Grand Valley Lanthorn vol. 56 no. 13

G R A N D VA L L E Y L A N T H O R N

Home for the Holidays Students may face conflict when returning back home

Cure Violence program comes to Grand Rapids

OUTREACH | A3

GV Football shuts out Davenport in final game advancing overall record to 9-1

FOOTBALL | A11

M O N D A Y, N OV E M B E R 1 5 , 2 02 1 // VO L . 5 6 N O. 1 3

@ GV L A N T H O R N

LANTHORN.COM

A2 | NEWS NEWS BRIEFS GV COVID-19 CAMPUS DATA UPDATE

The GVSU community has had a cumulative total of 4,153 cases since Aug. 1, 2020.

The university’s update for this brief was from Friday, Nov. 12.

Through testing results this past week, GVSU’s Virus Action team have so far reported 123 current active cases including six faculty members, 11 staff members, 10 on-campus students, 49 “off-campus Ottawa” students, 32 “off-campus Kent” students and 12 “off-campus other” students with active COVID-19 cases.

“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.

Vaccination: GVSU encourages all students, faculty and staff to receive the COVID-19 vaccination as soon as possible.

All students, faculty and staff are required to be fully vaccinated, barring a medical or religious exemption or postponement.

According to the COVID-19 data dashboard, an 80% vaccination rate in the GVSU community is required to reach herd immunity and minimal virus transmission.

Currently, approximately 82% of students report being fully vaccinated, while approximately 84% of faculty and staff reports being fully vaccinated.

There are currently 2,109 students and 144 faculty/staff with approved vaccination exemptions.

Testing and Incidence: GVSU’s own testing program has performed 106,469 tests overall since Aug. 1, 2020, for a cumulative positivity rate of 2.52% from the latest update as of last week. A total of 1,513 tests were performed over the last seven days.

“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.

SEARCH CONTINUES FOR MISSING GV STUDENT AT MSU

The Grand Valley State University and Michigan State police department, along with many community members, are still searching for Brendan Santo, a GVSU student who was last seen at MSU on Oct. 29. The police are continuing to focus on the Red Cedar River located in the East Lansing campus.

According to the most recent news release, the MSU Police and Public Safety is expanding its partnership with local, state and federal agencies to help with the ongoing investigation.

NOVEMBER 15, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

CONFLICT

GV Student Senate approaches campus dining outcry with civil discourse

BY JOSH ALBURTUS NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

“Civil discourse” is often a phrase that doesn’t reach beyond the realm of electoral politics. However, as students at Grand Valley State University have continued to express concerns over the persistence of issues on campus, the university’s Student Senate has begun work to bolster its handle on civil discourse to better its policymaking and relations with student constituents.

At their general assembly on Nov. 11, the Senate heard from speaker Lisa Perhamus, the director of the university’s Padnos/Sarosik Center for Civil Discourse, who lead a forum on understanding the meaning of and intent behind civil discourse.

“In a true dialogue, when you’re making decisions together and you’re thinking together, consensus is not the goal,” Perhamus said. “Staying true to the process of the dialogue and increasing understanding--making sure everyone is heard--is the goal.”

Perhamus said that those engaged in dialogue should always entertain the possibility that their positions and perspectives may change.

As the workshop continued, the focus turned toward understanding and synthesizing senators’ differing viewpoints regarding the ongoing calls from some students for the university to sever ties with the food

PROBLEM SOLVING: Recurring concerns about campus dining from students has led Student Senate to hold a forum about civil discourse, a way of making decisions with open dialogue. GVL | ARCHIVES

service company Aramark and change its approach to campus dining. Senators with differing viewpoints of the matter fostered open discussion and questions for the workshop as some raised concerns about the dialogue so far.

“An issue we run into sometimes when we’re discussing things like this is running ourselves in circles,” Vice President for Allocations Ben Biermacher said.

In focusing the dialogue on the issue of campus dining, Student Senate President Autumn Mueller said she wanted to invite open discussion and ensure that everyone

felt heard.

“I think just working together and making sure that we see everyone’s perspective is what we’re trying to do,” Mueller said.

At the same time, Mueller made clear that discussion and action should not interfere with the activities of the University Food Committee already created by the Senate to deal with the issue.

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ENVIRONMENT

Hybrid Sustainability showcase features student projects

BY LAUREN FORMOSA NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

The Grand Valley State University Environmental and Sustainability Studies Program is hosting its semi-annual Sustainability Showcase this week.

Starting on Sunday, Nov. 14, this showcase highlights over 25 projects done by students in the program that tackle environmental and sustainability issues and explore real-world solutions. In some cases, GVSU students from ENS 201 to ENS 401 chose to do their projects with community partners

TRAGEDY: The University Counseling Center is supporting students struggling with loss in the GVSU community. GVL | ANNABELLE ROBINSON

either on or around campus.

While professors gave their students flexibility when choosing their topics, this year’s projects fall under four main focus areas: food sustainability, water, energy systems and culture in the built environment.

“Sometimes we have students who have interests in other areas,” said Director and Associate Professor of the Environmental and Sustainability Studies Program Amy McFarland. “We have four groups that are looking at forestry and the way in which forestry can be utilized to help advance sustainability.”

Topics for this year’s showcase range from facilitating pollinator habitats to using goats to improve soil health and erosion.

Through showcasing their work, students will receive feedback from their professors, peers and community partners before making revisions to their final projects.

The Sustainability Showcase began as a solely in-person event with only one participating class. Once COVID-19 hit in the middle of the winter 2020 semester, the event was forced to move online, much to the dismay of students who had been preparing to present their presentations. GVSU students in the program were asked to build websites

to display their sustainability projects for the first time and, while scary for some, proved to be a good skill for environmental and sustainability students to develop.

“It’s something that you could put on your resume as having experience building a website using Google Sites,” McFarland said. “A lot of times students struggle to know ‘what can I put on the skill section that makes me stand out?’ Everybody’s got communication skills, everybody’s got written communication skills. Students don’t feel confident putting those things on their resume, but this is something that’s different.”

