Basketball prepares to take on Spartans
MONDAY, OCTOBER 28
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MEN’S, WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY TAKE ANOTHER GLIAC TITLE
Not a common education GV’s independent application not a deterrent for applicants 10.5 3.7
BY STEPHANIE BRZEZINSKI SBRZEZINSKI@LANTHORN.COM
G
13.8
9.9 3.5
2011
17.0
11.9 3.9
2012
17.8
12.4 4.0
2013
18.2
12.9 4.1
GVL | HANNAH MICO
2009 2010
completed either online or in print, and students are required to submit their rand Valley State transcripts, tests scores and an appliUniversity is just one cation fee. Letters of recommendation, of the colleges across which are often elements of the Comthe nation that has created its mon Application, are not required for own online application rather than undergraduate applications at GVSU. using the Common Application, which Aba Blankson, director of communicaallows students to apply to multiple tions for the Common Application, said universities at once. But that hasn’t the application program is a nonprofit orstopped the number of appli- ganization that was created about 35 years cants from growing. ago and allows students to submit one apJodi Chycinski, director of ad- plication to multiple schools. missions at GVSU, said the univer“We serve students, member instisity uses its own application because tutions and secondary schools by proit was created with the students in mind. viding applications that students and “As an institution, we have to con- school officials may submit to any of sider our audience and then make deci- our over 500 members,” Blankson said. sions that meet their needs as “Membership is open to colleges and well as ours,” universities that promote Chycinaccess by evaluating stuski said. “The dents using a holistic selecundergraduate tion process.” application that we Blankson said the pahave in place seems to ...we have to per application was dismeet the needs of our adcontinued this year. While missions decision-making consider our convenient, the online approcess and also the needs audience and plication is not without of the students problems, she said. More we are try- then make than a week ago, students ing to decisions... trying to apply to colleges serve.” may have experienced isThe require- JODI CHYCINSKI sues with logging in, credit DIRECTOR OF ADMISSIONS ment to fill out an card payments and comindividual application patibility with Google has seemed not to deter potential stu- Chrome. Blankson said these problems dents from applying. The number of affected application deadlines for some First Time in Any College (FTIAC) ap- member colleges, but the issue has now plicants has still increased been resolved. by about 28 percent “The application submissions are up since 2009. 25 percent, an indication that the sysAnd just as the num- tem is functioning properly for the maber of potential students ap- jority of users,” she said. plying to GVSU has increased, Blankson added that member colso has the number of applicants leges include both national and internaadmitted—by about 22 percent. The tional schools, with about 9 percent of number of students actually enrolling 2012-13 applicants with a home address has also increased, but at in another country. A few schools in a slightly lower rate of 12 Michigan use the Common Application, number of applicants percent since 2009. such as Hope College for transfer stunumber admitted Chycinski said the GVSU dents. The University of Michigan also application process can be uses it as its sole application program. number enrolled
14.2
Break debate: Lori Koste reports on the effect a fall break would have on students and the current academic calendar.
UAS votes not to add fall break to GV calendar
24-17 vote denies SS proposal BY CARLY SIMPSON CSIMPSON@LANTHORN.COM
The University Academic Senate voted Friday against implementing a fall break at Grand Valley State University, but it easily approved to allow graduate students a seat with voting rights on university governance committees. The UAS voted 24-17 against the break as it decided to keep the current academic calendar. The idea for a fall break was first introduced by the Student Senate after a survey found that 86.3 percent of the more than 1,300 student respondents thought a break would help reduce stress levels and improve academic performance. Wayne Kinzie, associate director of the Counseling and Career Development
Center, said there is a sharp increase in student visits to the CCDC in mid-October. Many GVSU students experience higher levels of stress and anxiety during this time, which coincides with midterms. Kinzie said a two-day break could help ease stress levels and improve students’ overall mental health. However, the Academic Policies and Standards Committee of the UAS stated in a memo that it was concerned that several of the survey questions written by the Student Senate were biased toward the benefits of a fall break, with little recognition of potential problems. “We went over every possible rearrangement of SEE UAS ON A3
Benefactors rib GV at roast
Student view: Student Senate President Ricardo Benavidez spoke of student concerns at this month’s UAS meeting.
