Issue 47 - March 10th, 2014 - Grand Valley Lanthorn

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Lanthorn

MONDAY, MARCH 10

Intercultural festival kicks off with food, dancing

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MEN’S, WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TEAMS CUT SEASONS SHORT

Student Senate’s Academic Conference Fund remains a priority

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tudent research will continue to be a priority for the Student Senate at Grand Valley State University. On Feb. 27, as part of the annual budget appraisal, the Senate voted to continue giving financial backing to the Academic Conference Fund during the 2014-2015 academic year. Susan Mendoza, director of the Office of Un-

dergraduate Research and Scholarship, said the Academic Conference Fund is a travel grant allocated on the quarter each year. The money is used to help both undergraduate students and graduate students travel internationally and nationally to present the findings of their research. The OURS has offered a total of $300,000 to nearly 800 students between the fiscal years 2009 and 2014. Student

Senate has contributed about $20,000 in the past few years to the fund, making it the only student group involved in the funding process. “We do give a lot of money each year,” said Samantha Conrad, vice president of the Finance Committee. “And, I think it’s for a great cause.” This idea initially came out of a 2007-2008 Student Senate discussion regarding the funding necessary to promote student research at GVSU.

“The mission of our office is to provide comprehensive services and programs to support students in their inquiry, creativity, scholarship and research,” Mendoza said. “A lot of it has to do with our students using their voices and talking about the power of their experience.” Mendoza said the fund helps students go from passive consumers of knowledge to active producers of knowledge. It is open, on a first-

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something that rejuvenates the work that they do.” In addition to funding from the Student Senate, Mendoza said the administration and faculty are also responsible for supporting the travel grants for student research. The OURS was created in 2010 to continue the tradition of providing support for students and the faculty mentors who are involved in research projects.

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come-first serve basis, to all students who have a research presentation and can explain how their work is relevant to the scholarly world. Students can only access the fund one time per year, although they may be eligible for resubmission. They must be supervised by a faculty member. “The faculty believed it was one of the best ways to understand the content of the classroom,” Mendoza said. “The faculty love this. This is

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Changing campus: Faculty members and administrators decided to plan a Teach-In as a response to recent bias incidents as well as the Campus Climate Assessment results.

Teach-In to address discrimination issues BY CARLY SIMPSON NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

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n response to the Feb. 17 report of racist graffiti written on a whiteboard in the Copeland Living Center, the University Academic Senate and faculty at Grand Valley State University are planning a Teach-In. Faculty members and administrators hope the TeachIn will create a dialogue about issues such as racism, homophobia, sexism and other types of discrimination. The event will also be a chance to discuss how to handle bias incidents in the future. The Teach-In will be held March 26 from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. in the Mary Idema Pew

Library Exhibition Hall and Atrium Multipurpose Room. “(Harassment), it’s like rape or incest or any other hateful, power crime that gets very minimally reported,” Provost Gayle Davis said. “We can get things out of the climate study and know there’s a problem, but it’s very hard to pinpoint who’s doing it and who’s being victimized by it.” To fix the problem, Davis said, “it’s going to take a village and then some.” The Campus Climate Assessment that Davis mentioned was released Sept. 23, 2011. The results show that harassment is a problem for multiple students, faculty and staff at GVSU.

The report states that 11 percent of survey takers personally experienced exclusionary, intimidating, offensive or hostile conduct while at GVSU. Of those who experienced harassment, 18 percent had been the target of derogatory remarks, such as the incident in February. In addition to holding a Teach-In, faculty members at GVSU were asked to talk with their students in class about the bias incident. Some were uneasy with the idea though, and their concerns were raised at the UAS meeting on Feb. 28. “One of the comments that I got back from faculty is that they are concerned that many faculty did not have proper

training to talk to their students about the bias incident,” said Wendy Burns-Ardolino, a member of the UAS and the Executive Committee of the Senate. “Faculty felt that they were being asked to do something that they were ill prepared to do in their classrooms.” She also said some faculty members want to know if the university has any plans to provide them with training and what the administration’s stance is on the issue. “Other faculty have mentioned that they are concerned that the faculty are taking action and taking a stand, but they’re not aware of what the administration is doing,” Burns-Ardolino said. “We

would like for the campus community to be proactive about not having this happen again.” Davis said it is unlikely that there will be an additional “teach-in” specifically for faculty, but administrators will be present at the campus-wide event. In addition, the Division of Inclusion and Equity offers trainings and lectures if requested. “Our hope is that we can make it uncomfortable for people to be that far out of the norms of our values,” she said. A campus-wide email was sent from the GVSU Provost Office on March 5 announcing the Teach-In to students, faculty and staff. Karen Gipson, chair of