Both of last year’s showcases were held virtually, but this year’s showcase will be the first to have both in-person and virtual events. The Environmental and Sustainability Studies program, which is one of the fastest-growing programs at GVSU, is confident that they will be able to continue growing the Sustainability Showcase into the future, with hopefully more in-person events and class participation.

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A3 | NEWS

NOVEMBER 15, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

CONTENTS CONFLICT

| A2

OPINION

| A4

EDUCATION

| A5 | A6&7

SPREAD COMMUNITY

| A8

STUDENTS

| A9

CELEBRATION

| A10

FOOTBALL

| A11

BASKETBALL

| A12

VOL. 5 6

NO. 13

Lan thorn Layout Editor VIVIANA RUBIO

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OUTREACH

Cure Violence program comes to Grand Rapids

BY KAY KELLER NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

Cure Violence is an outreach program with the goal of preventing violence before it happens. With a team of outreach workers, violence interrupters and trainers, this group is set on making a safer city for everyone who lives there.

This past week, the City of Grand Rapids Office of Oversight and Public Accountability (OPA) hosted a meet and greet event with the newly assembled Grand Rapids Cure Violence team. OPA Director Brandon Davis hosted the event.

“The city of Grand Rapids is committed to being a place where all people feel safe and are safe at all times in our community,” Davis said.

Cure Violence stops the spread of violence by using methods and strategies that are associated with disease control.

“This is a global program or initiative, that aims at curing violence through a healthcare approach,” said President and CEO of Urban League of West Michigan, Eric Brown. “It’s an approach that interrupts violence, that performs outreach and that works to change the community norms in which that violence occurs.”

Cure Violence is an organization that is

PREVENTION: Outreach workers, violence interrupters and trainers are all a part of the Grand Rapids Cure Violence team. This group works to make people feel safe in the community. COURTESY | MLIVE

bigger than just the Grand Rapids area. This is a global group with a structured plan that they said stops violence. When the group comes to a new city, they start finding their “in” with the community.

All of the people who work with Cure Violence have experienced violence firsthand, as the victim, perpetrator or both. They’re people who not only are familiar with the community around them but also have firsthand knowledge of pre-violence signs.

“I’ve been affected by violence, drug

addiction, I mean everything that poverty brings, I’ve experienced it,” said violence interrupter Alfred Fowler. “I got tired of feeling that way, tired of seeing it, and I just decided one day that we all say the world should change and our city should change and our state should change, and I just believed that change started with me.”

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ENVIRONMENT

GVPD warns students of “sextortion” scams

BY HANNA HALSTEAD NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

On Grand Valley State University’s campus, there have been a number of reports filed involving sextortion, said Assistant Director of Public Safety and Captain Jeff Stoll. Students have unfortunately had their photos shared, because the person they were messaging took advantage of them.

Sextortion is the practice of extorting money or sexual favors from someone by threatening to reveal evidence of their sexual activity.

These perpetrators are usually found on social media, where they start a conversation with the victim. As the conversation progresses, the perpetrator convinces the victim to send photos of themselves, which is then followed by extortion.

“It is generally a scam to acquire money,” Stoll said. “It always comes back to sending explicit photos online, and the dangers and risks associated with that.”

One scam, which has raised concern on TikTok, begins when a potential victim receives a message saying they want to meet up, although they had never met. GVSU senior Anna Mellett said she received one such message, but immediately got a bad feeling and blocked the number.

“They said that something about us going on a date getting bagels and coffee, and I was very confused,” Mellett said. “I didn’t answer it because I kind of suspected it was a scam, so I just deleted it and I blocked the number just in case.”

Scams like these often end with the person who initiated the conversation asking for money or photos of the victim. Stoll said GVPD advises that people don’t send money. Stoll said he understand that being asked for money in a blackmail situation.

Still said the perpetrators themselves can be very difficult to apprehend, as these extortion attempts usually come from random people on the internet that can be located outside the city, outside the state and even outside the country.

In addition, with the ability to do all of this from behind a screen, the perpetrators don’t have to use their real name or face, they can create hundreds of fake accounts, making it very difficult to identify suspects and hold them accountable.

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A4 | OPINIONS GVL EDITORIAL CARTOON

NOVEMBER 15, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

By Athena Jasman

EDITORIAL

GV students concerned with COVID-19 failures and successes

S

11/15/21

editorial@lanthorn.com

Dune (1984) review

BY ZACK GOODROW SENIOR MULTIMEDIA JOURNALISM EDITORIAL@LANTHORN.COM

David Lynch, director of several critically acclaimed works like “Mulholland Drive” and “Twins Peaks” was the first to adapt the novel “Dune” to the big screen. It was a difficult task, but Lynch was able to pull it off and make another cult classic.

The biggest obstacle with watching this film is obviously the special effects.

The movie was made in 1984 and some of the background effects of Paul Atreides (Kyle MacLachlan) grappling a giant worm and Gurney Halleck (Patrick Stewart) fighting with a force field around him are absolutely laughable.

Once the audience accepts the fact that this film won’t be as visually pleasing as the latest “Dune” release, the movie is an absolute joy to watch.

Lynch doesn’t take the source material too seriously. It’s an undoubtedly

confusing film--I still don’t understand why there was a gang of Bruce Willis look-alikes or why the main villain was humanoid yet floated around in a suit like the ghost in “Ghostbusters” had been struggling with heroin addiction for 25 years. Even though the lore and some of the plotlines leave viewers asking “what the hell is going on,” it’s not necessary to fully understand every detail to enjoy the film.

At its core, the narrative is a basic fantasy tale with a science fiction coat. Paul, a young man who doesn’t know his true power and the prophecy he was destined to fulfill, is eager to visit the planet where spice (some kind of important drug) is harvested. Paul’s father is soon murdered by a traitor in their midst and their rivals soon take over the planet. Stranded with his mother, Paul soon trains a group of oppressed planet natives and soon takes back control of the world and the spice.

Paul fulfills the prophecy and becomes the most powerful man in the galaxy.

