be caught dead in these classes — unless

my body was dumped there after some botched murder (likely involving a hat) — because they do nothing and if they disappeared forever, I could not care any less. You may call them “science” or “math” or “Spanish,” but I have words far more austere for them.

Most of them involve obscenities, as well, and ever since I gave up swearing for Lent, I’ve been doing very well, thank you very much.

Anyway, the whole reason I wanted to talk is to apologize for avoiding you all. I may not be a “name” (or “hat”) guy, but I’m definitely a “face” guy and as soon as I see one of your familiar, intimidating faces around campus, I immediately circumvent the situation and hide like a child.

It’s not necessarily cowardice that is the cause of my avoidance of each of you. Rather, I just hate awkward situations, espe-

cially ones that make me look stupid. Granted, I am a pretty stupid person already (emphasis on the “pretty,” wink-wink), but let me explain.

Whenever I’ve had the misfortune of running into a gen ed professor of mine, without fail you come to the inaccurate conclusion that we only have one thing in common: the class we had together. What you fail to realize is that all of that information (about things I didn’t care about in the first place) you attempted to drill into my head, left my brain forever the second I walked out of that final exam.

This is nothing against you as professors, or even as people. It’s just that derivatives weren’t ever really my thing. In fact, the only reason I took your class in the first place was to impress a girl, and after we broke up, any remote motivation I had became a

remainder of zero.

Foreign language professors are the worst because every single word that comes out of their mouth is in some secret code that I’ve never been able to crack. “Komo ess toss?”

What does that even mean, professor?! Did you cover this while I was doodling in the back of the class?

Essentially, I apologize I didn’t retain more information you taught me. I assume you are all complex individuals who have many interesting topics to talk about, but I have not seen this yet. “Did you see ‘The Hunger Games’ over the weekend?” That’s a good start.

I mean, I’m not a “Hunger Games” guy, either, so that was probably a bad example…

Love, Chris “not a ‘hat’ guy” Slattery cslattery@lanthorn.com

A5 your space

Grand Valley Lanthorn MONDAY, MARCH 26, 2012

GUEST COLUMN

Learning About Mexico with the MSN

O

n Wednesday evening, March 21st, activist Macrina Cárdenas de Alarcon spoke to nearly 80 members of the Grand Valley community about the social and economic situation in Mexico. A resident of Tijuana, a city of 1.6 million and site of the world’s largest border crossing, Macrina works with migrants and deportees at the Casa del Migrante, a center that has helped thousands of Mexicans caught in an immigration crisis. She is also politically active with the Mexico Solidarity Network, a nonprofit organization based in Chicago, Illinois, that works with and advocates for the Latino community through their Centro Autónomo in Albany Park. MSN is the main sponsor of this speaking tour through the Midwest.

Although a country with over 113 million people and the U.S.’s third largest trading partner after Canada and China, many Americans are unfamiliar with the realities of the situation in Mexico. Despite the attention that is given immigration in the U.S. presidential race, how much do we really understand the issues?

Do we fully grasp how U.S. policy affects human rights on both sides of the border?

Most of us are familiar with companies that have laid off American workers by setting up factories in Mexico.

But we hear very little about how the establishment of these maquiladoras operations has often had very little benefit to Mexicans. For example, many are run without adequate safety measures and

in the absence of unions; they often pollute or over-exploit local environments; and they rarely pay any significant taxes, therefore benefiting from the communities - even removing precious resources such as potable water - while giving very little back.

Macrina pointed out that the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) required a change in the Mexican Constitution allowing for a weakening of the well-established system of ejidos, or funded collectives of small village-owned farms. This change has allowed land to be sold off to corporate interests. Industrial use of the land has at times impoverished surrounding land, even depleting water resources, making it hard for remaining farmers to earn a living. Rather than increase the wealth of these Mexicans and reduce immigration to the United States, NAFTA has had the opposite effect, with even more Mexicans looking to the U.S. to earn a living, all in spite of the risks and increasing numbers of deportations in recent years.

Mexico is preparing for presidential elections to be held July 1, 2012, and of course immigration is an important aspect of the U.S. presidential elections, to be held November 2012.

A Grand Valley alum, Tony Nelson (BA 2003, MA Syracuse 2009), provided interpretation into English while also speaking about his own experiences living in San Cristóbal in state of Chiapas, in Mexico City, and in the state of Tlaxcala, three loca-

Courtesy Photo / Dan Golembeski

Solidarity: Activists discuss issues facing the Latino community.

tions where MSN has set up centers for study abroad. Tony introduced the talk in fluent Spanish, telling how when he was an undergraduate at Grand Valley, he attended a talk where the speaker began in Spanish only, and then asked how many people could understand: only a handful were able to. As a result, he decided then and there that he absolutely had to become fluent in a foreign language.

Macrina also touched on the issue of violence in Mexico, which she says, is often overplayed in the media.

Tony mentioned that in some cases crime levels in neighborhoods Chicago are in fact higher than in many cities in Mexico. We rarely hear how communities are coming together in Mexico to deal with violence themselves, given that the “establishment” tends to only make things worse.

State Department warnings have caused many U.S.based study abroad programs to Mexico to be cancelled, including at GVSU. GVSU students can still study abroad in Mexico, but usually have to do so independently. MSN operates a program that has

continued through it all. The accredited program is open to students interested in activism, indigenous groups, community organizing and human rights. Tony Nelson is one of the program’s onsite professors. The Padnos International Center can direct students to information on MSN’s programs.

