A Changing Student Life
G R A N D VA L L E Y L A N T H O R N
Student organizations adjust to year of COVID-19 changes
GV printmaking program alumni share stories of success LAKER EFFECT | A8
Coaches of GV: Ric Wesley PROFILE | A10
M O N D A Y, O C TO B E R 5 , 2 02 0 // VO L . 5 5 N O. 7
@ GV L A N T H O R N
LANTHORN.COM
A2 | NEWS NEWS BRIEFS GV COVID-19 CAMPUS DATA UPDATE
Since GVSU began conducting random testing on campus Aug. 27, the cumulative total COVID-19 cases since Aug. 1 is 963. The university’s update of data used for this brief was from Friday, Oct. 2. Through testing results, GVSU’s Virus Action team have so far reported 1 faculty member, 3 staff members, 16 on-campus students, 54 “off-campus Ottawa” students and 21 “off-campus Kent” students, 5 “off-campus other” students with active COVID-19 cases. The current number of active cases is 100. “Current active cases” is the count of positive cases reported to the Virus Action Team over the past ten days. This is an estimate of those currently in isolation, assuming a ten-day symptomatic period following the reporting of a positive test result. Actual periods of isolation are specific to the individual and determined by the county health department. Testing and Incidence: GVSU’s own testing program has performed 11,860 tests overall since August 21, for a positivity rate of 0.36% from the latest update as of the last week. “GV Surveillance” includes the GV/ Spectrum administered programs of: randomized testing, regular testing of high-risk groups, and invited testing of individuals connected to potential clusters. A calendar is available. “GV Total” includes surveillance testing plus all symptomatic/exposure tests administered by Spectrum.
GV NAMED ONE OF ‘AMERICA’S 100 BEST COLLEGE BUYS’ FOR 25 CONSECUTIVE YEARS
For the 25th year in a row, Grand Valley State University has been named one of America’s 100 Best College Buys by Institutional Research and Evaluation, Inc. (IR&E) in Georgia. GVSU is the only Michigan public school that has made the list every year since the designation began in 1995. IR&E is an independent research and consulting organization specializing in the recruitment and retention of students for institutions of higher education. Each year, IR&E identifies the 100 colleges and universities across the country that provide students the highest quality education at the lowest cost. To be considered for the designation, an institution must be an accredited, four-year institution offering bachelor’s degrees and must offer full residential facilities, including residence halls and dining services. The average GPA for first-year students at Grand Valley for fall 2019 was 3.68, compared to the national average of 3.41, according to IR&E. The average SAT score for first-year students entering college for fall 2019 was 1145, compared to the national average of 1119. The average ACT score for first-year students at Grand Valley for fall 2019 was 24, compared to the national average of 23.
OCTOBER 5, 2020 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS
NATIONAL NEWS
Following first presidential debate, Supreme Court nomination hangs in the balance BY OLIVIA FELLOWS NEWS@LANTHORN.COM
On Tuesday, Sept. 29, the people of the United States, and frankly many around the world, witnessed one of the most tumultuous presidential debates in recent decades. Laden with interruptions, the debate discussed a range of different topics, one of the first being the Trump Administration’s recent Supreme Court nomination following Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s passing, Amy Coney Barrett. On the Supreme Court nomination process, moderator Chris Wallace pointed out the difference of approaches in filling the seat of the two candidates. When asked why each candidate thought thought their arguments were valid, President Donald Trump said he has a constitutional duty as president to fill the open position, and mentioned that the White House and Senate are currently controlled by a republican majority, a direct “consequence” of the election in 2016. Former Vice President Joe Biden argued that Trump’s administration and Senate Republicans are trying to jam through a nominee before the election. As for Trump’s nominee, Amy Coney Barrett has made herself known in conservative law circles as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, since the President nominated her May 8, 2017. Before then, Barrett served as a professor at Notre Dame, and was a part of Faculty for Life until 2016, which promotes anti-abortion resources, according to her judicial ques-
JUDGEMENT DAY: While there is a partisan tug of war regarding the appointment of Judge Amy Coney Barett, there has been no change made to her Oct. 12 hearing. COURTESY | BUSINESS INSIDER
tionnaire. Barrett has twice joined dissenting opinions asking for decisions blocking laws enacted by abortion opponents to be thrown out and reheard by the full appeals court. A practicing Catholic, Barrett has been open about her views on many issues and has seen criticisms from many government politicians and lawyers on her views. Despite many inquisitions, Barrett has stated that her faith will not impose itself
on her judicial decision-making if she is appointed. Although she would not be the first Catholic to join the court, both justices Sonia Sotomayor and Clarence Thomas are and were practicing Catholics, and are known as ideological opposites. LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE
CULTURE
Campus Latinx community prepares to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month BY LAUREN FORMOSA NEWS@LANTHORN.COM
BIG, HAPPY FAMILIA: Members of Laker Familia post for a photo. Hispanic Heritage Month will involve GVSU’s Latinx family. COURTESY | GVSU
Tuesday, Sept. 15 kicked off Hispanic Heritage Month in the United States. During the period leading up to the kickoff, members of the Latinx and Hispanic community across the states celebrate their history, culture and achievements of others from Latin American and Spanish countries. Grand Valley State University is no exception, with many of its Latinx students preparing to celebrate within the coming weeks. “Hispanic Heritage Month is important to the Latinx community because it allows Latinos to showcase the importance of their culture,” said Latino Student Union President Adrian Hall. “It allows you to honor the memory of those greats that have gone before and have helped earn us the freedoms that we have today.” Student organizations such as the Latino Student Union and Laker Familia have worked
tirelessly each year to plan events across campus to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. In doing so, they aim to show its importance and celebrate Hispanic culture not only with the university’s Latinx population, but also the entire campus community. In the past, Laker Familia along with the Office of Multicultural Affairs would host events that aimed to celebrate Hispanic culture through cuisine, the arts and a Dia de los Muertos celebration as well as amplifying Latin American voices, sometimes inviting guest Latinx speakers to give talks about relevant issues facing the community. In addition, the Latino Student Union would host general meetings dedicated to influential Latinx men and women throughout history, closing off the month with a dinner dance themed specifically around Hispanic heritage. LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE
OCTOBER 5, 2020 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS
CONTENTS NATIONAL NEWS
| A2
EDITORIAL
| A4
SERVICE
| A5
STUDENT LIFE
| A6&7
LAKER EFFECT
| A8
CIVIC DUTY
| A9
ESPORTS
| A10
HOCKEY
| A11
PROFILE
| A12
VOL. 55
NO. 7
Lan thorn EDITORIAL STAFF
Layout Editor VIVIANA RUBIO
Editor-in-Chief NICK MORAN Associate Editor KELLEN VOSS
Layout Designer KHOI TRAN PROMOTIONS
Associate Editor XAVIER GOLDEN News Editor OLIVIA FELLOWS
Promotions Manager ALEX DAGASTINO ADVERTISING STAFF Advertising Manager SHANE MCATAMNEY
Sports Editor ZACK GOODROW Laker Life Editor YSABELA GOLDEN
A3 | NEWS PUBLIC HEALTH