Lynch takes this extremely Shakespearian story and flips it on its head.

It’s a film that any Lynch fan would surely enjoy.

The costume designs and built set pieces would please any old-school sci-fi or Star Wars fan. It’s a treat to watch a movie that reflects the state of filmmaking at the time. The set designs and charters are wacky and quirky. These details are enjoyable for the entire duration of the movie.

Some of the fighting scenes have the same effect. Sure, some of them are very cheesy with retro computer-generated images becoming eye-sores. Close combat scenes that aren’t touched by post-production are tense and excellently shot, however.

The music is fantastic throughout the movie. A classic science fiction epic might rely completely on an equally epic score. The main theme of this movie is exactly that. But Lynch twists this common convention. The final battle of the movie, which is won by Paul and the Fremen, is a combination of the main theme of the film with legendary guitar riffs by the band Toto.

There are some extremely weird scenes in the movie, like shots of a half-naked Sting (yes, the actual singer Sting, of The Police, is in this movie).

But these bizarre shots are matched by equally lovely ones like Patrick Steward holding a tiny pug and shooting his laser pistol at an approaching army.

This movie is such a classic and enjoyable watch because of the way Lynch makes it his own. The narrative is serious, but the characters, their dialogue and designs make the film entertaining.

The audience doesn’t have to understand every specific detail that is brought to their attention. Instead, Lynch expertly takes complicated adaptations of a classic novel into a movie that anyone can appreciate watching regardless of how complex the plot gets.

tudents that aren’t in compliance with Grand Valley State University’s vaccine requirement— those who are unvaccinated or haven’t gotten an approved exemption— have been receiving emails notifying them that their winter 2022 classes have been dropped. Months after the vaccine mandate deadline, GVSU is finally enforcing the policy.

54.9% of Michigan residents and 55.9% of Ottawa residents over the age of five are fully vaccinated. For those who missed the news, after the completion of thorough scientific studies, the Food and Drug Administration has approved the Pfizer vaccine for children five and older.

As of Nov. 12, 82% of GVSU students are fully vaccinated. While Ottawa County’s COVID-19 transmission rate is dangerously high, GVSU (whose Allendale Campus is located in Ottawa) is doing notably better.

GVSU tested 1,546 people over the past seven days, with a 2.52% positivity rate. In contrast, Michigan State University tested 3,645 people last week, with a 1.84% positivity rate. GVSU is a shining light of health and wellness in West Michigan, but compared to the rest of the state and coun-

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.

try, the university could be doing better. Especially considering the delay between GVSU’s deadline for the mandate (Sept. 30) and the day the university started actually enforcing the mandate (Nov. 2).

Everyone— in Michigan, the United States and the world— desperately wants the COVID-19 pandemic to be over. Some have been fully overtaken by denial, disbelief or misinformation. But there are people who still look at the data, and see what they want to see. While it’s nice that most students and faculty at GVSU are vaccinated, not all of them are. The university’s positivity rate is lower than the county’s, but it’s fully possible to get it even lower.

Also understandable is the discomfort that students, faculty and university administrators feel when confronting people who are ignoring GVSU’s health and safety guidelines. Confronting hard truths and non-compliant students and faculty is difficult for everyone to do.

Thankfully, GVSU does have a system to give its guidelines backbone. But, ultimately, it’s not about forcing people to comply with policy.

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Letter 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 500-650 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 ALLENDALE, MI 49401 616-826-8276

A5 | NEWS

NOVEMBER 15, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS EDUCATION

GV hosts 9th annual Teach-In

BY GRACE SMITH NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

In 2014, Grand Valley State University educators identified many indicators that members of GVSU were lacking the tools to have some difficult conversations in a complex, rich manner. University faculty, staff and students responded to this by com-

ing together and establishing the Teach-In, which addressed areas of equality and inclusion and gave attendees the tools to seek social justice in their own lives.

As a result of the success of the first Teach-In, the University Academic Senate voted unanimously to keep Teach-In as a yearly event. Since then, students, faculty and staff have collaborated to reach others

CONVERSATIONS: “Power, Privilege and Difficult Dialogues” was the theme of the 9th annual TeachIn. The Teach-In is a melting pot of topics since anyone can propose a discussion. GVL | MAX RITCHIE

at the university.

“Hundreds of GVSU community members attend the Teach-In every year, and over the nine years that the event has been happening over 10,000 people have been impacted,” said faculty lead Karen Gipson.

On Wednesday and Thursday, Nov. 10 and 11, GVSU held its 9th annual TeachIn conference discussing “Power, Privilege and Difficult Dialogues.” The main goals, as laid out in the event mission statement, include raising awareness, informing, creating dialogue, and documenting suggestions for action.

Some of the many topics discussed at this year’s Teach-In included racial identities, food insecurity, religion, domestic violence, media bias and healthcare accessibility.

“The Teach-In is important because it provides a unique opportunity for the GVSU community to engage in mutual education about social justice issues that may not be discussed in other educational settings,” Gipson said.

What makes Teach-In unique is that anybody can propose a topic for discussion, Gipson said. Part of the event’s success can be attributed to the melting pot of topics arising from the student body.

Each session, and each annual conference, is unique and relevant to current cultural

injustices and inclusion.

“Anyone through our website is able to be a host,” said Kyle Gineman, Vice President of the Diversity Affairs Committee.

“That is basically open to the public, even though it is mainly promoted to student senators, RAs or people who work at social justice centers.”

After making contact with a co-creator, prospective 2022 presenters may get involved with the event by creating a proposal for the Diversity Affairs Committee.

The proposals can be structured in three ways: a precise idea and presentation format, a working concept with an agreed-upon mode of presentation or a document or media created within the lens of social justice, through which ideas will be analyzed in new contexts.

Above all, collaborators must agree on a time and date for the presentation upon proposal submission. Along with this, regardless of proposal format, the Diversity Affairs Committee may accept or deny all or parts of the content, along with making suggestions for the presentation.