The Grand Valley event was sponsored by the Department of Modern Languages & Literatures, Latin American Studies, the Padnos International Center, and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

After leaving Grand Valley, the pair headed to Detroit to as the speaking tour continued at University of Detroit Mercy, Eastern Michigan University, and the University of Michigan.

If you are interested in this topic, but were unable to attend, the event was recorded and is now available at the Language Resource Center, or through the LRC’s eVideon server, under the title “Beyond Border Politics”.

Dan Golembeski Associate professor of French

A6 NEWS

Grand Valley Lanthorn MONDAY, MARCH 26, 2012

Conference focuses on motivating women GVL Archive

Work appropriate: Students and employers gather at a past Career Services event.

Career Services helps students dress for interview, job success

BY Lizzy Balboa GVL NEWS EDITOR

Despite the ever-growing prominence of virtual networking, making live first-impressions is still an important part of gaining employment.

“There are numerous studies that state the importance of a first good impression at an interview,” said Gail Zemmol, affiliate professor of hospitality and tourism management at Grand Valley State University. “The Career Center has many stories about students not understanding the importance or not understanding what is appropriate clothing for interviews.”

That is why the Career Services department, Seidman College of Business, Women’s Center and Hospitality and Tourism Management Department are teaming up to sponsor the third annual Dress for Success Fashion Show.

“The program was designed so that students understand the importance

of wearing proper attire to interviews,” she said. “The university wants to give students every opportunity to be successful in finding internships and jobs. Understanding what is appropriate dress for an interview is one skill needed in order to be successful. The Career Center knows that students do not always wear appropriate clothing to interviews.”

The fashion show will highlight appropriate dress for interviews as well as daily business wear. Zemmol said students will also learn where to purchase similar dress wear on any budget.

Vendors will be available during the event to discuss other concerns with students regarding the average interview process, and the GVSU Career Center will have representatives on hand to give tips on resume building.

Students will also have access to tailoring tips from Plantenga’s Cleaners to talk about tailoring, hair and makeup tips from Douglas J. Aveda Institute and lessons on how to tie a tie from Old Navy.

Zemmol said the Event Management class served as the event manager for this year’s program, as well as the past events, which were attended by about 170 students.

“The students are completely responsible for the event,” she said. “The students created and carried out a marketing plan, created the menu, designed the room layout, contacted the vendors, created a budget, etc.”

The students have also collected more than 50 donated prizes, including an overnight stay at local hotels, tickets to the Grand Rapids Whitecaps and a Kindle.

Those in attendance will have multiple opportunities to win the prizes. Faculty and staff have also donated business wear, which Zemmol said will be available to students free of charge.

The event is Wednesday from 4 to 6 p.m. in Room 2250 of the Kirkhof Center.

For more information on the event, visit the Facebook page. news@lanthorn.com

Courtesy Photo / Michelle Guinyard

Balanced: Members of You Beautiful Black Woman pose at last year’s conference.

YBBW workshop to help women lead ‘balanced lifestyle’

BY Samantha Belcher GVL STAFF WRITER

G

rand Valley State University’s You Beautiful Black Women organization is hosting its annual women’s conference on Saturday.

The workshop, titled “A Balanced Lifestyle,” features five speakers who will discuss the areas of a healthy lifestyle: spirituality, self-esteem, fitness, finances and personal life.

Angileena Gibson, YBBW’s sergeant at arms, said this conference is meant to inform women of all races and backgrounds about healthy lifestyles.

“I want them [women] to be knowledgeable about living a healthy and balanced lifestyle,” Gibson said.

Alkiesha Collins, physicians assistant at St. Clair Shore Specialty Center, will discuss fitness to the audience at the conference.

Pastor Kenneth Hoskins and his wife, Co-Pastor Sheronda Hoskins, from the Divined Grace Ministries Church in Grand Rapids will also speak at the event. Pastor

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Kenneth Hoskins will speak about spirituality and Co-Pastor Sheronda Hoskins will speak about personal and social life.

Motivational speaker Chris Sain will discuss emotion and self-esteem. Sain is the founder of Grand C.I.T.Y (Committed to Influencing Today’s Youth), a Grand Rapids organization created to help at risk youth by emphasizing education through sports.

Gibson said about 80 people have attended the workshop each year since it was started in 1992, and the group expects about the same amount this year.

“This [event] motivates and uplifts women,” she said.

Gibson said this event is the YBBW’s last of the year.

The club’s focus is to promote sisterhood for all women, which she said is not necessarily common in many GVSU organizations.

The speeches will be held at the Kirkhof Center in rooms 2215 and 2216 from noon to 4 p.m. sbelcher@lanthorn.com

B SPORTS

Grand Valley Lanthorn MONDAY, MARCH 26, 2012

sports@lanthorn.com

S P O R T S E D I TO R B R A DY F R E D E R I C K SEN S O F T B A L L

S P O R T S

SHORTS Lubbers Stadium named to ‘Top 50’ While many have already experienced the gameday atmosphere that comes with a football game at the recently-renovated Lubbers Stadium, word is getting out that your experience is worthy of sharing.

