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BY RYAN JARVI
NEWS@LANTHORN.COM
With more than 1.4 million people using route 50 last year, The Rapid hosted a day of open house meetings on Thursday to gather public opinion on how to improve the bus system. “Public outreach and feedback is a big part of all of the projects that we do,” said Jennifer Kalczuk, spokesperson for The Rapid. A few years ago, The Rapid established a transit master plan, which is a 20-year vision to develop service in the region, Kalczuk said. The plan was based on public input, and one of the things mentioned was the Lake Michigan corridor, route 50. Ridership on the route has increased 693 percent in the past 10 years from about 179,000 riders in 2002. “So what we’re looking at it in terms of the capacity of the current system, how that might be improved (and) how we can improve service,” she said. “So this study is a step in the process to get federal funding for that project.” The Rapid publicly kicked off the 15-month “Laker Line” study by hosting the public forums at its downtown Central Station, the Walker Fire Station and at Grand Valley State University. According to GVSU’s 2013-2014 Accountability Report, the university has invested more than $2.6 million into its partnership with The Rapid, which Kalczuk said has been very positive for both organizations. “Grand Valley ridership has grown,” she said. “It’s almost 700 percent growth since we started. It’s a very important relationship, so having this opportunity to hear from our customers, and the students, faculty and staff directly is a great opportunity.” Kalczuk said the amount of funding needed for the project hasn’t been determined because the study is only in its initial stage of
gathering some general information from riders. “Input is always welcome, but there will be certain points where we’re really focusing on trying to gather that, because there’s some specific questions we’re trying to answer as the study moves forward,” she said. “Right now, it’s kind of just everything and what do you want to see.” Kalczuk said she was pleased with the turnout at GVSU, and that students were engaged with the event. “They’re not just running in and grabbing a piece of pizza and leaving,” she said. “They’re going through the exhibits, they’re filling out the priorities and they’re putting pins into maps. They’re really being very engaged in the process and in giving their opinion, which is great.” Anna Neri, a junior studying speech-language pathology, lives in Allendale and takes the 50 bus downtown for classes and other events. “I think they should have more (buses), especially on the weekends,” Neri said. “Things like the Griffins games and stuff, everyone takes the bus and it gets so crowded.” Six stations were set up at the event where campus community members could provide input on a variety of things. People were encouraged to choose certain options—like vehicle types and station styles—based on a budget and to rate top priorities such as “increasing size and/or number of buses” and “improving the environment.” For those who couldn’t attend the open house meetings, The Rapid will continue to collect input through an online program called Mindmixer, which is integrated with social media and allows users to sign in with various accounts. To provide The Rapid with input, visit lakerlinestudy.mindmixer.com.
GVL | ARCHIVE
Rapid seeks student input on bus route 50 efficiency
Creating changes: Student Senate President Ricardo Benavidez speaks to fellow senators. The Grand Valley State University senators proposed a resolution at their last meeting to add more gender neutral restrooms throughout campus.
Senate seeks gender-neutral restrooms
BY CLAIRE FODELL ASSISTANTNEWS@ LANTHORN.COM
Student Senate was presented with a new resolution last week that pushes for more gender-neutral restrooms on Grand Valley State University’s campus.
The resolution requires there to be one gender-neutral bathroom on every floor of the Kirkhof Center—the most populated building on campus—and at least one in every academic building on campus. As of now, there is at least
one gender-neutral bathroom in Kirkhof, but it is not highly accessible. The resolution does not mention specific logistics for the process of adding new restrooms, including cost and reconstruction of the buildings; it only advocates for what
the senators have found the student body wants and needs. “If we want to be a cohesive and inclusive university, we have to provide the same basic commodities for everyone, and right now we’re not SEE SENATE ON A2
The hidden costs of education
GV students pay unexpected extra fees deep into programs BY ERIN GROGAN
EGROGAN@LANTHORN.COM
When choosing which college to attend, many students take the amount they have to pay for their education into account. For most, this means tuition, housing and textbook costs. For nursing students at Grand Valley State University, travel expenses also need to be considered. Nursing students are required to have experience in a clinical setting during their five semesters in the program. These students are assigned to places where care is needed, including units in hospitals, longterm care facilities, schools and hospices to provide students with practice giving care. “Students often spend up to eight hours a day two or three times a week at their clinical sites,” said Elaine Van Doren, associate dean for undergraduate programs in the Kirkhof College of Nursing. When placing students at clinical sites, Van Doren said she tries to make sure stu-
dents are kept within an hour of Grand Rap- third semester in KCON, said she particiids. However, GVSU is competing with 16 pates in clinical placements two days a week. other nursing programs in the West Michi- She currently travels about 20 minutes those gan area to place students in the days to get to Metro Health same positions, she said, and Hospital in Wyoming, Mich. occasionally some are placed But she’s found a way to more than an hour away. ease her expenses. Van Doren said the next “I carpool with two other term will be the first time in We can’t nursing students in my cliniher five years as associate which is a very common place a lot of cal, dean that she has to place practice in the nursing proa student outside the hour people in one gram and helps save a lot of radius of Grand Rapids. money,” Streeter said. area... “There are only so many In order to participate places to place students,” ELAINE VAN DOREN in their clinical training, she said. “We can’t place a ASSOCIATE DEAN nursing students also have lot of people in one area.” to buy supplies commonly With current gas prices used by professional nurses. at around $3 per gallon in the Grand Lauren Anderson, a sophomore who Rapids area, traveling to assigned places was recently accepted into the nursing several times a week can get expen- program, just bought new scrubs, a sive—and students are not reimbursed. SEE COST ON A2 Molly Streeter, a fifth-year student on her
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