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UNIVERSITY

Reach Higher 2025 committee seeks faculty feedback as strategic plan is revised

BY SARA COLLINS NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

The Reach Higher 2025 (RH2025) steering committee is continuing to draft a strategic plan aligning with Grand Valley State University’s vision for the future of the university. The draft will be presented to the board of trustees in Feb. 2022. After the draft passes this necessary step, it will then be used as a guide for divisions and colleges of all programs within the university.

The draft is undergoing a delay due to a lack of approval from The University Academic Senate (UAS), GVSU’s faculty senate, on Sept. 24. Schaub said the UAS wanted the RH2025 team to revise the language to further ensure they have the approval of the entire campus community.

“The delay is because we want to get it right,” Schaub said.

Student feedback is another important element of the RH2025 is student feedback.

GVSU’s Student Senate discussed the RH2025 plan in early Sept. and went on to endorse the initial version of the RH2025 plan, Student Senate President Autumn Mueller said. However, the new plan will require re-endorsement from the Student Senate.

The RH2025 steering committee is continuing to collect input on the strategic plan from faculty, staff and students. They have hosted a number of events, such as the Faculty Leadership Conversation Series, which focuses on conversation rather than presentations, and an online form to collect feedback Mark Schaub, one of three co-leads of the steering committee and the Dean of The Brooks College of Interdisciplinary Studies, said the RH2025 strategic plan helps define the university’s mission, goals and priorities over the next five years.

“This is an expectation for everyone that works at a large organization so that they know what the priorities of the institution are, what we are trying to do and why we exist,” Schaub said.

The draft focuses on three main aspects: lifelong learning, educational equity and student agency. Each part will play a key role in advancing the overall mission of the university. The goals for lifelong learning put emphasis on the importance of students’ learning after their time at GVSU. LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE

WHERE YOUR VOICE REALLY MATTERS! November 17 - December 1

Check your email for a link to the survey Complete the survey for a chance to win a $1,000-$2,000 award

gvsu.edu/mygvsu

A6&7 NEWS

NOVEMBER 15, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

BY EMMA ARMIJO NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

Thanksgiving break is nearly upon Grand Valley State University students, and many are returning home to connect with their friends and family. Thanksgiving is traditionally a holiday meant for gathering with the people they care about most. However, politics coming up around the dinner table are a cause of worry for many families. For some GVSU communities, going home for Thanksgiving can create difficult or uncomfortable situations when political differences arise.

Marla Wick, director of the Milton E. Ford LGBT Resource Center at GVSU, said these occurrences are actually quite common. People with different world views and experiences coming together often produces some kind of conflict or difference of opinion, so a situation where a student and their family have different points of view happens frequently.

Wick said that these conflicts of interest aren’t mutually exclusive to those in the LGBTQ community, politics around the table at Thanksgiving is something that generally most people will experience.

“We always hear about the dinner conversations between people of different political and ideological orientations in addition to just the inevitable clashes of personality that can pop up in any group,” Wick said. “For many LGBTQIA+ college students, especially in their first year, this holiday can be the first time when they are back with communities and families-of-origin after spending a few months away, and that can be stressful for many reasons.”

Wick said students must remember to take care of themselves and their mental health as it is very important in times of adversity, and can be helpful to practice if things get political. Wick advises staying connected with supportive friends and family as a strategy to try to get through the frustrating situations that might arise.

“It’s important to practice excellent selfcare, to set and maintain boundaries as much as possible, and to stay connected with affirming communities and resources,” Wick said.

GVSU strives to foster an accepting and supportive community where students feel comfortable to express themselves; be that through their gender or sexual identity, political or religious beliefs or by celebrating their culture. For some students, returning home for Thanksgiving means returning to a community that isn’t supportive.

GVSU senior Allison Riley said going home for Thanksgiving means hiding their real feelings and orientation because some of their family doesn’t know or accept their identity.

“There are some hard conversations for me because I’m not out to half of my family so they don’t use the right pronouns, so I essentially have to go back in the closet,” Riley said.

“I know this is the norm for a lot of LGBT college students who feel freer to be themselves at college.”

Riley said one point of conflict is the double standard around bringing significant others to holiday events for people in the LGBTQ community.

“I also know of people whose straight siblings are more encouraged to bring their

partners to family Thanksgivings, but when they bring their partners it’s awkward or their parents refer to them as their ‘friend’ instead of their girlfriend, boyfriend or partner,” Riley said.

GVSU offers events for students who don’t feel they have a supportive or safe environment to go home to over the holiday weekend.

To learn more about Thanksgiving events on campus, visit the GVSU website under the “Events” tab.

The Milton E. Ford LGBT Resource Center, Gayle R. Davis Center for Women and Gender Equity, and The University Counseling Center offer support to any and all students at GVSU, should they want it.

A8 | NEWS

NOVEMBER 15, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

EDUCATION

PRE-K EDUCATION: Prior to this year, Grand Valley students interested in studying Pre-K education were able to minor in the subject. Due to new standards for birth to kindergarten education set by the state of Michigan in 2020, the College of Education and Community Innovation faculty worked to develop a new undergraduate major program curriculum for early childhood education. GVL | ARCHIVES

GV College of Education and Community Innovation establishes new undergraduate program

BY GILLIAN HANTON, NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

The Board of Trustees at Grand Valley State University approved a new degree program for undergraduate students: education for young children, birth through kindergarten, general and special education. The new major is the first of its kind at GVSU, headed entirely by the College of Education and Community Innovation.

The program was approved on Nov. 5.

Prior to the development of the program, students interested in Pre-K education were limited to either earning a minor in early childhood education as a part of their undergraduate degree or pursuing a graduate degree to meet all the qualifications to become an early childhood educator. However, these restrictions did not diminish students’ interest in the curriculum, Program Director for Early Childhood Education Kathryn Ohle said.

“The early childhood education minor was implemented here in 2018, and within one year of that minor starting, we had 150 new students added to it,” Ohle said. “That really signaled to us that we had a lot of students who were interested in working with young children.”