Senate passes stricter UAS attendance policy
attendance of senators at the weekly general assembly meetings. Grand Valley State If there is some type of University’s Student Sen- emergency preventing stuate passed a resolution to dents from making a meetchange a policy in its Re- ing, they must first notify sources Policies and Proce- Vice President of the Studures at its Thursday meet- dent Resources Commiting. The change tee Danielle puts stricter Mierow, as well requirements as the faculty on student chair of their senators’ attencommittee, to dance at fac- ...students have the abulty committee feel obliged sence excused. meetings. Meirow said The policy to attend the that since last focuses on meetings. year, when the making sure Student Senate senators who DANIELLE MIEROW cabinet realized hold seats on STUDENT RESOURCES VP students could the University have a larger Governance Committees voice with the University are attending and engaging Governance Committees, in all of those meetings, but it does not affect the SEE SENATE ON A2 BY CLAIRE FODELL ASSISTANTNEWS@ LANTHORN.COM
GVL | ROBERT MATHEWS
GVL | HANNAH MICO
Former GV president Don Lubbers hosts comedy fundraiser for nonprofit
give our names to it, we wanted it to be more fun than accolades. We’ve had enough accolades in our life, and this was a more fun way to do it.” Twilight Shines, the official name of the benefit, is in its sixth year. The dinner and roast raised about $180,000 to support programs hosted by Senior Neighbors, said Bob Barnes, president of the nonprofit. “We do probably a dozen different things,” Barnes said. “The general theme running through everything we do is helping people connect to the community.” M O N E Y, B U I L D I N G S A N D U R I N A L S
Mark Murray, former president of GVSU, was one of the few selected to roast the Lubbers. “We’re talking about the ‘Donald,’” Murray said. “Not that vulgar, In the spotlight: Arend Lubbers listens during the Roast of Lubbers held at flamboyant one on TV. We’re talking Thousand Oakes Golf Club in Grand Rapids, MI. Event-goers said it was a success. BY RYAN JARVI “Life is very serious, and we have about the real ‘Donald’—the ‘Donald’ NEWS@LANTHORN.COM lots of serious things to do and lots who has a way of working his way Grand Valley State University’s of negative things to do, so that when into our hearts. And the reason why former first couple, Arend (Don) and we’re doing something for a good he works his way into our hearts is Nancy Lubbers, invited some 300 to cause, if we can have fun doing it, because he knows it’s the fastest path to our wallets.” 400 people to the Thousand Oaks Golf that’s all the better,” he The Lubbers were notClub of Grand Rapids Wednesday. said. “So, here’s a good ed several times throughGuests were charged $100 per dinner cause that needs help, we out the event for their plate and asked to pay another $100 for get a group of people here ability to fundraise, even a plastic light-up ring, and a few were to kind of make a little fun ...we wanted in a context laced with publicly insulted at the end of the night. out of it, and that’s what political adversaries. it to be more In spite of all this, many people happens. That’s what we “Don and Nancy were thanked the Lubbers for hosting such were trying to do, and I fun than the masters,” Murray a party and went home feeling good think that worked.” said. “All the Republicans about the whole thing. The roast of GVSU’s accolades. thought they were RepubBut how can people put up hun- second president and his DON LUBBERS licans, all the Democrats dreds of dollars, be publicly ridiculed wife raised money for Se- FORMER PRESIDENT thought they were Demoand still leave with a smile on their nior Neighbors, a nonprofcrats. What was he doing faces? Through a fundraising, Com- it organization that aims to with the faculty and the deans? My edy Central-style roast, of course. improve the lives of senior citizens. own sense of it is I think he promised “It’s just wonderful to have so FUN PHILANTHROPY many people come, because what you everybody a building.” The room was full of prominent The man of the hour, Don Lubbers, do this for is to try to raise money for said he felt the event was a success, despite a good cause,” Lubbers said. “Both SEE ROAST ON A2 the number of jokes made at his expense. Nancy and I felt if we were going to
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