Sports website Bleacher Report recently released a “Top 50 Stadiums to See Before You Die” and featured the home of Laker football on the list.

Lubbers Stadium, which seats 8,550, is currently under renovations that will allow it to comfortably hold 10,700.

Lubbers Stadium is joined by Pittsburg State University’s Carnie Smith Stadium as the lone Division II representatives.

Also featured on the list are the University of Michigan’s Michigan Stadium and Michigan State University’s Spartan Stadium.

WINNING

WAYS GVL Archive

Solid start: Senior Carli Raisutis swings at a pitch during the Lakers’ previous match. GVSU opened conference play against Tiffin on Friday, going 5-1 for the weekend.

Softball team opens conference play with 5-1 winning weekend

BY Samantha BUTcher GVL Editor in Chief

G L I A C

STANDINGS W. Tennis Northwood Wayne St. (Mich.)

GVSU Ashland Ferris St. Lake Superior St. Ohio Dominican Saginaw Valley Tiffin Michigan Tech Hillsdale Findlay Lake Erie

12-0 11-1 10-2 9-3 8-4 7-5 6-6 5-7 4-8 3-9 2-10 1-11 0-12

M. Tennis Northwood Ferris St. Wayne St. (Mich.)

GVSU Tiffin Findlay Ohio Dominican Michigan Tech Lake Superior Lake Erie

5-0 4-0 4-0 4-1 1-2 1-2 1-3 0-4 0-4 0-4

Saginaw Valley Wayne St. (Mich.)

Lake Erie Northwood Ohio Dominican Ashland Tiffin GVSU Findlay Hillsdale

4-0 3-1 3-1 2-2 2-2 2-2 2-2 1-3 1-3 0-4

Baseball

C

ontinuing its strongest season start since 2004, the Grand Valley State University softball team went 5-1 this weekend as it opened conference play.

After starting their six-game weekend with a 2-1 loss against Tiffin University (11-12, 2-4 GLIAC) on Friday, the Lakers (22-4, 5-1 GLIAC) rebounded to a victory in their second showdown with the Dragons, 4-1.

From there, the team’s momentum continued to build, sweeping their Saturday twinbill against Wayne State University (8-14, 0-4 GLIAC) 3-1 and 12-6 before ending the weekend with a pair of wins against Findlay University (11-8, 3-3 GLIAC), 9-2 and 14-1.

The Lakers’ winning weekend, as well as their previous success, is largely due to their pitching success, said Doug Woods, GVSU head softball coach.

“Right now our pitching has been very good,” he said. “Even in a couple of the games we’ve lost, our pitching has been good and we just haven’t gotten enough hits. If we keep our hitting going in that direction along with the pitching, we should be in good shape.”

Junior Hannah Santora, who leads the pitching staff with a 0.79 ERA, and senior Andrea Nicholson, with an ERA of 1.06, helped GVSU maintain its lead in both of Sunday’s games.

During game one against Findlay, Nicholson retired all three of Findlay’s batters in the bottom of the fifth to preserve GVSU’s 4-2 lead, while in game two Santora kept Findlay from scoring through the first innings, allowing only one hit during each of the Oilers’ at-bats.

As the team’s defense exploded after the early loss to Tiffin, holding most of their opponents to only one run, it was met by a solid offense as the Lakers netted a total of 44 runs W .

L A C R O S S E

BY Jon Van Zytveld GVL STAFF WRITER

Softball N. division standings 5-1 4-2 2-4 2-4 2-4 1-5

S. division standings Ohio Dominican 6-0 Ashland 5-1 Findlay 3-3 Tiffin 2-4 Wayne St. 2-4 Lake Erie 2-4

week with a 7-1 record. However, despite the momentum that had built earlier in the season, the stakes were high Friday as the Lakers faced GLIAC rivals for the first time in 2012.

“You go into conference play, you want to get off on the right foot and do well, and we ended up 5-1 this weekend so I think we’re headed in the right direction,” Woods said, noting that their early success was an important motivating factor. “... You always have a little worry that you’re not going to come out of the gate as strong as you want, but as of this point we are right where we want to be.”

The Lakers will return to the softball diamond Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. in Midland to face off in a twinbill against Northwood University.

Following Wednesday’s pair of games, the Lakers will return to Allendale for a two-day, four-game set against Ferris State University starting at 1 p.m. on Friday. editorial@lanthorn.com

Early success at home unifies team

GVSU Hillsdale Ferris St. Saginaw Valley Northwood (Mich.)

Lake Superior St.

over the course of six games. During game two against Wayne State, the Lakers had 16 hits and 12 runs, with senior Nellie Kosola and juniors Kaleigh Bertram and Emily Holt going 3-for-4 at the plate.

Kosola scored three runs as well as a single, double and triple. Betram notched a pair of runs and two scores, and Holt walked away from the game with two ribbies.

Wood said the leadership of upperclassmen like Santora and Nicholson has helped the team focus and achieve their record.

“We’ve got a lot of experience now,” he said. “We didn’t have any seniors last year, we have four this year, so a lot of the girls have been through this. It’s great to have a good weekend like we did, but we also know we have to keep working hard to keep this going.”

Combined with the teams’ two victories against Rochester College on Tuesday, the Lakers wrapped up the

GVL Archive

Pair of wins: Freshman Sarah Lowe looks to pass the ball during a past match. GVSU beat Tiffin and Olivet at home this weekend.