Ottawa County, GV ease restrictions with ‘Staying Safe’ order Oct. 2-16 BY OLIVIA FELLOWS NEWS@LANTHORN.COM
Grand Valley State University’s COVID-19 case numbers have trended down in the last weeks, public health officials and GVSU administrators have agreed to an additional joint “Staying Safe” order to continue through Oct. 16. The current “Staying in Place” order issued by the Ottawa County Department of Public Health (OCDPH) is scheduled to expire at 11:59 p.m. Oct. 1. The new order notes that as of Sept. 28, there were 3,483 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in all of Ottawa County, and Allendale Township and the main GVSU campus comprises 8.5% of Ottawa County’s total population. Since the institution of the first order, there has been a marked decrease in 49401 zip code cases and GVSU-affiliated cases, but for the week ending Sept. 26, 27% of all Ottawa County COVID-19 cases were still from 49401 and were primarily affiliated with GVSU. COVID-19 7-day average daily test positivity and case numbers were experiencing a 14day increasing trend at the time of the original order. Currently, the 14-day trend in positivity is stable, neither increasing nor decreasing, while the 14-day trend in cases is decreasing. The new “Staying Safe” order acknowledges GVSU’s progress on maintaining safety measures and allows for some flexibility on
HOLDING THE LINE: A new order from the Ottawa County Department of Public Health aims to maintain the COVID-19 case decline in the area, specifically on campus. GVL | BRITNEY WATKINS
campus. It states that up to four guests may visit student living units and residences, while observing strict preventive measures, including social distancing and wearing face coverings. Students living in on-campus housing also must abide by the housing and residence life guest policy and community living standards. For all indoor common areas on the Allendale Campus, students may not gather in groups greater than four people. This does not include classes or university-organized aca-
demic activities. All outdoor gatherings should not exceed 10 people. All people should have face coverings except when eating or drinking. This 10-person-limit does not include gatherings organized by the university. As mandated previously, the order states that face coverings will continue to be required indoors and outdoors. Students who are alone LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE
BUSINESS STAFF
A&E Editor MARY RACETTE
Business Manager RACHEM MCDOWELL
Image Editor MEGHAN ANDGREN
Asst. Business Manager DAYTON HAMMON
POLICE
GVPD ramps up efforts to find individuals responsible for Zoom hackings BY ADAM TROMBLEY NEWS@LANTHORN.COM
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. The Grand Valley Lanthorn is published weekly by Grand Valley State University students 31 times a year. One copy of this newspaper is available free of charge to any member of the Grand Valley Community. For additional copies, at $1 each, please contact our business offices.
The Lanthorn is published on recycled paper and is printed with soy bean ink. This means that our newspaper is entirely compostable. Help us do our part to be kind to the environment by recycling or composting this newspaper after you enjoy reading it. POSTMASTER: Please send form 3579 to: Grand Valley Lanthorn 0051 Kirkhof Center Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI 49401
LEADING THE CHARGE: GVPD Capt. Jeffery Stoll is working with his team to further investigate a string of Zoom “bombings.” GVL | ARCHIVE
About a week has passed since Grand Valley State University’s student organizations were sent into a spiral after having their Zoom meetings and events crashed. A total of four organizations across both academic and student life were crashed during their meetings last week, including a Black Male Scholars meeting. However, since the Zoom “bombings,” the Grand Valley Police Department (GVPD) has been actively working with GVSU’s Information Technology (IT) group in order to find the individuals responsible and to make sure this doesn’t happen again. “Right now, we have not been given any indication to believe that it was associated with a student or connected to any member of the GVSU community,” said GVSU Capt. Jeffery Stoll. “It also appears that it was outside the state of Michigan.” During the past few years, the police
department has seen an increase in virtual and cybercrime that they didn’t necessarily see before. Many of these types of incidents revolve around cyberstalking and dangerous messages being sent, but when these incidents occur, GVPD has been able to work with GVSU IT in the past. “They provide a certain level of information that specifically helps us identify people related to criminal activity,” Stoll said. “Part of the challenge with virtual or cybercrime makes you review and go over a lot of data such as IP addresses, emails, code and things like that. And so, while that information is valuable, it does take a while to process and digest.” Because Zoom links can be made public for anyone to view or enter, it is believed that that is how the groups gained access to the meetings and events held by GVSU. LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE
A4 | OPINION GVL EDITORIAL CARTOON
OCTOBER 5, 2020 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS By Lauryn Syrba
EDITORIAL
Michigan Supreme Court ruling has dangerous implications for spread of COVID-19
F
10/5/20
editorial@lanthorn.com
Apple, Epic Games and the 30% tax
BY FABIAN SEGURA SENIOR FILM & VIDEO, MULTIMEDIA JOURNALISM EDITORIAL@LANTHORN.COM
A 30% tax on anything you sell sounds a bit steep, but that is what has been the standard in the digital sales model. Microsoft does this for its games
sold digitally, Google does this on its Android app store, and so does Apple. Over the years, however, steps have been taken with Valve on its Steam store and Epic with its game storefront to reduce the cut they receive from developers. What is new, however, is the aggressive stance Epic has taken to Apple’s digital store and the current repercussions it has had so far. It all began with Epic’s popular franchise, Fortnite, receiving a game update on Apple devices. Apple’s standard practice is to review each app submission, new or update, to verify it complies with its terms before allowing distribution. Epic however bypassed this check by implementing a server-side switch that allowed them to introduce a brand-new payment system that bypassed Apple’s built-in payment system.
This change circumvented Apple’s 30% cut on in-game purchases and Epic incentivized players by providing a 20% discount on prices if they bought through Epic’s system. Apple swiftly removed the game from its store once it heard about the circumvention, and Google responded to the same situation by removing Fortnite on Android. Epic responded to the ban from Apple with its own prepared defenses, first with a parody of Apple’s old marketing video, comparing Apple to George Orwell’s “1984” with its control over the app store, and having a court injunction against Apple all prepared.
LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE
It’s On Us: Create your voting plan for 2020
BY KAYLA SOSA SENIOR MULTIMEDIA JOURNALISM EDITORIAL@LANTHORN.COM
As individuals, it’s our duty to ourselves and to each other to figure out what purpose we bring to the world and our communities. Whether that’s through
your profession, volunteer work, social influence or, of course, engaging in the civic process, like voting. This week is National Voter Education Week. And that’s important because a prepared voter goes not only to the polls educated, but also when on social media and in conversations with friends and family. According to the National Voter Education Week website, there are five steps this week – one for each day of the week (or, just do them as soon as you can.) Monday: Get #VoteReady! Register to vote or check your registration status. Go to www.mi.gov/vote where you can do both of those things, as well as find your polling location based on your address. Tuesday: Get #MailReady!