Despite the success of the early childhood education minor, the need for change occurred less than two years after it was established. In Jan. 2020, the state of Michigan released new standards concerning birth through kindergarten college programs. After the announcement, GVSU faculty was tasked again with creating a new undergrad-

uate curriculum in early childhood education, this time, as a major.

Two months after the release of the new standards, the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States. The normally communicative process of creating a new program was hindered by social distancing, working from home and a lack of in-person support.

“There was never the opportunity to just run next door and ask someone to look at the program. Instead, it was having to plan Zoom meetings and do things over email,” Ohle said. “It made everything harder when you want to make sure you have a collaborative program.”

Although the development of the program had its struggles, the College of Education team was able to successfully create the education for young children major by Oct. 2020, less than 10 months after the start of the pandemic. Now, faculty in the College of Education are looking forward to training a new undergraduate class of educators.

If students are considering the Education for Young Children degree program, they have a variety of careers and internships to choose from during college and post-graduation.

“Anyone who wants to work with young children would have a good option here, whether they want a job in an educational setting, like a classroom teacher, or want a social work perspective or want to work with children with disabilities and delays,” Ohle said.

The importance of quality childhood education is starting to gain recognition throughout the academic world. Sarah Spencer, GVSU senior planning on pursuing a

STARTING YOUNG: Pre-K education can have a profound influence on students relationship with the school environment and learning as they proceed through their educational career. GVL | ARCHIVES

master’s degree to become a professor, said she understands how experiences in early childhood education are important in shaping a student’s relationship with schooling.

“Creating a culture for young learners that establishes school in a positive light definitely affects students through the rest of their educational careers,” Spencer said. “It can

help students still connect to learning despite challenges, and it makes school a place where they feel accepted and encouraged.”

Beginning Monday, Nov. 15, students will be able to declare a major in the education for young children, birth through kindergarten, general and special education degree program.

A9 | LAKER LIFE

NOVEMBER 15, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLLAKERLIFE

LOOK AT LAKER LIFE MEET WITH HOUSING EXPERTS

The Division of Student Affairs is holding a housing fair for students to get informed when it comes to their housing needs. Students can view local properties, meet landlords and enter different free giveaways. If there are any students who want to live off-campus but aren’t sure how to, attending this will give a lot of information on how to go about doing that. This will be held on the main floor of the Kirkhof Center on Nov. 17 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For those who can’t attend this event, there is information about surrounding apartment complexes on their websites, however, speaking with representatives does help with any specific questions students may have when it comes to renting.

PARTICIPATE IN DISNEY WEEKEND

Starting this Friday Nov. 19 there will be multiple Disney-themed events held by the Campus Activities Board for students to attend if they’re looking to unwind with activities and crafts. The first being a Disney-themed bingo game, which will be held in Kirkhof room 2270 from 4 to 5 p.m.

Following bingo, there will be an ornament decorating event. There are some ornaments with Disney line-art already on them, but there are also blank ones available as well. The following day, Saturday Nov. 20, there will be a coloring event. This doubles as a Disney-themed study session.

From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. students can study while listening to Disney music. There will also be coloring pages available if students want a break from their studying to relax.

This will be in Kirkhof room 2266.

Starting at 10 a.m. there will be a Disney scavenger hunt. Students are tasked with going around the Allendale campus in order to find stickers to complete their maps.

This event will last until 3 p.m. Campus Activities Board will be giving out empty maps in Kirkhof room 2266, students will return their completed maps and receive a prize. Later in the night, Disney fans can compete in Disney trivia from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in Kirkhof room 2270, where students can test their Disney knowledge against other fans. There will be prizes given out to the top three winners.

GRAB A BOWL OF PHO

The Vietnamese Culture Association is hosting their annual pho night on Friday Nov. 19 from 6 to 9 p.m. in the Niemeyer Multipurpose room. Bowls of pho at $7 and the event is BYOB, bring your own bowl.

There will also be a vegan option, pandan waffles and Vietnamese coffee available to purchase (those who attend must pay in either Venmo or cash). For $12 students can enter the pho eating competition to see who can eat their bowl the fastest, the winner will receive a prize and be declared the Pho King. For every $10 spent, they will be putting names in their raffle to win prizes. Proceeds will go to help fight hunger in Vietnam.

STUDENTS

GV STEM students present research across the country

BY YSABELA GOLDEN LAKERLIFE@LANTHORN.COM

One of the benefits of undergraduate research is the opportunity for students to present their scholarship at academic conferences and showcases, where they can get practice at sharing their work as well as form potential connections with others in their field. For nearly two years now, however, the COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated that many of these gatherings be conducted virtually— which, though safer, lacks many of the benefits of an in-person event.

“The virtual conferences are a totally different experience,” said Grace Miller, a McNair Scholar studying cellular and molecular biology. “Really all you can do is upload a poster, maybe add a voiceover of you reading it. You can’t watch people look over your poster to see where they stop, what their reaction is. Last year, I didn’t get any questions on my poster at all. If I could, I would never do a conference virtually again— although, unfortunately, I am doing one this Friday.”

Luckily for Miller, as vaccination rates have risen over 2021, so have the number of academic conferences returning to an in-person format. This fall semester has been the first time that many student scholars have had the ability to travel across the country and present their research since March 2020. This month,

PRACTICAL RESEARCHING: Students at Grand Valley State University are now able to attend more research conferences, which helps with their work outside of their classroom. GVL | GRACE MILLER

Miller herself had the opportunity to fly to Baltimore, Maryland for the annual American Society for Gravitational and Space Research Conference, which lasted from Nov. 3-6.

“This was my first in-person conference,” Miller said. “It’s basically a bunch of space nerds all getting together to talk to each other. I was so happy to be able to go from poster to poster and understand what

people were presenting on— some referenced papers I had actually used myself in my own manuscripts. Of the presentations that were the closest to my field, a lot of them I was familiar with the lab that they’d worked in, which was so cool.”