For the Grand Valley State University women’s lacrosse team, the challenge of its inaugural season has been all about finding the right balance of chemistry and teamwork.

With the weekend’s two victories on their home turf, GVSU coach Alicia Groveston believes that the team has finally found that balance.

“We’re in the situation where the pieces are starting to fall into place,” she said.

“We’re taking better care of the ball, and our defense is really stepping up and making some nice saves.”

The Lakers (4-4) rallied during their third home game of the season to earn a 16-8 victory over Tiffin University (1-6) on Saturday. The Lakers led for the duration of the game due to a strong offense, led by Rachel Leibovitz, who gave the team an early lead that they held until the end.

“We’ve been working on building up full games,” said Leibovitz, who scored six goals during Saturday’s

game. “Our team has many great players with many skills, and sometimes we struggle to put it all together, but when we do, we play very well. I think everyone was happy with how we played.”

The Lakers returned on Sunday for another home game, this time against Olivet College (0-7), which the team defeated 25-1, a season-high in scoring for the Lakers.

GVSU carried their strong play over from the previous day to dominate offensively, keeping the vast majority of the game play on the Comets’ half of the field.

The game was a near-shutout, with the Lakers leading 17-1 at the half. Olivet improved their offense and defense during the second half, but it was not enough to halt GVSU. “This weekend, we wanted to win both games — that was our goal,” said GVSU assistant coach Erika Walker. “I think we pretty much approach all games with the same amount of preparation, but I think I think that these home games had some meaning to them.”

After four consecutive home games, the Lakers will return to the road this Friday to combat Fort Lewis (4-2) in Denver. The game will mark the start of four consecutive away games, which will take the Lakers to Colorado as well as Ohio. While the team will miss the home field advantage, the Lakers are excited to bring their talent and passion for lacrosse to another state.

“Our last road trip didn’t go as well as we hoped for,” Leibovitz said. “We really want to make sure that this trip will be a winning one.

I’m really excited and the rest of the team is, too.”

After several road losses early in their season, the Lakers are committed to maintaining their balanced play in order to triumph during the upcoming games.

“I think the team has seen what they can do, and that’s a very powerful thing,” Groveston said. “We’re finding those nuances and teaching moments. We know what we need to do. The key is to be us and to do what we do, and at this point, that is a great thing.” jvanzytveld@lanthorn.com

B2 SPORTS

Grand Valley Lanthorn MONDAY, MARCH 26, 2012

B A S E B A L L

M . G O L F

IT RUNS IN THE FAMILY

GVL / Bo Anderson

Disappointment: Infielder Giano Brugnoni dives back safely into first base. GVSU lost three of its four games against Lake Erie (6-9, 3-1 GLIAC) this weekend due to defensive errors.

STORM’D

By Brady Fredericksen GVL Sports Editor

Things just aren’t going the right way for the Grand Valley State University baseball team, and that was made apparent this weekend. Despite a sub-.500 opponent in Lake Erie College, GVSU dropped three of four in its series this weekend.

The Lakers (11-7, 1-3 GLIAC) struggled at the plate, but it was their defense — the team committed seven errors on Sunday alone — that proved most detrimental in the team’s effort against Lake Erie (6-9, 3-1 GLIAC).

Lake Erie jumped on the Lakers in the early game on Saturday, shutting down the GVSU offense en route to a 1-0 victory.

The win not only ended the Lakers’ fourgame winning streak, but also denied senior pitcher Kyle Schepel — who threw six innings of one-run ball, albeit with five walks to go with six strikeouts — a chance at passing former Laker Joe Jablonski at the top of the career wins list.

“I’m not really worried about our team, not with our record right now — the wins will come,” said Schepel, who lost his first decision since the 2010 season. “You have got to have confidence in your team, the ball isn’t going to bounce your way every single time.”

That short memory proved true in the nightcap as eight Lakers knocked in at least one run in the 11-1 win. Senior Ryan Garman led the charge from the mound, combining with senior Chris Whitney to hold the Storm to one run on four hits.

GVSU’s offense was led by junior shortstop Stephen Claypool, a transfer from Ball State University, who went 2-for-3 with three runs scored to go with his first home run of the season.

“I think were going to sit on this one, I want the guys to think about it,” Lyon said. “(Lake

Erie) was a little more gritty and hungry, that’s how they ended up wining three of four. We have to let it hurt a little bit.”

The opening day loss snapped a streak of seven-straight home-opening wins and matched the Lakers’ home loss total from all of last season.

Sunday’s double-header began eerily similar to Saturday as the teams battled in a pitcher’s duel, one eventually won by the Storm.

Offense was at a premium, and two of Lake Erie’s four runs came via GVSU error. First baseman Giancarlo Brugoni struggled in the contest, committing a pair of errors, including a botched throw that led to the Storm taking 2-1 lead in the top of the sixth.

The sophomore scored the game-tying run in the sixth inning off a one-out single passed the short stop by senior catcher Jared Cowan, but extra innings saw the Lakers again falter, this time on a throwing error by Cowan that led to the eventual winning run by Lake Erie and sealing the 4-2 defeat.

“I’m real concerned about our defense, I think again, it reared its ugly head again today,” Lyon said. “We certainly had some defensive lapses that cost us big time — it’s been a continued concern.”