Request your absentee (mail-in) ballot, if you wish to vote by mail. Be sure to send your ballot back quickly enough to give time for your post office to send it to your clerk’s office. Alternatively, you could mail it in or drop it off to your clerk’s office anytime before or on Nov. 3. Wednesday: Get your vote plan ready! It’s important, especially this election year, to have your voting plan in place. If you plan to vote by mail, set a dated goal to mail in your ballot. If you plan to vote in person, make sure you know exactly where you need to go and plan out enough time on Nov. 3 to go in case you have to wait in line.
LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE
riday, Oct. 2, was a busy day in news regarding leaders in government and their response to the coronavirus. Not only did President Trump reveal to the public that he tested positive for COVID-19, but the Michigan Supreme Court also issued a historic ruling against Governor Gretchen Whitmer. In a 4-3 vote, the highest court in Michigan ruled that Whitmer’s attempt to continue a state of emergency after Thursday, April 30, was considered unconstitutional because the continuation lacked legislative approval. In a statement released Friday, Whitmer made it clear that she is vehemently opposed to the court’s decision, citing the constant spread of the virus as a reason for the swift decision. “This virus has now killed more Michiganders than World War I,” Whitmer said in the statement. “It is a novel virus for which there is no cure, and which has infected the President of the United States, members of the United States Congress, and Legislators across our state. This virus continues to take the lives of Americans every single day, and without a cure or approved vaccine, that will continue for the foreseeable future.” While Whitmer did not have legislative support when making the decision to go into a state of emergency, it’s clear that she was acting out of an abundance of caution
and putting the lives of Michiganders first. It’s important to note that even though the mandatory mask mandate that coincides with Whitmer’s state of emergency proclamation expires in 21 days. Many Michigan businesses, like Short’s Brewery Company in Grand Rapids, have publicly said that they will continue to require masks in their establishments. On Saturday, Oct. 3, Michigan reported it’s highest total of new cases in one day (1,158) since May. This type of spread is what Whitmer was trying to prevent when she declared a state of emergency, and judging by how this virus continues to spread, maybe a state of emergency needs to be reinstated. “Right now, every state and the federal government have some form of declared emergency,” Whitmer said in her order. “With this decision, Michigan will become the sole outlier at a time when the Upper Peninsula is experiencing rates of COVID infection not seen in our state since April.” In Kent county, there have been 9,664 total cases, 130 new cases and 166 deaths as of Oct. 3. In Ottawa county, there have been 3,472 cases and 62 deaths. Of all zip codes, the large majority of cases have come out of east Grand Rapids (area code 49507), with 1,057 cases. LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE
GVL OPINION POLICY The goal of the Grand Valley Lanthorn’s opinion page is to act as a forum for public discussion, comment and criticism in the Grand Valley State University community. Student and columnist opinions published here do not necessarily reflect those of the paper as an entity. The Lanthorn strives to be a safe vehicle for community discussion. With this in mind, the Lanthorn will not publish or entertain any forms of hate speech, but neither will it discriminate against any other views, opinions or beliefs. The content, information and views expressed are not approved by— nor do they necessarily represent those of—the university or its Board of Trustees, officers, faculty
or staff. Letters to the editor should include the author’s full name, relevant title and a headshot, along with a valid email address and phone number for confirming the identity of the author. Letters should be approximately 500650 words in length, and they are not edited by the Lanthorn staff except to fix technical errors or to clarify. Reader submissions on the opinion page appear as space permits. To make a submission, email editorial@lanthorn.com or drop your submission off in person at:
0051 KIRKHOF CENTER GRAND VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY
0CTOBER 5, 2020 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS
A5 | NEWS
SERVICE
We Care Project gives out care packages to students in quarantine AUDREY WHITAKER NEWS@LANTHORN.COM
Over the last six months, many Michiganders experienced what it’s like to live in quarantine or isolation, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Staying in Place orders. Since moving back to campus, GVSU students who have tested positive or been exposed to COVID-19 are finding quarantining on campus to be a lot harder than at home. In the hopes of making life in quarantine and isolation brighter for students, the Integrative, Religious and Intercultural Studies Department’s Academic Program Coordinator, Lynnette Keen, teamed up with Housing and Residence Life and the Dean of Student’s Care Team to create care packages for students on and off-campus. Keen said that the We Care Project was inspired by a conversation between her and another faculty member. “The ‘We Care’ package initiative started because the department chair, Melanie ShellWeis, and I were having a conversation, and she was sharing that a couple of her students had let her know they were in isolation or quarantine,” Keen said. “We both shared with each other what that we felt like that would be like for us if we were a student and we were both like I would be so sad. So we got off the phone and kind of went on with our lives and then she called me back and I’m like, ‘You
know, I can’t stop thinking about your students. And we need to give them something. What can we give them?’” Keen said that the goal of the We Care Project is to provide students with fun snacks, activities and decorations to help them feel more at home and pass time and let them know that GVSU cares about them and what they are going through. “We know the students receiving these care packages appreciate knowing faculty and staff are thinking of them and that the care we are sending is more than items in a box,“ said Keen. The Department of Housing and Residence Life has also gotten involved with the project and has begun including the packages to students in quarantine along with the food and laundry services they are providing, according to Robert Zinger, COVID response coordinator for on-campus students. “I think they recognized that in addition to nutritional needs, their laptops and their books, nobody’s really prepared to spend up to 14 days alone just watching Netflix,” Zinger said. “They prepared these kits which address some of the things that they want like snacks instead of just the meals, puzzles and coloring books. It’s really nice way to meet some of the other needs but also for students to know that faculty at Grand Valley also care about them as having them in class.”
SMILE IN A BOX: GVSU faculty and staff members are giving back to their students and the greater campus community with a care package program for students in quarantine. COURTESY | GVSU
Sophomore Rayna Davis spent quarantine at home after testing positive. Davis said that she received a care package when she returned to GVSU. “It was so nice and really made my day,” said Davis. Zinger said that there is another representative from the Division of Student affairs working to prepare and deliver the care packages to students off and near campus as well.