the ECS/UAS, said Christine Renner and the Division of Inclusion and Equity will be partners in the event. Other partners will include the Dean of Students Office, the LGBT Resource Center, the Office of Multicultural Affairs, the Pew Faculty Teaching and Learning Center, and the Women’s Center. Anyone interested in contributing to the TeachIn should contact Gipson at gipsonk@gvsu.edu by March 12. Details regarding the Teach-In, including a schedule of events, will be released March 17. Additional information can be found at www.gvsu.edu/ teach-in.

External Affairs Committee to improve Allendale relations

UAS approves new biochemistry major T

BY CLAIRE FODELL ASSISTANTNEWS@LANTHORN.COM

BY CARLY SIMPSON NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

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ore than 94 percent of American Chemical Society certified programs in the U.S. have a biochemistry major along with their chemistry major. Grand Valley State University is the only school in Michigan that doesn’t. Science lovers no longer have to worry, though, as GVSU will soon be joining the ranks of the other state schools. A proposal for a new bachelor’s program in biochemistry was unanimously approved by the University Academic Senate during its meeting on Feb. 28. The biochemistry bachelor’s program came with a motion to support from the Executive Committee of the Senate. The proposal will now

be sent to the Board of Trustees for final approval. “We are in the minority and it’s just because of history,” said Harvey Nikkel, a professor of chemistry at GVSU. “Twenty years ago (biochemistry) was brought in as an emphasis underneath chemistry. We’re also revising other parts of our curriculum, and this is part of our focus to make it more efficient for students.” The new major will not require any course changes or additional instructors. There are six faculty members at GVSU in the current chemistry program who are already teaching biochemistry classes. “We’re just giving it a different title and making it a little SEE BIOCHEM ON A2

he Student Senate is working to create a better relationship between Grand Valley State University and the residents of Allendale Charter Township. To do so, the Political Affairs Committee is changing its name to the External Affairs Committee and refocusing its goals. “I think Grand Valley students don’t think of themselves as ‘Allendalers’ in the way that Michigan State University students definitely feel like they’re East Lansing citizens,” said Andrew Plague, president of the PAC. Plague and other senators said the PAC will be able to accomplish more if it focuses on making changes on the local level rather than trying to make changes on the federal level. In the past, the PAC has been a driving force in the political education of GVSU students and has helped with voter registration events. “With times changing in 2014, if students want to know what’s happening in government they can find it online,” Plague said. Plague said the new focus of the External Affairs Committee will be on creating a community in Allendale where GVSU

students can be more involved. However, relationship between local residents and the committee will still advocate for stu- GVSU students would be beneficial. dents to lobby in Lansing and educate stu“We’re trying to create better connecdents on government activities. tions everyday,” Alkema said. “I think that as Grand Valley grows, The Student Senate, GVSU administracreating a more college-friendly town in tors and members of the Allendale CharAllendale is really important,” Plague said. ter Township also meet once a semester as He added that the volume of students at part of the “Good Neighbor Committee.” GVSU makes it important for The committee hasn’t met their voices to be heard outyet this year, but Plague said side of campus boundaries. when it does meet, the Sen“There are way more ate plans to bring up the idea Grand Valley students than coordinating a town hall We’re trying of there are residents in Allenmeeting with the residents of dale, so we need to articulate to create Allendale at GVSU. our interests because busi- better Plague said he hopes nesses should care what we the meeting will help local connections... businesses learn to naviwant,” Plague said. One way Plague has been gate the Laker Jobs page as working to improve the re- JERRY ALKEMA well as use the Community TOWNSHIP SUPERVISOR lationship is by having freService Learning Center to quent conversations with better harness the potential the Allendale Township supervisor, Jerry of GVSU students. Alkema. Plague meets with Alkema two Plague and Alkema are also workto three times a semester to discuss issues ing on a plan to allow GVSU students to that may have come up with students re- join athletic leagues in Allendale parks garding Allendale Township and to hear and recreation. Even though many stuabout any issues Allendale residents might dents stay in Allendale over the summer have with students. to take classes and work, GVSU doesn’t Alkema said he doesn’t know of any have intramural sports that last the entire complaints from residents, but both he season. The pair wants to offer students agreed with Plague that strengthening the an alternative option.

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