The team’s defensive issues marred the nightcap as the Lakers dropped a 8-6 decision.

Brugoni led the Lakers with a solo home run and Claypool smacked a game-tying three-run shot in the bottom of the sixth, but the team’s errors again stunted the effort.

“We’re just not getting the big hit and things aren’t falling our way offensively,” said senior outfielder Steve Anderson. “We’ll see if we can turn it around next week.”

The Lakers will be off until Saturday when they open a four-game set against Ashland University at the GVSU Baseball Field. sports@lanthorn.com

GVL Archive

Family ties: Senior Nick Gunthorpe watches a drive during a past match. For Gunthorpe, a member of the men’s golf team, golf has always been a family sport. His father and brother also play.

Senior golfer leads through consistency

By Bryce Derouin GVL Staff Writer

W

hen most kids played with cars or trucks, Nick Gunthorpe was playing golf.

That’s because ever since he could walk, Gunthorpe has been swinging a set of plastic golf clubs given to him by his family. From there, golf has been an integral part of Gunthorpe’s life.

Nick’s father, Jerry, played collegiate golf himself at Lansing Community College and is active in competing in the amateur tournaments around Michigan. Jerry has been instrumental in the development of Nick’s game throughout his life, including being the head coach of Nick’s golf team at Ovid Elsie High School.

“I haven’t really had a bunch of lessons from other people besides my dad,” Gunthorpe said. “He taught me everything I know about the game. From the way I swing, to how to control my emotions and the mental aspects of the game. Growing up, me and my brother were competing and we both learned from my dad.”

Nick’s brother Nathan Gunthorpe played golf at Michigan State University.

In high school, Gunthorpe garnered first team All-State honors in 2008, and was named to the All-Conference team three times, as well as being most valuable player three times.

After his senior year at high school, he decided to attend GVSU, citing that GVSU had the whole package that he was looking for and he took a liking to the GVSU golf facilities.

“GVSU had a good academic record, and the golf team established a pretty good program in the past and won a lot of conference championships,” Gunthorpe said. “I know the sports

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here are really strong and there’s a strong support group for all of it. With the golf course being ran by the university, but having a practice facility across the road, I knew I could improve my game and continue my career of golf.”

In the 2009-10 season, Gunthorpe recorded five top 10 finished and seven top 15 finishes during the year. He followed up that year with four top 10 finishes and eight top 20 finishes in 2010-11. He was also named to the All-GLIAC First Team in the same year, and won the GLIAC Preview with a 3-under-par 69. Gunthorpe just recently finished in second place at the GLIAC Championship with a 3-over-par 219.

GVSU head coach Don Underwood said he has been impressed with the senior golfer.

According to Underwood, Gunthorpe is not just good a one specific thing, but instead excels at multiple facets of the game.

“Overall he’s just good at a lot of things,” he said. “He’s a very good ball striker, wedge player and putter. He works hard and prepares, but he has talent in a lot of areas and is very consistent.”

What makes Gunthorpe such a successful member of the golf team is the consistency he brings for GVSU at every tournament. His teammates are always confident that Gunthorpe will post a low score.

“The consistency is his most impressive quality,” said sophomore Jack Rider. “That’s really what the game of golf breaks down to.

Being able to rely on him to shoot scores at par most of the time, is a huge benefit for the team.

Overall, it’s a huge importance to the team that he’s as consistent as he is and the team really benefits from that.” bderouin@lanthorn.com

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SPORTS B3

Grand Valley Lanthorn MONDAY, MARCH 26, 2012 M .

T E N N I S

Resurgent Lakers continue to grow

BY Bryce Derouin GVL STAFF WRITER

I

t’s not always how you start, but how you finish, and the men’s Grand Valley State tennis team (7-9, 4-1 GLIAC) is trying to prove that point true as its season hits its spring stretch.

Earlier in the year, GVSU suffered a six-game losing skid, however, with two conference wins over the weekend, the Lakers are now 4-1 in GLIAC conference play.

The Lakers defeated the University of Findlay 7-2 on Saturday, and then proceeded to score a 6-3 victory over Tiffin University.

“This weekend we played very solid,” said head coach John Black. “We mixed up the doubles and I think they played strong. In singles, for the most part we got the wins where we needed to.”

GVSU jumped out to an early lead against Tiffin and never trailed in the match.

No. 1 singles player sophomore Andrew Darrell forced his opponent to retire after jumping out to a 3-0 lead.

“We played some of the toughest teams in the nation in the beginning of the season, but after this winning streak, it seems like we are getting better and we are more confident with ourselves.” benny delgado-rochas gvsu senior

He also scored a victory over Findlay’s David Collette when Collette retired in the third set.

“I think we have a lot of confidence,” Darrell said.

“We are definitely in that stage where we are now getting to play the toughest teams in the conference.

I think we’re ready to get some big wins that we’ll need to make nationals.”

GVSU’s confidence continues to grow with every win. As they hit the toughest part of their schedule, they feel like they’ve made the necessary improvements to compete with the strongest teams in the GLIAC. “Now we are on a winning streak and we beat some good teams in our conference,” said senior Benny DelgadoRochas, who scored a victory in his singles match against Tiffin. “We played some of the toughest teams in the nation in the beginning of the season, but after this winning streak, it seems like we are getting better and we are more confident with ourselves.”

GVSU still has to play the top three teams in the GLIAC in Wayne State University, Ferris State University and Northwood University.

All three undefeated in the conference, but Northwood currently leads the pack and is undefeated overall at 8-0.

Black is still looking for his team to hit their potential by the time GVSU has to face their top conference foes.

“We need to keep improving the doubles,” he said. We’ve been improving, but we still got a ways to go, particularly with being aggressive and taking control of the net. With

GVL Archive

Back on top: Senior Marc Roesslein anticipates a volley during a previous match. The Lakers scored a pair of victories over the weekend.

singles, we need to work on staying positive and not getting down ourselves if we miss a shot, and working on closing out matches and finishing out our opponents once we got the lead.”

The Lakers will next be in action Wednesday in a non-conference match against Hope College. This will be another opportunity for GVSU to work on things and prepare for the rest of their upcoming GLIAC schedule.

“We need to keep playing solid and taking it a point at a time and playing to our potential,” Darrell said. “I think we’re really talented and really good, and I think we can be good this year, but we will have to maximize our potential.” bderouin@lanthorn.com

B4 laker life

Grand Valley Lanthorn MONDAY, MARCH 26, 2012

lakerlife@lanthorn.com

L A K E R L I F E E D I TO R R A C H E L M E L K E

Professor starts exotic animal refuge in W. Mich.

By Hannah Matro GVL Staff Writer

G

rand Valley State University professor Cory DiCarlo enjoys many pasttimes, one of which lead him to starting an exotic animal rescue right here in West Michigan.

DiCarlo is an associate professor of chemistry, with a sub-discipline specialty of bio-analytical electrochemistry. He has been teaching chemistry at GVSU for five years and 11 years overall.

Other than teaching, he says he also enjoys working with animals, hockey, reading and movies. His love for animals came from his wife, he said. DiCarlo said he had never been around exotic pets until he met his wife who had a house rabbit.

“I fell in love with her and with her bunny very quickly and my love of both has continued ever since,” DiCarlo said.

His involvement in animal rescue didn’t begin until he and his wife visited an animal rescue to look at a horse a few years ago.

“After working for a few months with this rescue, we decided that we could more specifically help rabbits and other exotic pets by working from within our own organization,” he said.

He and his wife formed their own rescue organization, West Michigan Critter Haven, with the help of a few volunteers that were interested in the same thing.

“We have been working now for approximately two and a half years in the West Michigan area caring for and re-homing small exotic pets such as rabbits, guinea pigs, degus, chinchillas, rats and various birds,” said DiCarlo.

DiCarlo said the rescue operates entirely on funds donated by the public, but coordinates with several animal shelters in the area to help deal with fostering and re-homing exotic animals.

“Exotic animals are difficult to care for in a shelter with dogs and cats due to their more specific needs and the risk of health issues brought about by the high stress of the close proximity to predators,” said DiCarlo.

The GVSU Humane Society has helped Critter Haven with the educational part of their mission by holding fund raisers to help provide for the medical costs required by the animals in their care. The Humane Society allows “talks” hosted by the organization to its members.

“We are a local organization centered on serving the West Michigan area,” DiCarlo said. “We have had

adoptions though from several states, including Indiana, Wisconsin, Ohio, Illinois, and Connecticut.”

He said the rescue is dedicated to the specialized needs of small animals and that they strive to bring the highest quality care to all the pets placed into their rescue. DiCarlo said exotic pets are cared for according to the most educated standards known.

The pets experience indoor housing only, fresh daily greens, daily safe playtime within pet-proofed rooms, safe litters and toys. And, they make sure each foster and adopter is thoroughly educated on the needs of that

animal before a pet is placed into their care.

“As educators we teach the community proper care of these pets in order to enrich the lives of current and future pets, to establish a respect for the animals and to help reduce the number of abandoned and neglected pets relinquished each month,” DiCarlo said.

“It is our utmost priority to educate, promote and require alteration for every pet.”

For more information on the West Michigan Critter Haven, visit www. wmicritterhaven.org. arts@lanthorn.com

Courtesy Photo / wmicritterhaven.com

New home: Benny (pictured) is one of many animals rescued by West Michigan Critter Haven and adopted to a family. The rescue was started by GVSU professor Cory DiCarlo.

Courtesy Photo / Pay Nanzer

Engaged: Students listen to an Arabic poetry reading during Thursday’s Taste of the Arab World event.

Event offers taste of Arab culture

By Hannah Matro GVL Staff Writer

Amidst pita and hummus, kabobs and baklava, belly dancing and Arabic poem readings, Grand Valley State University students crowded into the Grand River Room on Thursday for Taste of the Arab World, the Arab Culture Club’s main event.

At 7:30 p.m., students and faculty alike were introduced to the Arab world through a short picture slideshow conducted by professor Majd Al-Mallah, depicting the lifestyle of the 22 countries that make up the Arab world. After, six students — Beth Kuchenmeister, Danielle Petek, Aubrey McMahan, Sarah Jones, Cassandra Beach and Marissa Kobe — recited poetry in Arabic for the audience.

“We have to recite poems all the time in class,” said Petek, a film and video major with an interest in Middle Eastern Studies and Arabic. “I thought this would be a good outlet for my poetry reading and a fun place to perform.”