Keen said that as soon as she put the word out to her coworkers in IRIS and Brooks College, volunteers and donations poured in. Keen said in addition to doing something nice for students, the project has helped faculty members as well. LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE
EVENT
Hauenstein Center announces fall events ZSOLT PALMER NEWS@LANTHORN.COM
The Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies is one of Grand Valley State University’s most revered institutions. Founded in 2003, it is dedicated to help create the next generation of ethical and effective leaders for the 21st century. It
is a place for GVSU students to gain a better understanding of the social and political world around them. Their programs include the Common Ground Initiative, which promote principled civic engagement and civil discourse, and the WheelHouse talks, designed for “thinking leaders and leading thinkers.” Each year, both their Common Grounds
CREATING CONVERSATIONS: GVSU’s Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies will have events all fall that spark conversations to engage the next generation of local leaders. COURTESY | GVSU
Initiative and Wheelhouse Talks hold special events at the Center. Inviting speakers from a diverse range of political ideologies, the Hauenstein Center seeks to provide deeper discourse over current events, and the speakers they invite reflect that. For the fall of 2020, the Hauenstein Center continues its tradition with a new lineup of events and speakers. Fall events started Sept. 2, when the Hauenstein Center participated in the ‘Greatest Generation Day’ in Grand Rapids, featuring speakers such as the co-author of “American Sniper” Jim DeFelico, and Fox New’s Chris Wallace. On Friday, Oct. 9, Dr. Eva Feldman, an accomplished neurologist, will be giving a talk about her experience in the field and sharing lessons in leadership. On Dec. 10, the Common Ground Initiative will be hosting Kasey S. Pipes, former advisor to President George W. Bush, and former governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to speak about former President Richard Nixon. These speakers and panelists are each established and leading members of their
fields, a strong reflection of the Hauenstein Center’s goal to find speakers whom students will find worth listening to. “We’re really after people… that have the chops, that have the academic and the scholastic chops to be on the stage, to be on the Zoom call and be talking about what they’re talking about,” said Jacob Bigard, Program Manager of the Common Ground Initiative. “We look for people that can speak from experience, and that their record can back that up.” Of the events still to come, Bigard highlighted one speaker that he felt would resonate the most with the GVSU student body. “Our November Panel… ‘Navigating a Global Pandemic,’ we’re going to have four different experts of their field talking about how this pandemic has affected them, and how it has created challenges and opportunities in their sectors,” saud Bigard. LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE
A6&7 | NEWS
OCTOBER 5, 2020 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS
GV student organizations get creative finding ways to overcome challenges of fall semester BY TREVOR HUBERT NEWS@LANTHORN.COM
As the Grand Valley State University community pushes forward through one of the most trying times in the school’s history, getting students more involved with extracurriculars has been one of the most difficult challenges of the 2020 school year. With fewer students on campus, an aggressive COVID-19 containment plan and a Staying in Place order that was just been lifted on Oct. 1, student life groups have had to come up with new ways to draw in GVSU students. These new ways have been especially present in the Greek Life community, which finds itself in the midst of a semi-virtual, socially-distant recruitment season. The early stages of the fall semester would normally consist of large events centered around making new friends and expanding community outreach. This year, fraternities and sororities, along with the rest of GVSU’s student life organizations, have had to find new ways to draw in students. Some groups have been working hard and preparing for these challenges since the early days of the pandemic, like Alpha Phi Omega (APO), a co-ed fraternity on campus with a focus on community service. Fraternity President Madison Cruz said that the group has been successful because she reached out early and often. “I’ve gotten more members than I ever have before, which is so shocking to me,” said Cruz. She went on to say that the high inter-
QUIET: While the Office of Student Life is a bit quieter than usual, that doesn’t mean things aren’t busy. Student Life is working to provide digital and in-person opportunities for students. GVL | BRITNEY WATKINS
est rate can be attributed to her posting in GVSU student groups on Facebook before the school year even started. Being able to make an impact in the community has proven to be a challenge early on, though. Alpha Phi Omega was working to create care packages for the homeless in Grand Rapids when the stay at home order went into effect, which prevented them from being able to finish their work. “We’ve been evaluating and brainstorming how we can do what we love to do, which is community service,” said Cruz. APO is currently meeting and working on service projects virtually, but Cruz was optimistic that the infusion of new members will give the group a strong foundation in the near future. For the social fraternities at GVSU, some virtual recruitment events have included Zoom meetings, virtual trivia nights and “Call of Duty” tournaments. Interfraternity Council President Zack Kirshner knows the importance of active engagement within Greek Life, and the importance of doing it safely. “It’s really going to define who we are as campus leaders by the way we return to campus safely,” said Kirshner. As a whole, the Greek community at Grand Valley State has laid out a plan and followed through with it throughout the semester, making them a model for the other student groups on campus. This model includes establishing a Greek COVID-19 Task Force, participating in the #LakersTogether social media campaign and being open-minded about what
GOING GREEK: It’s been a strange year especially for Greek student organizations, who have had to digitize social, professional and recruitment events this semester. GVL | KATHERINE VASILE
the post-pandemic Greek Life experience might look like. “While we recognize that this pandemic has permanently altered the college experiences of many, now and in the future, we hope that the technology available can help us become even more receptive to students’ needs,” said Greek Life Board President Chrystina Ochsankehl. “It would be wonderful to continue to offer virtual options for those who are uncomfortable or unable to attend certain events, such as in-person recruitment activities, but we still are looking forward to a time when we’re able to meet each other face to face.” She went on to offer words of advice for all of GVSU’s student organizations, recognizing that it has never been more important for groups to work together to help each other. “I would recommend that we all try to be sympathetic, to be receptive to the needs of our clubs and fellow students,” Ochsankehl said. “This includes encouraging one another and embracing these difficult times, collaborating with one another on an unprecedented level, and utilizing the resources and technology available to you from Grand Valley and elsewhere. Although it can be challenging to persevere through these times, remember that you have the power to positively impact our community and, hopefully, we’ll all come through this crisis as better people.” *See page 10 for how GV Esports, GVSU’s competitive and casual gaming club, is adapting and growing during COVID-19 closures.
GATHERING: Before COVID-19, student gathering was much simpler. Now, student organizations need to adapt to the pandemic. GVL | ARCHIVE
CHECKING IN: For students looking to participate from home or on campus, resources from work support to involement opportunities are available via GVSU’s website. COURTESY | VALERIE WOJCIECHOWSKI
A8 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT ARTS AT A GLANCE CIRCLE THEATRE PARTNERS WITH WEALTHY THEATRE TO SHOW HALLOWEEN MOVIES
This fall, Community Circle Theatre has partnered with Wealthy Theatre to present Movies on the Lawn. For two back-to-back weekends, Grand Rapids community members have the opportunity to celebrate Halloween on the lawn at Circle Theatre with their favorite spooky movie and a costume contest. The Rocky Horror Picture Show was shown this past weekend, Oct. 1-3, and Hocus Pocus will be showing next weekend from Oct. 8-10. For both events, doors open at 7 p.m. and the films begin at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 and all proceeds from the event will go to both Wealthy Theatre and Circle Theatre. Audience members also have the opportunity to participate in a costume contest that begins at 7:45 pm. Winners will receive a Halloween Trophy and some gift cards. All guests will be required to wear a mask when not seated. Upon checking in, staff will escort guests to a designated spot on the lawn. Spots on the lawn are set up to be 12 feet apart, giving patrons a chance to spread out while also being socially distant. This is Wealthy Theatre’s third year in taking part in screenings of “Hocus Pocus” and “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” Read the full story on Lanthorn.com
BREWERY VIVANT TO CROWN POUTINE MONARCH
Brewery Vivant takes a spin on a Canadian classic dish for their upcoming event. The chefs at Brewery Vivant are concocting a collection of poutines for their Poutine Clash on Sunday, Oct. 11. The community is invited to participate in the event and try the unique plates of poutine from the brewery. Participants will taste the pountines and vote for their favorites. There will be one winner and it will be crowned as Poutine King/Queen. Brewery Vivant is also a part of AlePrize. Their space will be the host of artwork by Madison Chaffer and Gabrielle Podkul.