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CONVERSATIONS

UNITAS holds seminar on the reality of human trafficking

BY CLÉMENCE DANIERE LAKERLIFE@LANTHORN.COM

According to United To Fight Against Human Trafficking, tens of thousands of children are victimized by human traffickers in the United States each year. Youths that experience hardships such as homelessness or feel the need to run away from home are most at risk.

On Thursday, Nov 11, the Midwest Interprofessional Practice, Education, and Research Center hosted a seminar led by UNITAS on the harsh realities of human trafficking. UNITAS is an organization that focuses on working with other organizations, whether nonprofit or government, to not only help fight the crisis that is human trafficking, but also focus on preventing it altogether.

Tonya Turner, the executive director of the organization, led the discussion and described having a background working with the children’s services, law enforcement agencies and

the FBI to prevent human trafficking.

“They’re being entrapped in this thing called trafficking, they’re being entrapped in this thing called exploitation,” Turner said.

Lamont Hiebert, the program director of UNITAS, focused his time on discussing the types of human trafficking that can occur, which include false promises, labor trafficking, sextortion, fake job offers and LGBTQ youth exploitation. UNITAS is the only organization of its kind in the United States and works with other organizations in the US as well as western Europe. Their organization is also one of the only ones that focus on LGBTQ youth and the added dangers that the communities face in human trafficking.

The conversation then covered the topic of the importance of language and how certain types of language can negatively affect the way that sex trafficking victims are perceived.

“So many times you find language that is disparaging... degrading and dehumanizing words within the contexts that people talk

TRAFFICKING: GVSU community gathered to hear an open dialogue regarding human trafficking to help spread awareness. GVL | ARCHIVES

about the ones that are trafficking and exploited,” Turner said.

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A10 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT ARTS AT A GLANCE GV ITALIAN CLUB TO HOST ART EVENT

Il Geranio (the geranium), Grand Valley State University’s Italian Club, will be holding an event called, “Paint like DaVinci!”

On Nov. 15 from 8-9 p.m., students are welcome to visit Mackinac Hall room A1182 on the Allendale campus to paint and learn about famous Italian artworks. There is no cultural language or background needed, and snacks will be provided. Il Geranio’s goal is to share and preserve Italian culture as well as promote opportunities for future generations to practice age-old traditions and make them their own.

GRAND RAPIDS PUBLIC MUSEUM WORKS WITH COMMUNITY TO HIGHLIGHT ARTISTS OF COLOR The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) and The Diatribe Inc., a Grand Rapids organization that uses the performing arts to empower young people, are partnering to hold a special panel discussion. The panel will explore the significance of The 49507 Project, a community celebration led by artists and Grand Rapids youth commissioning seven local Black and Brown artists to create large-scale murals. The murals can be found on buildings throughout Black and Brown neighborhoods. Panelists will share their connections to the artwork and what the project means to them, and their community.

A Q&A will also follow the session. The panel is free and open to the public, and registration can be done through GRPM’s website.

GV ART GALLERY WELCOMES NEW PIECES

The Grand Valley State University Art Gallery recently gained a new collection of artwork from artist Henry Krijger.

Krijger was recognized as an artist, muralist, sculptor, typographer, book designer, and illustrator during his professional years in the Netherlands. According to the gallery’s website, he struggled all his life honoring his gifts as an artist and his commitment to Christianity. From 1969 to 1973 Krijger was the master artist for a group of young Christian artists at Trinity College in Chicago and Patmos Workshop and Gallery in Toronto. Throughout this time, he brought more of his artistic ideas to fruition and signed his art as “Senggih,” the name his childhood friends in Indonesia called him when they couldn’t pronounce his name, Henkie. More information about Krijger and his artwork can be found on the gallery’s website.

CELEBRATION

Grand Rapids Public Museum hosts Ethnic Heritage Festival

BY ALLISON RAFFERTY ARTS@LANTHORN.COM

The time finally came for the Ethnic Heritage Festival to make its annual return to the Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM).

GRPM has hosted this event for more than ten years and on Saturday, Nov. 13 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., members of the Grand Rapids community were once again invited to learn about the varying cultures in West Michigan.

The festival celebrated more than 45 cultures from around the globe that call West Michigan home, through visual presentations, food, music, art and more.

From sharing their traditions and backgrounds to performing native dances, those in attendance were presented with an opportunity to gain a greater understanding of the unique beauty of each culture.

Every year, the participants and performers consist of a variety of organizations from around the area. For this year’s festival, the museum hosted approximately 20 clubs, organizations, and individuals of Scottish, Irish, Korean, Polish, Chinese, American Indian, and German culture.

Director of Marketing and Customer Service for GRPM, Christie Bender, said the overall goal of the event is to increase awareness and knowledge of the varying cultures within the community.

DIVERSITY: The Grand Rapids Public Museum hosted the annual Ethnic Heritage Festival for Grand Rapids. The festival celebrated over 45 cultures from across west Michigan. GVL | RACHEL SLOMBA

“It is incredible, the diversity that can be found right here in the community,” Bender said. “We hope that all ages participating in the festival will learn something new about our community.”

Eight performances took place in the museum’s Meijer Theatre throughout the course of the festival. The performance schedule began at 10:30 a.m. with “Motherland Cultural Connections” and ended at 4:15 p.m. with a

performance by “Bluewater Ramblers.”

Bender said the performances offered a very important experience for guests in terms of cultural celebration.

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RECITAL

GV hosts renowned pianist for concert

BY AYRON RUTAN ARTS@LANTHORN.COM

Grand Valley State University’s Music Department hosted a Guest Artist Recital and Conversation with renowned pianist and Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp Piano Department Chair, Dr. Wan-Chin Chang.

The event was held on Nov. 14 inside the Sherman van Solkema Recital Hall at the Haas Center for Performing Arts.

While it was open to the public, seating

GV ART GALLERY HONORS GRAPHIC DESIGN SENIORS WITH GALLERY

The Grand Valley State University Art Gallery will be featuring the work of five graphic design seniors graduating this December.

On Nov. 15-18 from 5-7 p.m., each student’s senior project will be on display in the GVSU Art Gallery in an exhibition titled, “Reflect: Seeking Perspective Through Design.”

The projects range in their design and message, from clothing inspired by the national parks to apps designed to create a new user experience for use in Museums.

NOVEMBER 15, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLARTS

INSPIRE: Dr. Wan-Chin Chang was invited to GV to perform for the students. COURTESY | GVSU

was limited and priority was given to GVSU’s budding piano students. The event was organized by Dr. Sookyung Cho, GVSU’s Associate Professor of Piano and Curator of the GV Piano Chamber series.

As Curator of the Piano Chamber Series, it’s Cho’s responsibility to bring in professional talent in hopes that GVSU’s piano students will be exposed to outside work, and inspired by the performances.

The idea of bringing Chang and her talents to Allendale actually sprung from a friendship between herself and Cho, who had met one another while working at the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp.

“Dr. Cho has been a really good friend,” Chang said. “She is an amazing pianist and I’ve always wanted to do more with her, besides our short work together at Blue Lake. She asked if I wanted to bring something over to Grand Valley and I happily said yes.”

The focus of the recital was on female composers, with Chang performing “Harpsichord Sonata in G Major” by Marina Martines (1744-1812), “Ballade, Op. 6” by Amy Beach (1867-1944), and “Piano Sonata in G

Minor” by Clara Schumann (1819-1896).

The idea was to shine a light on a group of underrepresented composers.

“Both Amy Beach and Clara Schumann were first introduced to me in high school,” Chang said. “So even though these were new repertoire, I’ve always known these composers and this year was the perfect time to present them to an audience.”

Chang’s mission with this recital was not only to present interesting and possibly unfamiliar female composers but also to remind people of how much women have been held back by the culture over the course of history, and the ways in which they’ve pushed back.

“Hopefully it will be inspiring for them (GVSU piano students) to see that regardless of the restrictions that have been given to us or the circumstances that we have, we can always find a way to be creative, to improve on our skills, and to be an inspiration for others,” Chang said.

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A11 | SPORTS

NEVEMBER 15, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLSPORTS

QUICK HITS WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL SHUTS OUT PARKSIDE IN LAST MATCH BEFORE GLIAC TOURNAMENT

The no. 4 Grand Valley State University (17-8) women’s volleyball team traveled to the University of Wisconsin to compete against the Parkside Rangers (8-18) for their last regular season match before the GLIAC Tournament begins on Nov. 17.

For the second time this season, the Lakers were able to shut out Parkside in three sets, starting the first one off with a one-point lead early in the match before an 11 point run to make the score 18-6 led by junior Sarah Wight’s four kills. The Lakers finished up the first set 25-12 and started the second off behind two points until GVSU went on a six-point run. The Lakers took the second with a final score of 25-17 with senior Ali Thompson’s three kills. The last set was led by senior Kaily Grulke and junior Lisa Sullivan with a 7-3 run and four kills each, ending the last match with 25-12 again.

Senior players Thompson and Abby Graham finished the match with eight kills each, followed by Wight with seven and Grulke with six kills and two blocks.

The Lakers will return to the courts on Wednesday, Nov. 17 to compete in the first match of the GLIAC Tournament.

GV WOMEN’S SOCCER ROSTER IMPRESSES IN SEASON-END GLIAC AWARDS

This season’s women’s soccer team played their seventh undefeated season in program history, leaving the regular season with an overall 16-0-2 record.

Coach Jim Conlon celebrates his first year with the Lakers as the GLIAC awarded him Coach of the Year, among the seven student-athlete awards that were given to the players.

Awarded First-Team All-GLIAC is junior forward Greta DeLoach, senior defender Cecilia Steinwascher and redshirt junior defender Abby Willerer, with teammates sophomore forward Kennedy Bearden, freshman defender Mia Hansen, senior forward Caitie Baron with Second-Team All-GLIAC. Freshman forward Taylor Reid was given All-GLIAC Honorable mention for her seven goals, nine assists, and 23 overall points.

DeLoach added on to her resume Offensive Player of the Year as she led the GLIAC in goals scored with 19 along with Steinwascher’s Defensive Player of the Year who led the GLIAC in assists.

Conlon was able to lead the team to another undefeated season and maintain their 16th consecutive GLIAC regular season championship succeeding former seven-year coach Jeff Hosler. This season, Conlon saw 13 shutouts while leading the no. 1 overall ranked Lakers to the top team with assists and points per game for Division II soccer, while being ranked fourth in total goals.

FOOTBALL

GV Football shuts out Davenport, finishes season 9-1

BY BRIAN BLOOM SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM

The no. 5 ranked Grand Valley State University (9-1) football team closed out their regular season slate with a shutout against Davenport University (3-8) 42-0. The team finished their season 6-1 in GLIAC play and continued their 4-game win streak. This game was the first time GVSU shutout since 2017, when they shut out both Davenport and Northwood University.

“At the end of the day, we still have to come in and do the small things like come in and watch tape, practice hard on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and execute the walkthrough,” said senior running back Bryce Young-Walls. “It’s obviously a good thing to go into next week playing like this.”

The team came out of the gates with Young-Walls run down the right sideline for a 45-yard gain. The drive ended just three plays later, as sophomore quarterback Cade Peterson found Young-Walls for a 12-yard touchdown to give them an early 7-0 lead.

The momentum persisted after sophomore defensive end Colton Hyble recovered a fumble, leading to an 8-yard touchdown run by Peterson, putting the team up 14-0 just a few minutes later. The team concluded their first quarter barrage with a 12-yard touchdown pass from Peterson to junior Jacob Miller to put them up 21-0 after a quarter of play.

FINAL GAME: The Lakers look to Nov. 20 for their first playoff game against Lindenwood (9-2) after their last regular season game ended in a 42-0 blow out against Davenport. GVL | TYLER MORRIS

“We had a lot of energy and pop going into the game; we were excited,” Peterson said. “The seniors on offense led us, not just this year, but years prior, and we wanted to do this for them. So having that energy and emotion going into a game where there’s not going to be as many people, we had it ourselves. Getting off to that hot start was a really big key in the game.”

The team took the 21-0 lead into the in-

termission; however, the offense wasn’t done scoring. After forcing a Davenport punt with 12:40 left in the third quarter, Young-Walls erupted for a 57-yard touchdown run, and after an extra point by true freshman kicker Kollin Kralapp, the lead was up to 28.

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SOCCER

No. 1 Women’s Soccer completes GLIAC Championships

BY HOLLY BIHLMAN SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM

Last week, the Grand Valley State University (18-1-2) no. 1 ranked women’s soccer team hosted the GLIAC Championships, coming out of the week with two wins and their first loss of the season against the no. 2 ranked Ferris State University (15-3-3) on Sunday, Nov. 14.

On Tuesday, Nov. 9, the Lakers took on the University of Wisconsin-Parkside (3-14-2) for the third time this season,

BROKEN STREAK: Rivals Ferris State break undefeated winning season. GVL | SYDNEY LIM

claiming their third shutout against the Rangers. With a previous 2-0 and 6-0 final score this season, the Lakers were able to repeat their success on Tuesday 2-0 with the first goal coming from the Missouri connection: freshman midfield Mackenzie Jones and the assist from freshman forward Taylor Reid.

“My teammate, Taylor; she read the goalie really well and she read the passes and just found me after she intercepted it right at the top of the box,” Jones said. “It’s just exciting, especially with your best friend, to celebrate all of her hard work and yours together.”

The second goal of the game was scored by freshman midfield Hannah Becker in the last minute of the game for a penalty kick right into the back of the net. The game was highlighted by the total 36 shots from the Lakers, keeping the Rangers completely locked out of their defensive zone for zero saves in the full 90 minutes.

“We were just trying to put together all the pieces that we’ve had in the regular season and bringing them into the playoffs,”

said coach Jim Conlon. “You know when you’re playing a team for the third time, they’re going to have some adjustments and we were happy to keep another shutout and keep a clean sheet and get the win.”

On Friday, Nov. 12 the Lakers faced the Northern Michigan University Wildcats (11-81) and the first snowfall of the winter season, playing on an icy field yet still coming out for another winning battle, starting with an exciting three goals scored in the first half.

Reid began the scoring of the game 20 minutes in with an assist from sophomore forward Kennedy Bearden, but NMU quickly returned the favor with a goal from Isabela Cardoso just two minutes later. 17 seconds after, GVSU’s senior forward Caitie Baron was assisted by Jones and Bearden for the third goal of the half.

In the second half of the game, NMU launched one goal into the net that didn’t count for a call on offsides.

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A12 | SPORTS

NOVEMBER 15, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLSPORTS

BASKETBALL

GV Women’s Basketball starts the 2021-22 regular season 2-0

BY JAMES HERRICK SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM

The Grand Valley State University women’s basketball team started their 2021-22 regular season schedule with back-to-back home games on Friday, Nov. 12, and Saturday, Nov. 13. On Friday they defeated University of Missouri-St. Louis by a score of 61-54 followed by a 62-32 win on Saturday against Maryville University.

These games marked the team’s first time playing at home in front of fans since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, which helped make the games feel a little more special.

“It was really exciting,” said junior forward Hannah Kulas. “This was like one of the first times my mom got to come out and see us play, so she was excited. It’s really nice to have the cheerleaders, the band yesterday, the dance team. It’s really great.”

On Saturday, the Lakers didn’t disappoint in front of their home crowd. They started the game out strong on the defensive end of the court, forcing two shot-clock violations in the first quarter. On the offensive side of the floor, the Lakers were able to collect several offensive rebounds and convert on shot

opportunities inside the paint. This helped them end the first quarter with a 13-5 lead.

“We got some offensive rebounds and some easy put-backs by going to the glass,” said coach Mike Williams. “If we are going to score points we’ve got to continue to do that.”

The Lakers extended their lead early in the second quarter as their first two made shots came from behind the threepoint line. These baskets came from junior guard Samantha Gehrls and sophomore forward Haley Swing. Kulas added a three-pointer of her own late in the quarter. This helped GVSU enter halftime with a 30-14 advantage.

Kulas led the charge for the Lakers in the third quarter as she hit two more three-pointers and added two fast-break layups. GVSU dominated the third quarter, finishing at 48-21.

Despite having the game in hand, the Lakers never let off the gas in the fourth quarter. They continued to make buckets on the offensive side of the court while their defense forced Maryville to settle for contested shots. This culminated in a 62-32 victory.

Kulas finished the night as the leading scorer with 24 points while adding

four rebounds and two assists. Freshman guard/forward Rylie Bisballe finished with eight points, nine rebounds, two steals, an assist, and a block. Gehrls played an impactful game as she had three points, seven rebounds, four assists, four steals, and two blocks.

As a team, the Lakers looked strong in every facet of the game. Defensively, they held Maryville to a 24.5 field goal percentage with 14 steals and seven blocks.

After the shot, they were able to crash the boards collecting 47 rebounds to Maryville’s 34. Of Maryville’s 40 missed shots, GVSU only allowed 11 offensive rebounds. Offensively, the Lakers passed the ball well as they finished with 21 assists and they added 11 second-chance points. This performance was a large step up from GVSU’s Friday performance.

“I thought we had a lot more energy than we did (Friday),” Williams said. “I thought (Friday) we had energy but today we had a different level of pop in our step and I think it showed on the glass. I think it showed on all the ball screen switches and the handoff switches. I thought we were spot on. When we did make a mistake, they made us pay.”

For GVSU, these are the types of perfor-

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WINNING WEEKEND: The Lakers got off to a hot start this season defeating both opponents of the weekend. GVL | ANNABELLE ROBINSON

mance they look to continue to produce as the season progresses.

“We want to play good, consistent basketball every time we step on the floor,” Williams said. “I thought, for the most part, this weekend we did that. If we can continue to do that we’ll have a chance at doing well this year.”

The Lakers will take to the road next week as they travel to Ohio to take on the University of Findlay on Sunday, Nov. 21.