When the readings commenced, tables were dismissed to experience the delicious and diverse food. Lines quickly formed and didn’t die down all night, the chicken kabobs and lentils and rice satisfying the hunger of the attendants, who were serenaded by Arabian music.

At 8:45 p.m., the GVSU Belly Dance Club emerged, performing in traditional garb to peppy songs. The crowd gazed on as the colorful skirts, lined with silver and gold, moved in syncopation.

Applause carried the dancers off the stage and welcomed the Jad Soudah Band from Dearborn, Mich., to the stage. The rest of the night was filled with enlivening lyrics, thumping drums and traditional dancing. Henna tattoos were provided by local artist Anna Selkers.

This event, along with baklava and falafel sales and partnership events with English as a second language programs, is vital to the club’s goal.

“We want to dispel stereotypes that exist on our campus about the Arab culture,” said McMahan, the club’s current president, who initially came in contact with the Arab culture during a two-week study abroad trip to Egypt. “We want people to experience the food, the culture, the poetry, the colors… I became fascinated with their lifestyle. People would be out shopping in the streets at 2 a.m.! All the sights, the sounds, the smells — it was amazing.”

The event and club are open to all students.

“I thought, ‘What else can I take that’s relevant?’” said Taylor Renee, who is taking Arabic to satisfy the foreign language proficiency requirement for her degree. “The classes in Middle Eastern studies and Arabic are so small, I know almost everyone in the club and at the events.”

The Arab Culture Club meets every other Wednesday right now, but this time and date changes with every semester. The meetings are located in the International House. For more information, contact McMahan. hmatro@lanthorn.com

Brown bags: For more than just lunching

By Hannah Matro GVL Staff Writer

On the last Wednesday of every month in both the fall and winter semesters, the School of Public, Nonprofit and Health Administration and the Johnson Center for Philanthropy partner to present the Brown Bag Lunch and Learn Series, which takes place at the Johnson Center on Front Street in Grand Rapids.

Created in 2009 by Salvatore Alaimo, an assistant professor in the school of Public, Nonprofit and Health Administration, the Lunch and Learn Series’ main purpose is to exemplify the Johnson Center’s nonprofit leadership resources. The event is free, because often nonprofits’ limited budgets prohibits attendance to such things. But the goal is to inform, not make profit.

“If we simply called it a Lunch and Learn series it might imply that lunch is provided, so we added the words to call it the Brown Bag Lunch and Learn series, so people knew to bring their lunch,” Alaimo said. “We also scheduled it over the lunch hour to minimize the burden of busy nonprofit practitioners, faculty and students.”

The series strives to inform students, staff and faculty on a variety of topics related to the nonprofit sector and to philanthropy.

The series was started off with the documentary “The Gift of All: a Community of Givers,” a story about Grand Rapids’ philanthropy endeavors. There were 45 people in attendance to this first lunch, which afterward discussed the topic and also networked with some of the philanthropists in the film.

The topic of each lunch changes regarding what is timely and relevant. Previously,

GVL Archive

Brown bagging it: Danny Ha speaks about race relations between Americans and Mexicans during a previous Diversity Brown Bag event.

the lunch has had presentations that focus on varying issues: the current and future state of evaluation in the nonprofit sector, Google for nonprofits, Michigan’s nonprofit employment, a look inside healthcare: its changing dynamic, volunteering in America and West Michigan and more. Attendance ranges from 25 to 35 people.

All presenters are volunteers, and on Wednesday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Richard Jelier, associate professor of public administration and interim director of the School of Public, Nonprofit and Health Administration, will make the presentation for this month’s meeting. His topic is ‘Lead-

ership in sustainability: the critical role of nonprofit organizations in West Michigan.’

As sustainability is becoming a more common term among Americans, especially the younger generation, it is important for all to understand what it is and how it can be practiced.

This presentation will highlight the leadership of local nonprofits in standing behind the sustainability movement and promoting a sustainable region for the future. This movement is led primarily by the private sector, is endorsed highly by the city of Grand Rapids, and is continuing to be embraced by nonprofit organizations and indi-

viduals as well.

This lunch will not focus on non-profit’s own sustainability practices, but rather how they can play a part in a sustainable society as a whole. Get in on the ground floor or the sustainability movement within nonprofits.

Students, faculty, and practitioners can all benefit from the knowledge that will be attained at the Brown Bag and Lunch series.

For more information, contact Alaimo or Pat Nanzer. Presentations are free to participants. Registration can be accessed at events.johnsoncenter.org hmatro@lanthorn.com

B5

Grand Valley Lanthorn MONDAY, MARCH 26, 2012

MARKETPLACE Announcements Announcing: Religious Studies Major/Minor; B.A. or B.S. Classes starting Fall 2012.

For more information, contact: 616.331.8020 or relstudies@gvsu.edu. Find us on Facebook: GVSU Religious Studies.

GVSU Facilities Services thanks you for helping to reduce energy, natural gas and water costs by making small changes to your daily routine!

GVSU Facilities Services thanks you for helping to reduce energy, natural gas and water costs by making small changes to your daily routine!

BBG Communicatioins Scholarship http://bit.ly/GIosOJ Award $1000, for students 16-21, 2.5 GPA or above, must have 1 full year remaining at time of award. Two essay questions. Deadline 30 June 2012.

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Get in the game! RecycleMania: Campus Challenge, January 22-March 31. Join thousands of college students across the nation andhelp GVSU bring home the RecycleMania title! Visit gvsu.edu and click on our web banner.

Make lifelong friends. The Island House Hotel and Ryba’s Fudge Shops are looking for help in all areas: Front desk, Bell Staff,Wait Stuff, Sales Clerks, Kitchen, Baristas.

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Grand Valley Lanthorn MONDAY, MARCH 26, 2012

Her Story: death and rebirth Wolverton shares ‘Her Story’ in annual Women’s History Month event

By Joel Campbell GVL Staff Writer

O

f all the human traditions, oral history has always been significant.

Whether it is used to encourage one and other, or simply to teach, it remains valuable even in this technological age.

“Her Story” began in 2003 as a means for women to share their life stories with students. Since then the program has featured 35 presentations, including Thursday’s address by Maureen Wolverton.

“It’s an incredible program that really highlights a variety of women at Grand Valley,” said Susan Mandoza, the director of undergraduate research and scholarship. “You just don’t see them [female role models].”

Wolverton, an affiliate faculty member from the liberal studies department, finally completed the assignment she gives to her students: telling her story in front of an audience.

“I ask my students in the life journey

class to complete this assignment every single semester,” Wolverton said. “I’ve never done the assignment myself.”

Although she asks her students to do it in five minutes, Wolverton had half an hour.

“Everybody has something significant to share,” she said.

Beginning with her childhood and ending with the present, Wolverton explained how there is a pattern to her life. To her, it can be summed up as death and rebirth. Her life may have been going smoothly and then she hit a moment, some part of her broke down and had to be rediscovered.

One of the most profound moments in her life came after she graduated from college and was working for Starbucks Coffee Company.

She opened the first Starbucks shops in Michigan and Ohio and was called in to fix failing shops. “…and then I burned out and quit,” Wolverton said. “I realized that this is not really what I wanted to be doing for the rest of my life.”

She gave up her fast-paced life and went out to California to study mythology and the psychology of myths.

She began teaching at Grand Valley in the fall of 2001 and was offered the spot as the life journeys professor.

At the end, students were allowed to ask her questions about her life. When asked, she spoke about her mother’s mental breakdown, which is one of the most defining moments of her life.

Instead of ending up as a “brat,” her mother’s breakdown really helped her see the important things in life.

“I thought it was excellent,” said Charissa Jensen, who is studying to be a physician’s assistant. “I thought she presented it very well.”

Wolverton shared a piece that her friend, Lindsay McKenna, dedicated to her in one of McKenna’s books. “‘My wish is that someday soon, there will be equality for all women in our world,’” she said. jcampbell@lanthorn.com

WOLVERTON

Women gather for EqualiTea BY joel campbell GVL staff writer

Courtesy Photo / Marlene Kowlaski-Braun

Quiet revolution: Women at GVSU gathered together on Wednesday for EqualiTea (pictured), which featured women’s poetry and stories.

For the past ten years, women at Grand Valley State University have gathered together to have some tea and discuss revolution.

“The idea that women were just doing their nice little thing feminine thing while talking revolution,” said GVSU provost Gayle Davis as the celebration opened up.

As part of the ongoing celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Women’s Center, the center and the women and gender studies program hosted their annual EqualiTea event on Wednesday. “(The program helps to) bring together theory and practice,” said Marleen Kowalski-Braun, director of the Women’s Center.

This aspect of the Women’s Center helps to bring students and non-profit organizations together for a greater good.

“It feels good that the center can connect with the University’s mission statement so well,” Kowalski-Braun said.

Among the event of the tea party, the 10th volume annual “In Our Own Words: A Journal About Women” was released to the public. In the book, there are poems and short stories about the triumph and tragedy of woman good. Kowalski-Braun said the tea party is a multigen

“If you want leadership development, this is the place to come. If you just want to hang out, this is the place to come.”

MARLENE KOWALSKI-BRAUN DIRECTOR, GVSU WOMEN’S CENTER

erational idea and it allows women to share their deepest emotions in a safe environment.

“Journal reading is a big part of it,” Kowalski-Braun said. “It allows women to share their lived experiences.”

The readings included a piece from Ulandra Reynolds “Beautiful Ruin,” a poem about her mother.

“I kind of hated my mom, a lot,” Reynolds said. “Once I hit about the sixth line I was like ‘I don’t really hate my mom that much, I only hate certain aspects about her,’ but at the same time, a lot of the reasons I hate her are the reasons I love her.”

After a few more poems were read, there was a sneak preview of the upcoming play “Antona Garcia,” opening at the Louis Armstrong Theatre on GVSU’s Allendale Campus this weekend.

Although not explicitly tied to the Women’s Center, the play does tell the story of Antona Garcia, a Spanish woman who becomes famous thanks to her courageous acts during the Spanish-Portuguese War. This is the first time that it will be presented in English.

The tea party was dominated by female attendance, but Kowalski-Braun does not want that, nor does she want the name Women’s Center to be divisive. Instead, she wants all to feel welcome in the center.

“If you want leadership development, this is the place to come,” she said. “If you just want to hang out, this is the place to come.” jcampbell@lanthorn.com

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