PODCASTS IN THE PARK EVENT BRINGS TOGETHER DIVERSE VOICES Local leaders and creative thinkers collaborated to provide an afternoon of thoughtful conversation and discussion. In Rosa Parks Circle from 2-5:30 on Oct. 3, Podcasts in the Park: Race, Opportunity and Obstacles will take place. The program included a conversation with the Grand Rapids City Manager “Full Exposure with Mark Washington,” a panel of Latina civic leaders “Latina in Grand Rapids” and a performance of the “In My Humble Opinion” podcast. Fable the Poet from the Diatribe, Kyd Kane and AutoPilot will perform during intermissions of the event.
OCTOBER 5, 2020 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLARTS
LAKER EFFECT
GV printmaking program alumni share stories of success BY MARY DUPUIS ARTS@LANTHORN.COM
The names Paul Amenta and Jennifer Dunbar may not have rung a bell in the printmaking community before their time at GVSU. The two were merely students with a dream. But, after years of hard work and practice, each has made that dream a reality. Dunbar’s road to her success was not a straight path by any means. She graduated from GVSU in 2008 with a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art and took a job as an art teacher a few months later. After a year of teaching, she applied for a management and program analyst position and moved out of Michigan for the job. Fast forward to six years ago, Dunbar stumbled across a local artist community and applied to become an affiliate of the printmaking studio. She got a few years under her belt here when she was approached to teach woodblock printmaking courses and took the position. Most recently, a printmaking gallery from the same facility asked her to apply for membership which she was accepted to in January 2020. Even though many different paths had to intertwine to get her where she is today, Dunbar said it was the skills she learned at GVSU that carried her through the challenges she faced. “My experience at GVSU was a well-crafted
PROPER PRINTMAKING: A GVSU graduate works to make a print in a lab on GV’s campus. After years of hard work, two graduates have made their printmaking dreams a reality. COURTESY | GVSU
blend of academic and experiential learning,” Dunbar said. “As a result, whatever job paid my rent was supplemented with exploring interests, learning new things and making connections with others along the way.” Dunbar’s career currently revolves around her printmaking, which she says she has had a passion for since her time in the undergraduate program at GVSU. Through the artistic process of print-
making, a design is printed onto a “matrix,” a template usually made of wood, metal or glass. The artist creates their design on the matrix using different tools or chemicals, and it is inked so that its design can be transferred onto another surface. LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE
LAKER EFFECT
Ale Prize brings local art into Grand Rapids breweries BY CHAVALA YMKER ARTS@LANTHORN.COM
Art as a communal experience has been important to Grand Rapids’ development over the last ten years. But without ArtPrize, the largest opportunity for artists to share their work was lost. The Brewer’s Guild thought they might be able to fill some of that gap, which led to the creation of Ale Prize. Throughout October, 30 artists will be showing their art across 19 different breweries. Visitors will be able to vote on their favorite art piece, and the winner will be awarded $1,000.
A juried prize of the same amount will also be given to one artist. Artists and breweries have always had a unique connection in Grand Rapids, but the pandemic has emphasized how important those relationships are. This event and the art will be able to garner more publicity for both artists and the breweries. Jonathan Ward from Brewery Vivant and Broad Leaf Local Beer shared his excitement to be a part of Ale Prize, “We are just happy to be a venue and that the GR community has so many talented and thoughtful artists.” Ward said. “We hope the
artists get a few more fans, sell some art, engender some conversation and debate. Three weeks ago, Alynn Guerra and Carlos Aceves were contacted by Founders Brewing Co. and asked to hang some of their art as a part of Ale Prize. Originally the pair planned to showcase some of their finished work, but when they saw the space, they realized it was an opportunity to create a larger site specific work. With two weeks to complete the installation, the partnership resulted in a fabric cutout papel picado inspired by ‘Day of the Dead.’ The piece features the skeleton of a woman drinking beer, but the beer becomes butterflies, symbolic of the monarchs believed to be the souls of the dead returning to Mexico. For Guerra, the project encouraged her to get back to work after months of inability to create. She points out that the bar experience is incredibly boring now that you have to stay in one place, so she hopes her and Aceves’ art adds something new and interesting to the Founders experience. LOG ON TO:
ALE & ART: Speciation Cellars is one of the locations that will be featured in this year’s ‘Ale Prize,’ an event that combines local art and craftmade beverages from all over GR. COURTESY | DAYNA WALTON
www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE
A9 | LAKER LIFE
OCTOBER 5, 2020 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLLAKERLIFE
LOOK AT LAKER LIFE GV HOSTS INTERFAITH LEADERSHIP LECTURE An authorized Lama in the Kagyu School of Tibetan Buddhism, Rod Owens is a leader in the next generation of Buddhist teachers. Grand Valley’s Kaufman Interfaith Institute has invited him to speak on his life experience and formal Buddhist training for 2020’s Interfaith Leadership Lecture on Wednesday, Oct. 7. The event, which will take place from 4:30-5:30 p.m., will be held virtually. Those interested in attending can register online at gvsu.edu/campusinterfaith. Those with questions about the free lecture can find out more from Campus Interfaith Resources Coordinator Kevin McIntosh through his email at mcintkev@gvsu.edu.
WORK LIKE A LAKER CONFERENCE BEGINS In preparation for their annual Career and Internship fair on Oct. 15, Grand Valley’s Career Center has organized two weeks of professional development workshops and industry information sessions for the benefit of the GVSU community. Starting officially on Oct. 5 and lasting until the fair itself, virtual events like Monday’s “Interviewing for Graduate School,” Tuesday’s “Is Teaching Right for Me?” and Thursday’s “Women in STEM” will be occurring on a daily basis. To find a full schedule of the conference and to register for individual sessions, those interested can visit the Career Center’s website at gvsu.edu/careers. Attendees with Handshake can also register for available conference activities through GVSU.
TAKE THE TIME TO MONITOR YOUR MENTAL HEALTH
On Thursday, Oct. 8, Grand Valley’s University Counseling Center will be participating in National Depression Screening Day. Those who take the short online questionnaire will receive confidential, onthe-spot results. The screening is open to all Grand Valley students, faculty and staff. Those interested can find a link to the questionnaire on the Counseling Center’s website at gvsu.edu/counsel, as well as more information about mood and anxiety disorders and a virtual self guided depression workshop.
CIVIC DUTY
Student athletes encourage peers to vote BY YSABELA GOLDEN LAKERLIFE@LANTHORN.COM
After the controversial presidential debate Sept. 29, the upcoming November election is more looming than ever. Getting the student body of Grand Valley State University registered to vote in time to participate has been a fall priority for the Community Service Learning Center, who recently wrapped up September with National Voter Registration Week. Their culminating event on Sept. 25 was centered around civil engagement and student athletes. “We’ve been working hard all week to make sure our students are knowledgeable and registered for voting in the upcoming election,” said Associate Director of Student Life Melissa Baker-Boosamra. “Our event tonight is about how to use our own spheres of influence to build a better world, and one of the best ways to do that is voting. We know it isn’t the only way to create change, but it’s a fundamental one.” The event featured discussion from a panel of three players from GVSU athletic teams, who discussed how athletes can use their sphere of influence to create positive change. “On campus, we have a really big community of student athletes,” said Rhys Green, a senior on the women’s lacrosse team. “If even just a few of us can influence half the student athlete population, that’s a huge impact on people who might not have voted before. All three of us are on the executive board for SAAC, the Student Athlete Advisory Committee, and this year, we are focusing a lot on getting people registered — just pushing that voting is really important, especially in the climate we’re in right now, and
IT’S ON US: GVSU students gather on a Zoom call to discuss voting in the election. This particular Zoom features student athletes who reiterated the importance of voting. GVL | YSABELA GOLDEN
that even though we are young people, our voice and our vote really do matter.” They noted that voting isn’t the only way student athletes can create positive change in their communities. “Being a student athlete and being a part of different community outreach programs — either from just football or getting involved in different groups on campus — I felt like it not only sparked in me, but in other student athletes, the want to reach out in our own communities, to uplift them,” said Damon Wesley, a junior on the football team. “If each person goes home
and does that, we’re not just helping Grand Valley out, we’re making a better world out of it.” The event’s discussion was framed around a showing of the movie “Race,” a biographical sports drama about African-American athlete and four-time Olympic medalist Jesse Owens. Facing an Olympics hosted in Nazi Germany, Owens faced racism both abroad and at home in the United States. LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE
SERVICE
Make a Difference Day transforms into month-long affair BY AUTUMN PITCHURE LAKERLIFE@LANTHORN.COM
In past years, students could gain the satisfaction of coming together and helping the community by participating in Make a Difference Day, a national day of service and annual tradition held at Grand Valley State University. This year, there is a twist. With adjusting to changes COVID-19 has brought about, the Community Service Learning Center decided to take Make a Difference Day and expand it into the month of October, making it into a broader opportunity to serve in person and
MAKE A DIFFERENCE: Make a Difference Day has been grown to a month. COURTESY | CSLC
virtually as Make a Difference Month. “Grand Valley has participated in Make a Difference Day for the past 15 years,” said Giavonna Ward, Graduate Assistant for Civic Engagement. “We hope that by making this into a month-long event we are able to offer students a variety of opportunities to get engaged with their community.” Make a Difference Month will consist of some changes. The CSLC is working on finding new service opportunities for their students, working with community partners to find service projects that students can take part in. “This year is very different,” Melissa Baker-Boosamra, Associate Director of Student Life said. “We have had to regroup and get creative.” Due to COVID-19, the Ottawa County Health Order and Executive Order, student organizations are not traveling. When the Ottawa County Order is lifted, students are welcomed to serve at community partner sites. “We have decided with student safety and public safety to do a couple of things new,” Baker-Boosamra said. “Although we aren’t able to provide transportation, we are able to provide
students with some ideas about how to do remote and or virtual service.” Some examples of these remote or virtual service opportunities include becoming a pen pal with a senior citizen, or raising money for a non profit organization by doing a walkathon. There are a number of community partner opportunities, virtual service and remote service opportunities students can find to take part in by finding “Make a Difference Day” under the community engagement tab at gvsu.edu/service.Ward also mentioned there will be a social media campaign where students can feel they are making an impact by tagging @gv_cslc and use the hashtag #GVSUMakesADifference. “This is nice because when students tag themselves on social media they can see it’s not just them out there, there are other Lakers giving back as well,” Baker-Boosamra said. During Make a Difference Month, there will be the opportunity for students to do “Drop-in service.” Drop-in Service will be held once a week. LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE
A10 | SPORT QUICK HITS
OCTOBER 5, 2020 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLSPORTS
ESPORTS
BRADFIELD NOMINATED FOR SECOND AWARD
Senior linebacker Tyler Bradfield is a semifinalist for the 2020 William V. Campbell Trophy. So far in his Grand Valley State University career, Bradfield has 214 career tackles, 21.5 tackles for a loss and seven sacks. Bradfield was nominated by GVSU for the award. Any nominee must have at least a 3.2 GPA, be a senior in their final year of eligibility, and be a strong leader. Bradfield is a two time CoSIDA Academic All-American, a two time AllGLIAC member and was the GVSU Skill Defensive Player of the Year. This is the 31st annual William V. Campbell award and the winner receives a $18,000 postgraduate scholarship. The National Football Foundation will announce finalists for the award in November 2020.
GV ATHLETICS ROLLS OUT GOLF FUNDRAISER
GVSU Athletics Department has announced a fundraiser golf outing. For $75, participants will play 18 holes, be provided a cart, range balls and morning refreshments including coffee and donuts. There will also be prizes for the longest drive and closest pin. All money raised at the event will go to the Irwin Fund, which will go towards student athletes, coaches and the athletic department.
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SCORES
- Jenison 28, Caledonia 14 - East Kentwood 42, Grand Haven 12 - Grandville 21, Hudsonville 17 - Byron Center 35, Forest Hill Central 14 - Allendale 45, Fruitport 22 - East Grand Rapids 52, Northview 14 - Zeeland West 34, Zeeland East 14
FANTASY FOOTBALL RANKINGS WEEK THREE QB: Russell Wilson 102, Josh Allen 93.92, Patrick Mahomes 87.92, Dak Prescott 84.92, Kyler Murray 80.14
RB: Alvin Kamara 106.8, Aaron Jones
79.8, Ezekiel Elliot 67.7, Dalvin Cook 64.8, James Robinson 61.9
WR: Calvin Ridley 80.5, Tyler Lockett
73.9, DeAndre Hopkins 73.6, Stefon Diggs 60.8, Tyreek Hill 58.6
TE: Travis Kelce 55.7, Jonnu Smith 49.1,
Noah Fant 46.4, Tyler Higbee 43.4, Darren Waller 41.9
A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN: GVSU’s Esports Club has continued to grow their online membership throughout the pandemic. With both casual gaming and competitions taking place virtually, President Lucas Champaux said there is a place for everyone looking to get involved in gaming. GVL | NICK MORAN
Esports club thrives in age of COVID-19 BY HOLLY BIHLMAN HBIHLMAN@LANTHORN.COM
The Grand Valley State University Esports Club has been one of the only competitive student organizations to stay in session during the COVID-induced hiatus that most other sports have endured. Being a mostly-online club, they’ve been able to continue playing games with each other, both casually and competitively, as well as staying in touch through their Discord server. With over 500 members in the Discord now, the Esports Club is a growing community at GVSU, with hopes to begin competing at the national collegiate level in the next few years. The Esports Club plays several games together for fun as well as at the competitive level, but their most popular games are Overwatch, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and Rocket League with around 70 competitive players in each game. All 12 of their competitive games, which can be found on their club website, have game leaders that organize tournaments and compete against other teams. Their Rocket League team was in the top five on the East Coast last year, and their goal is to be able to compete against schools like MSU once GVSU is eligible to join the National Association of Colligate Esports (NACE). “I kind of consider it like track and field where you have all of your different events and they compete separately, but they all kind of group together at the end,” said Esports Club President Lucas Champaux. Since they are still a fairly new club, their potential to compete at the national level is ever-growing. The teams have the opportunity to compete with Tespa, a
GRINNIN’ GAMER: Trevor “AverageBaguette” Tynan, who competed for GV Esports’ Rocket League team last year, is one of many to move through the young student esports club. GVL | NICK MORAN
worldwide community of colligate esports leagues that host competitions between schools all over the country, as well as winning prize money and scholarships. “We want to keep it on both sides, casual play and competitive,” Champaux said. “We really see, especially now, how important having that community is, but also there is a lot of drive in people that play on these competitive teams to go out and compete on a larger scale.” With 12 competitive games to focus on, they also play 27 other games for players that are less competition driven. Going on their third year as a club, Champaux is always welcoming anyone in the GVSU community who wants to be a part of the discord and makes it a priority to be sure that any games people want to play are added to their selection. “Even though were up to over 500 people in our Discord server, we still try to make sure everyone has their own place to talk and can find people to hang and play games with,”
Champaux said. “I really love Smash Bros and I always have. I’m awful at competitive games though, which is kind of a running joke in the club: the guy that’s in charge of everything is awful at all of them.” With most of their events still taking place this season, their games can be watched on live streams through Twitch which are posted on their Twitter account, @GVSUesports. Currently their Rainbow Six Seige team is competing in a tournament against the New Jersey Institute of Technology Highlanders with an overall score of 2-1 Highlanders. “Whether or not you believe you’re good at video games or you’re looking for a community to play casual games with, you’re more than welcome,” Champaux said. “I’m in charge of it and I’m awful at just about any video game that exists.” To find out more about the Esports club, visit their Twitter for live streams of their competitions, join the Discord server, and stay in touch through social media to become a part of the GVSU Esports community.
OCTOBER 5, 2020 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLSPORTS
A11 | SPORTS
HOCKEY
Men’s D3 hockey team adapts to new club sports guidelines BY ZACK GOODROW SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM
The novel COVID-19 pandemic has affected all sports at Grand Valley State University. Three weeks ago, the Ottawa County Department of Public Health issued an order that mandated GVSU students stay at home unless attending class, exercising or getting food. In response to this new order, the GVSU athletics department made it mandatory that a licensed physician attend any training sessions for teams. While GVSU teams have had to adapt to these orders to keep practicing, it did not extend to club sports, as many of them were forced to shut down. Clubs like the D3 men’s hockey team had to put practice on hiatus. “We haven’t been able to hit the ice at all for the past couple of weeks,” president of the hockey club Brandon Ramboer said. “You know with everything that’s been going on we just shut down immediately.” Ramboer and the rest of his team have had to deal with holding meetings virtually for the past several weeks. After finishing last season on a high note with a 27-8 record, the team was ready to improve and get back onto the ice. That may no longer be the case, as club sports are not permitted to host games or travel to other schools. As the president of the club, Ramboer
and his coaches have had to adjust to all of these new obstacles in order to keep the team intact. “Right now my main responsibilities are making sure that the hockey team is in accordance with the COVID guidelines that the school has put in place,” Ramboer said. “I also make sure that incoming freshmen find out about the club so we can continue to grow.” While the pandemic might have hindered the teams ability to practice for the past several weeks, the Ottawa County order has now been lifted, and the team can return to practicing two times a week. “We can only practice twice a week,” Ramboer said. “We haven’t decided if we want to practice both days on the ice or stagger them off and on. It will be an adjustment.” Being able to only practice biweekly is a big deal for a club like the D3 men’s hockey team. The team plays in highly competitive games and has players who are devoted to their club. Without being able to hold a full practice schedule, the team won’t be as conditioned or as talented on the ice together. It’s also a big blow to the players, who haven’t been able to participate fully in their sport. “You know it sucks because everyone wants to get out there and go on the ice,” Ramboer said. “But we all do understand the situation that we’re in. Guys have just had to workout on their own.”
STRETCH TO SAVE: GVSU’s D3 hockey team has been itching to get back on the ice after a COVID-19 pause of club sports has kept them home and unable to practice. COURTESY | GVSU CLUB SPORTS
For now at least, the D3 hockey team will get back to practicing whether it be on the ice or on dryland. The team will have to wait until Jan. 1, 2021, for the Recreation and Wellness department to reassess the COVID-19 landscape at GVSU and to see if playing club sport games is feasible. The hockey team will also be holding tryouts
for the next few weeks. They expect about 100 new recruits to come and compete for a spot on the team. Tryouts will look different this year, with all players and staff wearing masks and staying ten feet apart from each other. Hopefully for the sake of fans, players, and the coaches, games for club sports will return in 2021 so the D3 hockey club can play once again.
FOOTBALL
GV football team resumes practices BY JOSH CARLSON SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM
COACH: Head coach Matt Mitchel is making sure his players continue to train. GVL | ARCHIVE
The theme for the Grand Valley State University football team with no season this fall has simply been to advance individuals skills and develop the football team in a COVID-19 environment. Plenty of changes have come upon the football team this fall, and head coach Matt Mitchell and his staff have had their hands full. “I’ve been really impressed with the assistant coaches and players that have bought into those changes and are working to get better.” Mitchell said. “We’ve moved our weight room outside, we can’t have full team meetings and we can’t have our team in the locker room.” Mitchell has opted to have smaller, socially-distanced team meetings wearing masks instead of Zoom due to how much time players are already spending intaking information virtually. This has made an already large workload on the assistant coaches and himself to make sure they are getting the program’s culture across and making sure that everything is in working order. One of the largest sacrifices that have come
out of no football in the fall of 2020 is from the seniors with the program. “Most of my seniors are not enrolled in classes this term.” Mitchell said. “All these kids have to make sacrifices; they want to use their four years of eligibility. They are all adding another year of their lives, and people don’t understand that. That’s a tremendous amount of sacrifice for Grand Valley football, and I respect that a lot”. Every player in the program now will also be affected. If they plan on using all of their eligibility, they will have to be with the program for six years. The seniors who haven’t returned to campus this fall are currently working and are home for the fall, waiting eagerly to return this winter. The ramifications of not playing this season don’t just affect the team and the seniors; it might also have consequences in the future when it comes to recruiting. “Next fall, we will have six classes here,” Mitchell said. “Typically, a college football team carries five. It’s going to effects budgets; it affects lockers; it affects helmets and
shoulder pads and scholarships.” Although this will be hard, Mitchell stated that he will sign a class regardless of the repercussions that are going to come from this lost season. Although players coming out of high school will still be given an opportunity with GVSU, Mitchell says that the number of kids who might not get a chance with other programs is unpredictable. “I have been around here long enough to know that there are kids that make huge jumps from their junior to senior year,” Mitchell said. “In some of these states, you are not going to be able to see it. They won’t have senior tape.” Around the country, some Division I programs and the NFL playing, but it doesn’t seem like a feasible option for a program like GVSU in Division II. “At Ohio State right now, they have a 15-minute rapid test,” Mitchell said. “Kids take the test in a holding tank, and when they pass it, they’re allowed to go into the locker room. LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE
OCTOBER 5, 2020 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLSPORTS
A12 | SPORT PROFILE
Coaches of GV: Ric Wesley BY KELLEN VOSS ASSOCIATE@LANTHORN.COM
Ironically for a man who has been leading teams since the late 70s, Grand Valley State men’s basketball coach Ric Wesley said one of the best days of his life was the day he was cut from Central Michigan’s baseball team. After pursuing a college baseball career at CMU and ultimately getting cut from the junior varsity team, Wesley walked into the varsity basketball coach’s office the very next day and volunteered his services as a student assistant to the Chippewa basketball team “That changed my life,” Wesley said. “Getting cut from the baseball team was probably the best thing that ever happened to me. It put myself in a different place, instead of thinking of myself as an athlete, I thought about what it meant to be a coach.” Working under Walt Schneider and Central Michigan Hall-of-Famer Dick Parfitt, Wesley learned a lot of valuable lessons before taking an assistant job at Iowa State, where he got to work with Iowa State Hallof-Fame coach Johnny Orr for 14 years. In Ames, Wesley got to coach some quality players, including future NBA players Jeff Horneacek and Fred Hoiberg, who went on to become coaches themselves. Under Orr, Wesley learned that coaching was not just about managing X’s and O’s; it was about having fun, not being too con-
COACH WITH THE MOST: Men’s basketball coach Ric Wesley brings with him an impressive tenure, but many of his accomplishments coming from him leading the Lakers on the court. GVL | ARCHIVES
trolling and building relationships with players to help their confidence grow. “Coach Orr was a very much a player’s coach — a fun-loving, optimistic, positive guy who woke up every day fired up and ready to go,” Wesley said. “His optimism and love of life rubbed off was really quite infectious and really rubbed off on the players. You really gravitated towards it. He got out of their way in a lot of ways,
realizing that it was a player’s game. After a 40+ year postseason drought, Wesley was a part of a coaching staff that led Iowa State to six NCAA tournament appearances, including a Sweet 16 run in 1986 that helped the Cyclones gain national relevance. For all of that postseason play, Wesley didn’t feel a lot of added pressure and credits his mentors at his alma mater for helping him stay calm and collected.
“I really think I had some great training at Central Michigan,” Wesley said. “By the time I was a senior, I really felt like more of a graduate assistant coach. The coaches gave me a lot of responsibility, and I was close with a lot of players, so it was a pretty seamless transition for me, really. When I went to Iowa State, I was ready to go.” After 14 years, Wesley took a job as an assistant coach at Lamar University in Texas, where he helped direct the offensive attack and lead the Cardinals to the best scoring average in the Sun Belt Conference during the 1996-97 season. With Wesley on staff, Lamar posted its best win total and longest stretch of winning seasons in over a decade. It was on that staff that Wesley felt that he truly matured as a coach. “For a long time, it felt like I was one of the youngest guys out there,” Wesley said of his time at ISU. “When I went to Lamar, a friend of mine was the head coach, who was the same age as me, and I became an established coach. I was no longer in the learning stage, and had much more power in what I was doing and enjoyed my time there as well. LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE
BASKETBALL
GVSU Basketball adds more talent with Adrian transfer Jordan Harris BY JOSH CARLSON SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM
The Grand Valley State University Men’s Basketball team announced that they have once again gotten another talented transfer for the 2020-2021 season in 6’1 former Adrian College guard Jordan Harris. Coach Ric Wesley adds even more great talent and character with the former Adrian guard, who will be joining the Lakers with one year of eligibility left and brings the resume to prove he will make it count. The jump to the next level will be smooth for someone like Harris. At Adrian, Harris scored in abundance, becoming a 1,000-point scorer, averaging 22.2 points per
game in his final season, and posting several high scoring games with a season-high of 40 points against Hiram College. In his junior year with Adrian, he proved to be more than just someone who can score the basketball as well, accumulating 110 rebounds, and 99 assists, along with his 600 points for the season. Choosing GVSU was a natural choice for Harris, though he was unable to physically visit the campus due to COVID-19. Although he was contacted by other schools, the Lakers coaching staff proved it should be his new home. “Coach (Wesley) was on me. He is one of the main reasons why I picked Grand Valley. During the recruiting process, he was the one
DONNING THE LAKER BLUE: GVSU added former Adrian College guard Jordan Harris to the roster. Harris, a 1,000-point scorer at Adrian, is ready to up his game in Allendale. GVL | GVSU LAKERS
calling and reaching out to me,” Harris said. “A lot of the time, you usually talk to the assistants, but he called me, my mom, and told us about the opportunities I’d have there, and he showed it very, very well. I’m definitely excited to work with coach (Wesley).” Coach Wesley feels the same way about the incoming transfer. “Jordan is a great kid and can really shoot. Everyone we talked to had high praise for his game on and off the court,” Wesley said. “He will be a great addition to our team, both on the court and in the locker room. He’s a seasoned veteran with postseason experience, and we think he’ll fit in nicely.” Harris looks forward to making his final year of eligibility count with the Lakers. “My goal for this upcoming season is to come in and listen, you know, be a sponge,” Harris said. “A lot of the players have played at that level, I’m coming in and haven’t played at that level, but I do know a lot of basketball. So I just wanna come in and learn, observe, and find my role on the team, and play my role to the best that I can. I just want to win, and I know our team has that same type of mindset too. I know I only have one more year left, and it seems like a short period of time, but I know the type of player that I am and the type of person that I am.”
Harris didn’t let the quarantine stop his drive for getting better every day. He worked out every day--sometimes even twice a day-proving the Lakers are adding more than just talent and continuing to grow a great culture for the program further. “I was outside every day, no matter what it was; I didn’t take any days off. I feel like this time was the time to see what your real character is.” Harris said. “A lot of people took their time for granted, sat down, and stayed in. But for me, I was outside, and I wanted to get better every single day, and that’s what I was doing.” Harris will be joining three other signees, another talented transfer guard JK Lewis, and the two incoming freshmen, Ethan Alderink, and Trevon Gunter. “(JK Lewis) texted me when I committed, telling me congratulations and that he was ready to get to work with me, and I’m excited to play with him,” Harris said. “I’ve watched a lot of film on (JK), and he’s very good, fast, so I’m excited, and I’m going to do whatever it takes to win games.” LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE