GV’s COVID-19 Battleplan
G R A N D VA L L E Y L A N T H O R N
Mantella shares methodology to campus virus management
University affiliate open letter to Gov. Whitmer calls for more online class instruction ONLINE CLASSES | A2
Former Laker makes NFL debut PRO FOOTBALL| A10
M O N D A Y, S E P T E M B E R 1 4 , 2 02 0 // VO L . 5 5 N O. 4
@ 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 August 17 is 462. The university’s update of data used for this brief was from Friday, Sept. 11. Through testing results, GVSU’s Virus Action team have so far reported 5 faculty/staff, 41 on-campus students, 228 “near-campus” students, and 188 students listed as “other” with positive COVID cases. “Near-campus students” are those living within a mile of either the Allendale or Grand Rapids campus locations, when this can be determined. “Other students” includes students who live farther than a mile from the campus, and those whose location was not determined. Testing and Incidence: GVSU/Spectrum Health’s testing program has performed 4,614 tests overall since August 21, for a cumulative positivity rate of 3.36% as of last week.
GV HIGHLIGHTS INCLUSION PROGRAMS ON CAMPUS WITH LAKER CONNECTIONS
GVSU prides itself in being an inclusive and diverse campus, and with diversity being one of the most important facets of colleges, creating new programs and bolstering old ones to encourage inclusion is more important than ever. Some of the programs GVSU currently offers through Laker Connections are the Asian Student Achievement Program designed for students who identify as Asian, Black Excellence designed for students who identify as Black/African American, Black Male Scholars designed for students who identify as Black men in higher ed., Laker Familia designed for students who identify as Latino/a/x, and the Native Student Success Program designed for students who identify as Native American. “Laker Connections was designed to create an environment at GVSU where students can achieve their full potential while being their full, authentic selves,” Associate Vice President for Inclusion and Student Success Marlene Kowalski-Braun said. “Each of these programs are developed to serve the needs and interests of the specific student populations they serve while sharing four program pillars: community, leadership development, academic support, and passion, purpose, and career preparation.” The Laker Connections program also highlighted the Queer Connections Mentoring Program, open to all students and designed to match LGBTQIA+ undergraduate students with faculty, staff, and graduate student mentors who also identify in the LGBTQIA+ community and are out about their identities. Mentors and mentees are matched, usually by late October, and then meet regularly over a six-month period. During this time, they build connections, explore resources, and work toward collaboratively-constructed goals.
SEPTEMBER 14, 2020 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS
ONLINE CLASSES
University affiliate open letter to Gov.Whitmer calls for more online class instruction BY OLIVIA FELLOWS NEWS@LANTHORN.COM
With rising cases of coronavirus across campuses in Michigan, an open letter penned to Governor Gretchen Whitmer calls for her to push for universities to provide more online options for classes during the pandemic. The letter, in its online form, was created following universities across the state taking further precautions against the virus. On Aug. 18, Michigan State University was the first university in Michigan to transfer over to a completely remote online format for its students after COVID-19 cluster outbreaks were discovered on their campus. With Grand Valley State University now leading in reported case numbers on campus with just over 460 cases since Sept. 11, university leaders are now facing more pressure than ever to do more and consider going exclusively online. The open letter also mentions the closure of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill following COVID-19 cases rising on their campus as a major example of why universities are perfect “breeding grounds” for the deadly virus. “We are asking you to step in — either to move most university classes online (except those whose pedagogies absolutely will not work online) or to offer clear regulations about how in-person standards must be maintained and what situations must trigger a return to primarily online learning,” the letter reads. “While the COVID-19 situation has been improving in some parts of Michigan, we have reached the point where what
SPEAK UP: The open letter penned to Gov. Whitmer was signed by over 300 university affiliates from 11 different higher education institutions across the state of Michigan. GVL | KATHERINE VASILE
state universities do in the next few weeks will dramatically impact whether things continue to improve or whether the gains made will be quickly and irretrievably lost.” The nearly 300-word appeal to the Governor includes calls for help with managing not only the virus’ spread on campuses, but also to help mitigate with the additional costs that the pandemic’s devastation may incur for universities around the state. Since its publication, the letter has over 350 signatories from faculty, staff, students, alumni and families of universities
across the state. The 11 universities represented in the letter include GVSU, MSU, Central Michigan University, Saginaw Valley State University, Aquinas, Kendall College of Art & Design, Northern Michigan University, Western Michigan University and Ferris State University. Many signatories of the letter named themselves as affiliates of GVSU. LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE
HOUSING
GV welcomes newest director of housing BY AUDREY WHITAKER AWHITAKER@LANTHORN.COM
This summer, Grand Valley State University welcomed a new director of Housing and Residence Life in the Division of Student Affairs for the first time in 26 years. After seven weeks in his new role, Kyle Boone is settling into his role, has started looking towards the future and is still working on
NEW IN TOWN: Boone came on a reccomendation from a previous mentor. COURTESY | GVSU
finding a favorite spot for lunch on campus. After five years as director of Student Housing and Residential Education at Georgia Gwinnett College, Boone said he didn’t expect to begin working in Michigan. He said he came to Grand Valley on the recommendation of his mentor and fell in love with the work environment and the passion of GVSU faculty and staff. “I fell in love with the fact that nobody leaves,” Boone said. “It meant a lot to me that people love the school, that they want to be here for over 30 years, 20 years, 15 years. I fell in love with that and I thought that my style and my energy, which is what I kind of hang my hat on, would fit really well.” Boone said that his new role is focused on impacting student experiences at GVSU in a positive way. Boone said that helping others to achieve their purpose and potential is important to him. “It’s about the students, it’s about the president’s mission and the academic mission of the college,” Boone said. “My energy is channeled into the fact that I know that somebody is going to do good
work because of the work that we do.” Boone said that his typical personal, energetic, “in your face” leadership style is something he has worked hard to adjust to COVID-19 guidelines. Despite social distancing and mask wearing, Boone said he still aims to maintain an honest, collegial and involved leadership style. “I didn’t know how my leadership was going to look — we’re in a pandemic, right?” Boone said. “ I didn’t know how people would receive my energy or if they could feel it over Zoom. So, that was hard because I am an in your face, hi-five, personal kind of guy and now I can’t do that, so now I’ve got to love on you from a distance and I got to make sure that you know I care beyond my words and beyond my facial expression because I may be wearing a mask.” Although Boone said that staring a new job in a new state in the midst of a global pandemic has presented unique challenges, his goals for the year are set. LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE
SEPTEMBER 14, 2020 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS
CONTENTS ONLINE CLASSES
| A2
EDITORIAL
| A4
POLICE
| A5
GOVERNANCE
A3 | NEWS STUDENT LIFE
Celebrating the legacy of Student Life’s Bob Stoll: “Bob can be followed, but he can’t be replaced”
| A6&7
ART
| A8
STUDY ABROAD
| A9
PRO FOOTBALL
| A10
FOOTBALL
| A11
GOLF
| A12
VOL. 55
NO. 4
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
Sports Editor ZACK GOODROW
Advertising Manager SHANE MCATAMNEY
Laker Life Editor YSABELA GOLDEN
BUSINESS STAFF
A&E Editor MARY RACETTE
Business Manager RACHEL MCDOWELL
Image Editor MEGHAN LANDGREN
Asst. Business Manager DAYTON HAMMON
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.
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IMPACTFUL: Bob Stoll has worked for four different presidents and watched the university grow to over 25,000 students. COURTESY | BOB STOLL BY TREVOR HUBERT NEWS@LANTHORN.COM
For some students, it is hard to imagine Grand Valley State University’s campus in its original state: a few small lecture halls and dorms housing a couple thousand students, a handful of student organizations and a library a fraction of the size of the one that stands today. For many on campus, it is truly strange to go into Bob Stoll’s Kirkhof Center office and not find him at work with a student or overseeing the campus lawn buzzing with life right outside his window. Nearly every day of his 37-and-a-half-year career at GVSU, Bob would be sure to snap a photo of the daily activities going on next to his office. During his tenure at GVSU, Bob has worked for four different presidents, seen the university expand its reach from Allendale to Grand Rapids and Detroit, watched the school grow to over 25,000 students with over 400 student organizations and helped thousands of students walk across the graduation stage. He officially served as the Associate Dean of Student Life, but he was so involved with his staff and students that he was simply the go-to guy for anyone that needed anything. An avid outdoorsman, Bob got his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Northern Michigan University with the intention of becoming a conservation officer. He instead found his passion in working with people during his three years as a hall director at NMU. Not long after, he moved on to GVSU, where he worked to build the student community into what it is today. Stoll remembers the moment where he knew he wanted to be a Laker for a life. “I think I was at GVSU for about ten years, and President Lubbers stopped by the office
one day and I told him ‘You know, at one time I wanted to go into politics and make a difference, but I think I’ve found that I can make more of a difference by turning out hundreds of thousands of young minds to go make a difference in the world,” Stoll said. Throughout his time at GVSU, Stoll pushed hard for things that students now might take for granted. He was instrumental in making athletic events free to attend for students, bringing the commencement ceremonies to Van Andel Arena and getting concerts and comedians booked on GVSU’s campus. He also worked closely with GVSU’s student senate. “As an advisor, we can’t thank him enough”, said Student Senate President Eric-John Szczepaniak. “All the times where there was troubling stuff or hot-button stuff, Bob would always offer to join just to listen, just to hear folks out and offer his thoughts, and he always tried to empower us as student leaders”. Stoll’s staff in the office of student life has built its own community that mirrors his vision: caring, compassionate people with a passion for education who treat each other like family. “I can think back to when I was a graduate assistant and seeing through his modeling of leadership how compassionate he is towards his students and towards his staff, and how every action that he takes he puts students and others at the heart of what we’re doing”, said Director of Student Life Valerie Guzman. “He was the master of ceremonies for my wedding, so the sentiment that I have is that we are family, work family -- he’s just a really special person in all of our lives outside of just our role at Grand Valley”. Everyone on his staff has also seen the personal impact he has made on the lives of individual students.
“I’ve had so many people contact me telling me because of Bob, they are in this career or they got this position”, said LeaAnn Tibbe, Associate Director of Student Life. “This summer we did a Student Life reunion of students who had worked for us in the nineties, and over and over again they all said ‘if it weren’t for Bob, I wouldn’t be in this career’...his students were an extended part of his family”. Stoll would frequently go above and beyond for students, especially those who were struggling. “[Bob’s] idea was always to look at why this student was in this position and what can we do to help them?” Tibbe said. “Can we help make it better so that they can stay and they can succeed?” Even as GVSU moved forward into the most unprecedented school year in its 6 decade history, Bob was thinking ahead to make sure the student life department would run like a well-oiled machine. “In the summer [he] actually made a list of important tasks and events and things that need attention, and then had already talked with his staff about reassigning those,” said Dean of Students Loren Rullman. “He thought beyond his retirement date and into what was going to be needed in the fall.” Even in everything that he has accomplished in nearly four decades of work at GVSU, Stoll credits his staff for making it all possible. “I’ve been blessed to be a part of a great team of staff, not only within the student life department...but across the university,” Stoll said. “People that give and care and embrace the student experience is really what puts students first. It’s been great to help lead that in my role, but I’ve gotten a bigger return from all those students that have gone on that still stay in touch.”
A4 | OPINION GVL EDITORIAL CARTOON
SEPTEMBER 14, 2020 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS By Lauren Syrba
EDITORIAL
GV Data Dashboard sets solid example, but others lag behind the standard
S editorial@lanthorn.com
9/14/20
As movie theater doors reopen, will they stay that way?
BY SIMON WAGNER JUNIOR MULTIMEDIA JOURNALISM EDITORIAL@LANTHORN.COM
It may as well have been a Wednesday matinee in the middle of a blizzard as I drove up to the movie theater to discover 20 cars in the parking lot. But in reality,
it was a crisp 68 degrees on a Friday evening, and the biggest film of the year had just come out. As my friend and I started on our drive to South Bend, Indiana to see a movie in a theater for the first time in over six months, neither of us knew what to expect. Were there going to be restrictions? For sure. We knew going into this voyage that we were going to be wearing a mask for three hours as we sat in the theater. But until we actually walked up to the cinema and opened the door for the first time, the only feeling that came over us was a sense that maybe we shouldn’t be there. When you walk in, you are greeted by a hand sanitizer station. There are markers on the floor spacing out people in
line before they check in, and the worker standing behind the kiosk has on a mask and gloves. So far, everything I expected was true. My friend and I were the only ones in the lobby when we got our tickets and the place felt like a ghost town. From what I experienced walking around the main area of the cinema, everything seemed to be restricted as best the theater could do. A two-way entrance and exit was put in place for the restrooms, and all automated features were available as well (this also may have coincidentally been the case before the pandemic). But it’s when you walk into the 200-seat theater that things become a little laxer. LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE
The missed opportunity of Google
BY FABIAN SEGURA SENIOR FILM & TV, MULTIMEDIA JOURNALISM EDITORIAL@LANTHORN.COM
Another day, another Google product discontinued; this time, it’s the Google Pixel. Despite being one of the biggest
tech companies, Google has a short attention span and commitment to its products. Google had the power to be at the forefront of communication during the pandemic, but with its current stack of 6 applications, the company is hamstrung. Flashback back to 2013, you are Google, and Android is really taking off. Apple has its iMessage platform, so you’d like to make your own that works across all your products. Thus Hangouts was conceived. It would take your text messages and sync them with your devices. Video conferencing was built-in, you could make phone calls and it could be all done as a sidebar within Gmail for all your communication needs. So, what did Google do to capitalize on this? Neglect and fragment its
vision of Hangouts. Over the course of the next 7 years, features that worked cross-platform with mobile and desktop were split off into separate apps such as Google Duo for video calls, Google Messages for text messages, the shortlived Google Allo as an alternative to Hangouts, all alongside ham-fisted attempts to insert messaging into YouTube and Google Photos. The story of Google’s attempts at messaging apps seems ironic during the pandemic. As they had no single app for video conferencing or communication, competitors such as Zoom ballooned up as the go-to video conference platform. LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE
tudents of Michigan State University got news that felt inevitable Saturday afternoon, as they have been advised by the university to self-quarantine after an outbreak of 342 new COVID cases attributed to parties on and off campus.The change in policy is reflective of a growing number of cases at nearly all open Michigan public universities. Grand Valley State University is no stranger to criticism here, with the University coming under fire when it claimed the title of public university with the most confirmed, reported cases in the state. Shortly after criticism and calls for GVSU to move fully online, the University issued an email to all students that encouraged them to look closer at the data, highlighting GVSU’s liberal reporting. This sentiment was further shared with the Lanthorn during our meeting with President Philomena Mantella Wednesday, Sept. 9. “I’m not speaking to any specific institution…, but many institutions are only reporting their on-campus cases,” Mantella said to the Lanthorn on Wednesday. “Many institutions are doing their posi-
tivity rate with the whole population, not the tested population. I don’t think there is a single institution that is reporting beyond their on and off-campus cases.” The efforts the University is going through to accurately report and share the spread of COVID-19 on, near and off campus is admirable, and quite frankly should set the standard for university reporting, especially in Michigan. GVSU and its leadership deserve kudos for that transparency. However, the transparency does not scamper around the fact that nearly 500 community members have gotten COVID-19. It does not ignore the fact that there are metrics that put GVSU in the red and raise concern for how campus health will change moving forward. It also does not set clear guidelines or acknowledge concern benchmarks for various tracked metrics so spectators can follow leadership’s thought process. There are still concerns and hurdles to tackle as a university community, but a strong Data Dashboard is the first step. 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 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
SEPTEMBER 14, 2020 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS
A5 | NEWS
POLICE
GVPD continues work on safety, guidelines as semester moves forward BY ADAM TROMBLEY NEWS@LANTHORN.COM
Going to college and living on campus during a global pandemic may not be ideal, but for students at Grand Valley State University and other schools in Michigan, it is reality. GVSU has done many things to keep those who live both on and off campus safe. With the helping hand of the Grand Valley Police Department (GVPD), resident assistants on campus have been trying to keep their residents and fellow students safe from COVID-19. GVPD Capt. Jeffrey Stoll said that the incidents happening on campus are not far out of the ordinary compared to previous years. Many on-campus residents went home for the holiday weekend and things are expected to slightly pick up as the semester moves forward. “Right now, things have been very similar to past years, in some ways on a slightly lower scale,” Stoll said. “We’ve been involved in some alcohol and liquor complaints and we’ve been doing a lot of fire alarms. People are adjusting to learning how to cook on their own, and we did fire alarm drills last week and we try to do some education with that.”
During the first week of classes, GVPD had responded to 26 incidents on campus involving fire alarms or investigations. Along with responding to incidents on campus, GVPD has also been helping out with the new policies and expectations involving masks and guests in living centers. Although the resident assistants have been able to handle these new regulations, GVPD is always there to help if needed. In compliance with the state order, students and staff must wear masks while inside of GVSU’s facilities. According to GVSU’s face coverings video, the school is urging staff and students to be kind, courteous and respectful when dealing with people and the face-covering rule. GVPD is also helping along as well, but they urge students and staff to try to handle the situation first before calling them. “Law enforcement is not the optimal tool,” Stoll said. “However, we will assist if people become unruly or dangerous in a confrontation. Our goal is safety and order and if a confrontation becomes problematic and possibly dangerous then we are appropriately involved to mitigate the situation. We would resist being the first agency to call because someone doesn’t wear a mask.”
CONTINUING TO PROTECT AND SERVE: Officer Minh is one of GVPD’s many dedicated officers who will continue to enforce the COVID-19 guidelines on and off campus all semester long. GVL | ARCHIVE
GVPD, as well as other groups around campus, are still trying to determine the best way to safely hold events and gatherings, whether that is virtually, outside, or maybe even in person when guidelines loosen up and things get better. But until then, Stoll said
the students deserve credit in the prevention of people getting sick up until this point in the semester. LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE
EVENTS
CSLC hosting Democracy 101 sessions focused on information in the media BY JACOB DEWEERD NEWS@LANTHORN.COM
DEMOCRACY: GVSU’s Community Service Learning Center is hosting it’s second round of Democracy 101 sessions this Fall. GVL | ARCHIVE
Grand Valley State University’s Community Service Learning Center is hosting the second of its Democracy 101 sessions for the fall semester, titled “How to Stay on Top of Information in the Media,” on Sept. 23. The interactive panel, which is being held on Zoom, will cover information on election candidates, navigating a crazy media landscape, and various other media-related topics. In the months before one of the strangest general elections ever, political and media awareness is going to be a valuable skill for new young voters. However, with news spreading faster than ever before, it can be difficult to follow everything related to the election. “How to Stay on Top of Information in the Media” hopes to help students develop efficient ways of navigating media and learning about election candidates. Topics like media consumption, cred-
ibility and attention will be covered during the panel. Carson McCready, Civic Engagement Associate for Democratic Learning and Engagement, said the topic choice was inspired by media becoming more prevalent than ever during presidential elections and by an increase in the news regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. “We are experiencing so much more information coming to us from so many different sources, it can be difficult not to believe everything you read,” McCready said. “It’s also difficult not to only read news you agree with, even though it is important to diversify what you read.” “How to Stay on Top of Information in the Media” is one of many weekly Democracy 101 panels scheduled for the fall semester. Panels are typically held in-person with various speakers and interactive elements for attending students, but, like many other student-lead events at GVSU, every panel has been shifted online this year due to the pandemic. Despite moving Democracy 101 sessions online, the CSLC
aims to recreate the same experience students would get at in-person events. “We are trying to keep a very similar format to the in-person sessions, so the structure of the sessions are basically the same in that we have our host giving an introduction, we allow our speaker(s) to present and there is a Q&A period towards the end moderated by the host,” McCready said. “This semester of Democracy 101 is going to be just as fun, just as informative (if not more so), and just as interactive as our previous in-person sessions.” Grace McMahon, the Lead Civic Engagement Associate for the CSLC, said that students can expect engaging and thought-provoking conversations at every Democracy 101 panel, which might be missing from their daily lives because of COVID-19. LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE
A6&7 | NEWS
SEPTEMBER 14, 2020 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS
EVALUATING THE STRATEGY: Grand Valley State President Philomena Mantella (right) answers a question from Lanthorn News Editor Olivia Fellows in a board room at Zumberge Hall in Allendale. In the exclusive interview with the Lanthorn, Mantella stressed the importance of in-person learning and consistent testing amongst students and faculty on and off of GVSU’s campus. GVL | NICK MORAN
The Sitdown
or begin after Labor Day, GVSU’s calendar stayed mostly intact. “We debated the calendar a variety of different ways…,” Mantella said. “We were trying to make modifications to our calendar that made sense to limit travel. Did we make all that were physically possible? Probably (starting after Labor Day) would have been the best way to eliminate it rather than to try to shelter people in place over the Labor Day weekend.” Another realm of criticism stems from Vice President of Finance and Administration Greg Sanial’s role as leader of the University’s Virus Action Team. Comments online largely show concern that Sanial has swayed GVSU to take a finances-first approach in virus management, but Mantella thinks quite the opposite is true. With Sanial’s extensive time in the Coast Guard handling crisis and operations management, she said he’s handsdown the strongest leader for the role, especially with supportive staff around him. “I think people are unfairly tagging his finance title and suggesting that that’s somehow going to bias perspectives,” Mantella said. “He’s eminently qualified for the role...(Sanial) would never allow dollars to be the primary reason for a decision” In aiming to contain the virus’ spread on campus, Mantella said the Virus Action Team and leadership are aiming to continue to improve on-campus testing efficiency, safety and bandwidth. As for comments sent in an all-student email from GVSU’s Vice Provost for Student Affairs and the Director of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution that said “while many universities in the state and around the nation reverted to online learning,” they “believe our university can be the exception,” Mantella expressed some hesitation. “It is also a wishful statement, it’s an aspirational statement that was made in that letter,” Mantella said. “It’s a bar that
we’ve held up for our students and I’m hopeful, but I can’t say that I’m confident that all of our students are curtailing their behavior in order to conform with all the public health guidelines.” In looking to change campus culture and ensure that the majority of health-conscious students influence the minority, Mantella said messaging will be key, including survey work. “We work really hard on (communication)… If we think our plan is good and we’re not getting feedback, if we’ve got a Virus Action Team that’s able to take immediate action. What’s key is that they’re getting feedback and that feedback is broad-based.” Leadership has also been monitoring Davidson University’s CHECK collective college dashboard, as well as a handful of universities they deem to be similar to GVSU in size, location and other factors. Above all else, GVSU will be compared to the Michigan educational ecosystem. “I don’t think the right answer for Grand Valley is to do what everybody else is doing,” Mantella said. “I just dont think that’s an evidence-based answer, but we are, of course, looking at other institutions. You can’t help but look at the Michigan context because that’s what we live among.” As GVSU presses forward into the school year, Mantella said her team will be taking an approach that considers a wide range of factors. Mantella said she is confident that GVSU students are community-oriented and will be able to shift numbers in a positive direction. “We think the most important thing the numbers should tell us is what to do,” Mantella said. “Public perception has to be certainly understood and managed and we need to be in front of it and communicate the best we can. But the most important thing the numbers should do is drive our actions.”
POISED PHLLY: GVSU president Philomena Mantella poses for a photo in 2019. COURTESY | GVSU.EDU
Mantella, university leadership face growing COVID-19 community cases, lay out strategy for management BY NICK MORAN, KELLEN VOSS, OLIVIA FELLOWS NEWS@LANTHORN.COM
The following story stems from an hourlong, Lanthorn-exclusive interview with Grand Valley State University President Philomena Mantella on Wednesday, Sept. 9. The interview, which ranged in topics, has been broken into a story series: The Sitdown. The first story in the series covers Mantella’s perspective and direction regarding COVID-19 on campus. Sitting between rising Grand Valley State University community COVID-19 cases and a whirlwind of uncertainties, President Philomena Mantella is steadfast on one thing: “this is a daily journey,” she said. GVSU is moving into its third week following its fall semester plan, which takes a hybrid approach, providing students with the option for either in-person or online courses. The decisions made by senior leader-
ship and the Virus Action Team among others have not come without their fair share of criticism. However, Mantella said that was expected, especially with the spread of perspectives on how to handle an unprecedented situation. “I think you can ask any leader across the pandemic and they would tell you that the diversity of opinion on this particular issue (in-person versus online classes) on what’s right and what people should be doing and should not be doing is everywhere,” Mantella said. “So I think the dissent at some level was anticipated because we all feel that this is a situation that none of us particularly want to be in. We all wish for a different pathway and outcome, and we all see the means to getting there a little bit differently.” Specifically looking at GVSU’s plan this semester, Mantella wanted to focus on options and individual choice. While the goal is to optimize virus containment, Mantella also acknowledged that
some students aren’t suited for online education, which is another struggle with shifting all classes online. “There’s another risk: the risk over here that students are not going to have a good experience, that students are going to fail in their learning journey because they’re not ready fully for online,” said Mantella. As for whether or not clases will be moved entirely online at all, there is no hard-and-fast trigger for the shift. Mantella said leadership will be monitoring a range of indicators, many of which are listed on the University’s Data Dashboard. Mantella noted there is no provided weight for each metric, but the university is working on a holistic approach that considers each metric in perspective. “The indices are sort of all taken together,” Mantella said. “We don’t think a trigger is the right approach to something this highly complex. It doesn’t mean that we’re undervaluing or devaluing the positivity metric — that’s a key metric and I want to
emphasize that. We have stayed away from a single trigger because of the complexity.” GVSU has gotten criticism for the high number of cases reported on its monitored Data Dashboard, which sits at over 460 confirmed cumulative community cases. “Absolutely there’s concern. We’re doing everything possible to increase testing to be sure we’re having the best opportunity for containment to be sure that we have the right containment and isolation supports and strategies, and as individuals come to campus and they come largely without testing and they get tested, you’re going to see an early growth. I think the question is can we stabilize at our seven-day average where it is.” Part of that growth follows a Labor Day weekend spike, which Mantella said the administration considered working around to cut down on student travel. While other universities shifted their start dates to either kick classes off early
DISCUSSING THE DISEASE: Grand Valley Lanthorn editors Kellen Voss (left) and Olivia Fellows (right) ask President Philomena Mantella (center) questions in an interview that took place Wednesday, Sept. 9. Topics discussed including the rise in online classes, Grand Valley’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, how to test students effectively, and how Philly feels she has done in her 2nd year. GVL | NICK MORAN
A8 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
SEPTEMBER 14, 2020 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLARTS
ART
Downtown art installation challenges self-portraiture BY CHAVALA YMKER ARTS@LANTHORN.COM
Patrons smile as they walk through the collection of pride-flag-colored palm trees called “Tropical Realness” that stands on the corner of Monroe Center and Ottawa Avenue in downtown Grand Rapids. It somehow captures everything visitors feel at this moment: the distance and community, the hope and illusion. Jeffrey Augustine Songco’s works always capture an element of himself through self-portraiture. “Many think one’s face is needed for art to be a self-portrait, but it doesn’t need a face to identify someone,” Songco said. In this installation, Songco used palm trees to depict his Filipino heritage, “Americans and the West equate palm trees with the exotic.” Those palm trees were then painted in the colors of a pride flag, representing his identity as a gay man. As the project took shape, a third element became apparent. The palm trees stand six feet apart, distanced and differently colored, and yet united into a single artwork. Songco sees this as an important part of the project in this time of isolation and the fight for racial equity. Earlier in the year while developing the proposal for “Tropical Realness,” Songco opened his first solo gallery show, which played with self-portrait and art commodification by print-
ing self-portraits on cloth in psychedelic patterns and cutting them into the shapes of flowers and plants. To Songco, “Tropical Realness” was a natural extension of his gallery piece by scaling up the plant motif and continuing the exploration of symbols. Originally part of an ArtPrize grant competition at SXSW, Songco’s piece did not win, but when ArtPrize was canceled, Bridge GR reached out to the artist and invited him to be a part of the event. Instead of the six months of preparation time Songco had planned on, he had only one month to get the piece up by the beginning of September. Although there were concerns about delays because of the pandemic, the palm trees arrived on time. After spray painting the trees on his partner’s family farm, “Tropical Realness” was installed Aug. 29. However, the next day, all the trees blew over, so once again, they were loaded onto a truck and brought to Songco’s apartment where they reengineered the plant bases with concrete slabs. At the last minute, the trees were reinstalled in time for the Sept. 1 opening. Songco is excited to provide a distraction from the anxiety of isolation by confronting visitors with something that looks real but is painted in unnatural colors. He wanted to play on illusion and reality. “(I) want to make art more approachable and (encourage visitors to) think of new ideas
TROPICAL TREES: Visitors of the “Tropical Realness” display at the corner of Monroe Center and Ottawa Avenue got to enjoy some vibrant pride-flag-colored palm trees. GVL | SHELIA BABBITT
and ways to approach the familiar,” Songco said. While “Tropical Realness” might be a self-portrait, Songco hopes visitors walk through the installation and consider how they fit into it. “Maybe they’ll connect with a certain color and relate to it in their own way,” Songco said. Having moved to Grand Rapids because of his participation in ArtPrize, Songco is ex-
cited to once again be able to participate in the city’s artistic expression. Thanks to the help of his partner, friends, neighbors and helpful team at Downtown Grand Rapids Inc, he is “(excited to have) art outside in a public space again and bring something cool to social spaces that are being activated.” “Tropical Realness” will join the Monroe North Lot art at the end of the month.
CONCERTS
Circle Theater finds way to hold summer fundraising concerts BY ALLISON RAFFERTY ARTS@LANTHORN.COM
Despite not being able to perform their usual Summer Concert Series, Circle Theatre has still found a way to bring live performances to its patrons. Throughout the summer, the theatre has been performing a series of Circle Summer Fundraising Concerts. The final concert in the series is set to take place Wednesday, Sept. 16 at 7 p.m. on the lawn at Circle Theatre. Tickets are $25 and all proceeds will go
to Circle Theatre. The fundraising concert will feature a variety of performances by Lisa Knight, Ellie Frances, Brandon Harris and Larry Young. Musicians for the performance include Perry Moody, John Parker and Danny Robinson. Marketing and Outreach Specialist for the theatre Ashlee McGreevy said that getting artists to perform at the event was “surprisingly simple.” “After the success of our first fundraising
PERFORMING IN A PANDEMIC: Ashlee McGreevy, Marketing and Outreach Specialist for the Circle Theatre, said that getting artists to perform was “surprisingly simple.” COURTESY | ASHLEE MCGREEVY
concert and by request of our patrons for more, we decided that we wanted to bring back more performers who, just like everyone else in the performing arts, are fighting to get back on stage,” said McGreevy. Circle Theatre is expecting about 100 audience members to show up. The previous two shows sold out, and McGreevy said that this one is expected to as well. This third and final Summer Fundraising Concert is set to last an hour and social distancing guidelines will be enforced. All guests are required to wear masks while entering the event and while moving about the event. Guests will also check in and be escorted to where they are seated, ensuring social distancing between groups. The idea behind the Summer Fundraising Concerts series stemmed from not being able to conduct the theatre’s typical Summer Concert Series. McGreevy said that the theatre still wanted to find a way to give patrons the live performances they love. “We knew that we wanted to give our per-
formers a place to perform safely this summer, so we came together and thought through how we could bring excellent entertainment to the community in a safe and socially distant space,” McGreevy said. “Our lawn was the perfect place for these events.” Entertainment is very much important during these difficult times, McGreevy said, so these concerts are important for keeping the community motivated. “People need entertainment; it takes them away from the everyday stresses of their lives, it keeps people laughing and keeps people together building their community,” said McGreevy. “We want to be a part of all of that and we have the opportunity for people to relax, see the talent that West Michigan has to offer, and enjoy the performing arts. We felt that we had to do something to keep our doors open and keep our patrons engaged.” McGreevy said that Circle Theatre is thankful for the Grand Rapids Community, “who has held us up and kept us going through this extended intermission.”
A9 | LAKER LIFE
SEPTEMBER 14, 2020 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLLAKERLIFE
A LOOK AT LIFESTYLE CAMPUS ACTIVITIES BOARD HOSTS FAMILY APPRECIATION WEEK
This year, Grand Valley State University’s traditional Family Weekend has been re-created as Family Appreciation Week, reflecting the Campus Activities Board’s development of socially distanced and virtual events for the GVSU community to enjoy. The idea is for families and supporters to be able to join in the fun wherever they are — whether that’s on campus or not. Among the week’s many events are an all-day Chalk Art Competition Sept. 16, a stress relieving plate smash Sept. 17, an asynchronous weekend 5k, and a week-long DIY poster making workshop celebrating People’s History. Registration on LakerLink and a full schedule of events can be found at gvsu.edu/familyweekend.
UNIVERSITY COUNSELING OFFERS QPR TRAINING Mental health is always important, but it’s not a secret that the COVID-19 pandemic has aggravated many people’s pre-existing stressors and difficulties. In the hope of equipping everyone in the Grand Valley State University community with the knowledge and ability to protect each other, the University Counseling Center is hosting a virtual session of Suicide Prevention Training on Blackboard. The event, which will take place on Tuesday, Sept. 15 from 12-1 p.m., will teach the QPR method — Question, Persuade and Refer — which is a nationally recognized procedure for suicide prevention. The training is designed to dispel common misconceptions about suicide, help recognize warning signs and overall examine the issue from both a social and multicultural perspective. Links to the event, and a schedule for other such sessions during the fall semester, can be found at gvsu.edu/counsel.
TAKE A TOURED HIKE ON GV’S NATURE TRAILS
STUDY ABROAD
Study Abroad cancelled for 2020-21 school year BY AUTUMN PITCHURE LAKERLIFE@LANTHORN.COM
The COVID-19 pandemic has not only raised health concerns, disrupted daily lives and changed the world we live in today; it has put significant restrictions on travel. This has affected Grand Valley State University’s normal Study Abroad experience. Students are not able to travel out of the country to get that unique learning experience in another place. For some, this affects their timeline of graduation. Study Abroad at GVSU is cancelled for both the fall 2020 and winter 2021 semesters. Applications will be accepted for spring and summer of 2021. “We know these opportunities are really great for our students, but we want to make sure that it is a safe and positive experience,” said Alissa Lane, Outreach Coordinator at The Padnos International Center. “We felt cancelling for the winter semester was the best avenue.” The Padnos International Center is working closely with students that had plans to study abroad originally in the winter semester to come up with some alternative options. “We have reached out to those students individually to talk to them about if they prefer to just continue that semester at GVSU, or if they’re looking for future study abroad options,” Lane said. “We are trying to work with the students to come up with the best
If you’re interested in getting the most out of the natural expanses of the Allendale campus but are unfamiliar with the territory — or you hike it regularly, but would prefer doing so with company — then you might enjoy Laker Village’s upcoming group traversal of the local trails around campus. On Saturday, Sept. 19, hikers can meet at 6 p.m. outside the Laker Village South Community Center, located in Allendale at 10440 Laker Village Drive. The nature walk will last until 8 p.m., when those attending will have a chance to watch the sunset. Those who are interested can RSVP for the free event on LakerLink by visiting gvsu. campuslabs.com/engage.
solution based on their specific situation.” Although fall and winter semesters are cancelled, there will be virtual online meetings students can join to learn more on study abroad for the spring and summer of 2021. These meetings will be held Wednesdays from 5-6 p.m. “This is a great way for students to start getting the basic information and begin to plan their study abroad,” Lane said. Students can sign up for the virtual meet-
ings at gvsu.edu/studyabroad then scrolling down to events and clicking on Study Abroad (Virtual) First Step Meeting. The meetings serve as a basis to help navigate students through Study Abroad, answer any questions and showcase unique places they can venture to. LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE
LAKER EFFECT
Honors College hosts discussion between student politicians BY KATHERINE ARNOLD LAKERLIFE@LANTHORN.COM
GRAND RAPIDS COLLABORATES ON BREONNA TAYLOR MURAL
At the intersection of Eastern Avenue and Oakdale Street, local artists and organizations collaborated to create a mural dedicated to Breonna Taylor’s life. Taylor was a Grand Rapids native who’s wrongful death took place in Louisville, Kentucky on March 13. Taylor’s family, along with local organizations such as, Black Lives Matter of Greater Grand Rapids, Justice for Black Lives, Latinx for Black Lives and White Allies of Black Lives Matter Greater Grand Rapids helped organize the creation of this mural. The mural is meant to bring hope to all victims of police brutality and bring attention to Taylor’s life and wrongful death.
NO STUDY ABOARD: Much like many things in the coronavirus pandemic, Study Abroad has been cancelled at Grand Valley State University to contain the spread of the virus. COURTESY | ALISSA LANE
A BLISSFUL BEGINNING: Grand Rapids Mayor Rosalyn Bliss helped lead the conversations for young GV politicians. GVL | KATHERINE ARNOLD
In the United States of the past few years, it has become a matter of increasingly frequent discussion that America’s political representation lacks influence and perspective from its youth. Every day, university students struggle between wanting their political voices heard and believing that they don’t have the power to change the system they live in. On the contrary, however; right now, especially as election season approaches is the perfect time for the younger generations to stand up and take part in the decisions of their communities, states, and nation. That was the driving motivation behind the “Youth in Politics” event was hosted Wednesday, Sept. 9 by the Frederick Meijer Honors College. The discussion, intended as
a call-to-action for the student community at Grand Valley State University, demonstrated how two GVSU students have decided to use their voices to bring about change and action. For both individuals, their decision to speak out has led them to actively run for public office this fall. The students, Katherine Parker and Eric-John Szczepaniak, were led in conversation by Grands Rapids Mayor Rosalyn Bliss, who is also faculty at the Frederick Meijer Honors College. “It’s always important to highlight the positive efforts and contributions of our students, both to celebrate those students and inspire others to do more,” said Honors College Director Roger Gilles. LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE
A10 | SPORTS QUICK HITS FAMILY DAY GAME MOVED ONLINE
Grand Valley State University will host their twelfth annual Family Day Game on Sept. 19. GVSU athletic department hopes to keep the sellout streak alive for the event, even though no fans will be allowed in the stands. The event will stream on the Grand Valley Sports network and on social media. Tickets are $10 for general admission and $15 for PNC club seats. Participants can choose the seat they would have wanted for the game and includes a free voucher for a spring football game. The GVSU social media team will be providing free digital giveaways, prizes and virtual interactions between fans throughout the day. The hour-long broadcast will include a look into the 2020 intro video, a performance from the GVSU marching band and dance team, and interviews with players, coaches and special guests. For students, every ticket is free. One lucky student will win $10,000 in cash if they can finish a special task given to them during the live event.
REC AND WELLNESS ROLL OUT WEEKLY ACTIVITIES The week, the Recreation and Wellness department has more events for students. On Sept. 14, there will be free outdoor group exercise all week. The following day, there is an outdoor lunch crunch from 1:00 to 1:45 p.m. On Wednesday Sept. 16, the GVSU climbing center is offering new classes. Their first class will be teaching students about gear and planning to help increase students’ confidence. For more experienced climbers, there will be an indoor lead climbing session that will be spread over two days. On Thursday Sept. 17, there is an outdoor group class called G3 Fortify. This class is free to students and will take 40 minutes. This class will target student guts, glutes and guns with bodyweight exercises.
PRO FOOTBALL
Former Laker makes NFL debut BY ZACK GOODROW SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM
Grand Valley State University is scarcely represented in the National Football League. There are a couple of players — linebacker Matthew Judon with the Baltimore Ravens and cornerback Brandon Carr with the Dallas Cowboys — who played football in college as a Laker. This year, there is a new name in the NFL who used to don the GVSU blue and white. Tight end Nick Keizer made his NFL debut last Thursday, Sept. 10, as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs. It’s a dream for many young men to play in the NFL and Keizer has now seen his dream come into fruition. Keizer’s debut game was unlike many other NFL players’ introductions into the league, with limited fans in the stadium because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The moment wasn’t lost on Keizer without a big crowd — it was almost perfect for him. Arrowhead Stadium had about 17,000 fans at the game, much like a GVSU contest. “My first game was exciting,” Keizer said. “My whole life I looked forward to and worked hard to play in an NFL game. To get the chance to do that was a dream come true. It was a nice intro into playing at that stage rather than playing in front of 70,000 people in my first game. With how big that moment is, it felt better doing it in front of less people in the stands. It was almost like a GVSU game.” Keizer played well in his first game. He was excellent in run blocking. He saw the field frequently in two or three tight end set formations. Keizer also had a key block on a touchdown screen play to wide receiver Sammy Watkins. While Keizer was impressive in the inaugural game of the 2020 NFL season, no one expected him to make it this far — not even himself. When Keizer’s career ended at GVSU in 2017, he left the field with 45 catches, 734 yards and 11 touchdowns to his name. Heading into the NFL draft, Keizer believed some teams were interested in his services. He didn’t expect to get drafted out of a DII school, but there was a possibility of being signed after the draft. That’s exactly what happened when the Baltimore Ra-
GV ALUM GETS ANOTHER NFL SHOT
Former GVSU cornerback Brandon Carr is no longer an NFL free agent. Carr signed with the Dallas Cowboys for his second stint with the team. He was called up off the practice squad and will begin the season on the Cowboys active roster. The twelve-year veteran played with the Baltimore Ravens last season recording 49 tackles and two sacks. In his career, Carr has never missed a game. Carr has played and started in 192 games, with 21 interceptions and 702 tackles.
FANTASY FOOTBALL UPDATES
As always, the Lanthorn sports desk has got fantasy players covered with advice every week. With week two coming up, be sure to check the Lanthorn website for more news on fantasy football. Also, lookout for NFC North updates as the NFL season progresses.
SEPTEMBER 14, 2020 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLSPORTS
UNDERDOG: Nick Keizer learned at GVSU what’s like to fight through adversity. COURTESY | MLIVE
FROM PRACTICE SQUAD TO PRO: Former GVSU tight end Nick Keizer was previously on two practice squads before making the Chiefs roster earlier this month. COURTESY | GETTY IMAGES
vens offered him a chance to compete in their training camp. “My first training camp was filled with a lot of emotions,” Keizer said. “I was excited, but it was highly stressful being a rookie learning an entirely new offense. The last time I had to do that was at GVSU. The speed of the game was also next level. It was difficult going from DII to that level of football. There was also a lot of pressure on me to perform. All and all, even with all the stress, it was an exciting and good experience.” Keizer competed hard, but like many NFL training camp walk-ons, he was cut. For the next two months, Keizer was without an NFL home and was not playing football for the first time in his life. Luck came back Keizer’s way when an injury in the tight end room left a spot for him on the Ravens practice squad in week ten of the 2018 season. He stayed with Baltimore for the remainder of the year, but he was waived before the first game of the 2019 season. That’s when he was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs. For 2019, he remained in the league, albeit on the practice squad, but he still felt fortunate and blessed to be playing football. It wouldn’t be until this year that he finally proved to himself, his teammates and head coach Andy Reid, that he belonged on the team. “This year in training camp, I took a lot from my previous two years and I built upon it,” Keizer said. “This season, I worked on a lot of things I needed to improve on. I made some adjustments to blocking, worked on route running, and tried to become more versatile and consistent in my game. Honestly, I was lucky that the depth at the tight end position was thin, which led to me getting a lot of reps.” All of those factors led into Keizer making his first NFL roster. He took not only what he’s learned from the past couple seasons on NFL practice squads, but everything he learned from his entire football career to improve on. If not for his time as a Laker, it’s doubtful that Keizer would be in the NFL right now. Even though GVSU is a DII school, Keizer learned many valuable lessons about competing and football. He not only grew as a teammate and
player, but as a person. “At Grand Valley State, I learned to stay persistent with my work ethic and my goals,” Keizer said. “I didn’t necessarily have an easy path at GVSU. I first got there and I didn’t play for two years. I was always working my way up to the top tight end spot and to be the guy. I had to stay true to myself and my goals. I knew that if I ever got the opportunity at GVSU I’d have to stay persistent to stay on the field. That’s helped me in the NFL process, being the underdog and undrafted guy. I had to stay true to my goals and to keep pushing.” Although Keizer now plays over 650 miles away from his alma mater, he still thinks about his time as a Laker and what he misses. “I liked the school, I loved being at GVSU,” Keizer said. “I made some of my best friends at GV. I went to school with them and played football with them. I miss the camaraderie and the locker room. I miss living in dorms with them and I’ll always cherish it. I’m still in touch with them, and it’s nice to see them and hear from them once and awhile. On Keizer’s middle finger sits a Super Bowl ring. It has 255 diamonds and his signature engraved on the inside of the ring. It is something that NFL players fantasize about. While Keizer may not have been active on the 53-man roster that won the Super Bowl last season, he still had an integral role in practice and competing with teammates to improve their skills and his own. Even with a roughly $33,000 ring on his finger, Keizer is still humble and has been in the same situation as every member of the Lakers football team right now. He knows what it means to struggle and to do everything to make dreams come true. “Obviously anyone’s goals are possible with me doing it and playing in the NFL,” Keizer said. “There are guys before me that have done it and other guys who went to GVSU that are doing it right now. The DII label doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t do it, but being a DII guy does mean you’ll have to overcome a lot of obstacles. It takes a lot of work and extra hours. You need to put in extra hours and sacrifices. It is worth it.”
SEPTEMBER 14, 2020 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN
A11 | SPORTS
@GVLSPORTS
FOOTBALL
Mitchell reflects on GV football all-time rusher, Martayveus “Marty” Carter’s legacy BY HOLLY BIHLMAN HBIHLMAN@LANTHORN.COM
Martayveus “Marty” Carter, a Grand Valley State University football alum, is still the all-time rusher in GVSU football history three years later. The summer before his senior year in 2018, Carter was involved in a shooting in East Chicago that paralyzed him. Carter’s legacy at GVSU is still held by his record of 1,908 rushing yards in 2016 and 298 yards in a single game on 20 carries. Alongside these unbelievable stats, Carter received numerous awards including, D2Football.com National Offensive Player of the Year and First-Team All-American. Apart from the impressive records Carter racked up his sophomore year, GVSU head coach Matt Mitchell and Carter’s former teammates remember him for much more than an all-star player. The shocking news that Carter had been admitted to the hospital and was in critical condition, devastated the team as well as the GVSU football community. Mitchell reflected on the feeling, that kind of shock created for him and the rest of the team, and how he remembers Carter’s impact on GVSU history. “Marty was very passionate about the sport of football, extremely passionate about the sport of football,” Mitchell said. “I think this is a stat that’s really almost unbelievable, the all-time leading rusher in the history of Grand Valley
football did not participate in his senior year.” There is no doubt that that statement alone is enough to remember someone by, and Carter’s teammates and friends were always with him and supportive of his role on the team. His academic career took a hit after an injury that kept him off the field for a chunk of his junior year. His inability to play was hard on both Marty and Mitchell, causing some stress on their player-to-coach relationship. After Carter’s junior year, he was ruled ineligible for the 2018 season. “The biggest regret was after that junior season, we all failed Marty,” Mitchell said. “We weren’t there for him when we needed to be there, and that resulted in him not being academically eligible.” Carter declared for the NFL Supplemental Draft and scheduled a workout with the Kansas City Chiefs despite his struggles in junior year. Not long after, Carter’s life was altered in the blink of an eye and the news brought upon a real sense of reflection on his impact at GVSU. “It’s very difficult when you get the phone call that there’s been a shooting and he’s been involved,” Mitchell said. “Then you start to get the details about that and the long-term health effects that’s going to have on him and how that robbed him of the chance to play football ever again. That’s very difficult and that’s obviously some of where the remorse or regret comes from my standpoint of the things that we
GV GREAT: Known for his passion and engaging personality, Carter left a legacy and still holds many records from his time as a running back with the Grand Valley State football team GVL | ARCHIVE
could’ve done better.” Marty’s legacy at GVSU is not defined by his statistics and undeniable devotion to the sport. In Mitchell’s eyes, it is defined by the lasting impact his time on the team has brought Mitchell as a coach and a friend. “He was full of energy, always had a smile on his face, always had a bounce in his step,”
Mitchell said. “Very dynamic and engaging personality when you’re around him. A very fun-loving person and he cared a lot about his teammates. He was not a dull person.” Coach Mitchell refrained from talking about his current whereabouts and what he is up to today, but he does still keep in contact with Carter.
SOCCER
Coaches of GV: Jeff Hosler
BY JOSH CARLSON SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM
FOLLOWING FOOTSTEPS: Hosler has been following his father’s footsteps. GVL | ARCHIVE
Starting at a young age, Grand Valley State University’s women’s soccer head coach Jeff Hosler has seen what it takes to be a coach not only on the pitch, but also off of it. “My dad was an attorney by day, coach by night.” Hosler said. “Super committed to the development of people and the development of the players at the youth level.” Hosler, being the oldest of four, was either at his practice being coached by his father or with him at his siblings’ practices. Playing, watching and learning from his father and other great coaches along the way seemed to have planted a seed from a young age. After Hosler graduated with a business degree from Alma College as a student-athlete, he was set to start at John Hancock University. Due to the nation’s economy at that time however, he decided to looking elsewhere to coach. Shortly after exploring some professional soccer options, he ended back in his hometown of Lansing, Michigan where his coaching career started. Hosler started coaching at his alma ma-
ter, East Lansing High School, under his head coach from his playing days Nick Archer. Archer is a legendary coach in Michigan for boys’ soccer, with the most wins of any coach in in the state at 660. From there, Hosler fell in love with the job. Just two years later, he was coaching year-round among 12 different teams ranging from fourth grade to high school. He even coached some AAU basketball. This shows exactly how he does anything in life: full sails ahead and giving it everything he has. Not long after, Hosler kept with his trend in coaching his alma maters and landed the women’s head coaching job at Alma College in 2006. He inherited a Scots team that had only three winning records in the 16 years of its program’s existence. Hosler quickly changed that. In his eight seasons at the Scots’ helm, Hosler had a 91-5512 overall record. This matched the programs 90 total wins in their 16-year existence prior to Hosler’s arrival. He also coached them to their only MIAA regular-season title in 2010 and a 2011 MIAA tournament title, which gave Alma’s women’s soccer program their first-ever NCAA tournament appearance.
Today, Hosler is the head coach for women’s soccer at Grand Valley State University. In his first six seasons as a head coach for the Lakers, he flaunts a 13811-5 overall record, which is the highest winning percentage of any coach in Laker history. With that, he also has coached the Lakers to three NCAA Championships, five NCAA title game appearances and has reached the Elite Eight in each of his six seasons at GVSU. With a long list of successes and plenty to brag about, Hosler stays humble and dedicated to the exact reason why he decided to go into coaching in the first place. “I’ve been fortunate to have great players, and beyond that, I’ve had kids who believe and buy into what I’m trying to do,” Hosler said. “I didn’t get into coaching because of winning, losing, or staying in the game of soccer. I got into it because of the relationships and the mentor factor. Those relationships are everything to me. LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE
SEPTEMBER 14, 2020 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLSPORTS
A12 | SPORTS GOLF
FINDING THE BALL: Former GVSU golfer Alex Scott follows through on his drive and tries to find his ball at a match at The Meadows Golf Course. Scott has gone pro since graduating from GVSU, and has been happy to see the sport grow during the pandemic. Scott is preparing to compete in the Shriner’s Hospital Open for Children PGA Tour event in Las Vegas in October. COURTESY | GVSULAKERS.COM
GV golfers talk solid weekend performances, rise in golf’s rising pandemic popularity BY KELLEN VOSS SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM
Two Laker golfers, one former and one current showed out on the 103rd Turtle Creek Casino Michigan Open in Traverse City this past weekend. After posting a 7-under (65) and a 2-under (70) in the final two rounds of play, professional golfer and Grand Valley State University alum Alex Scott ascended from 43rd place to finish in second place, a full three strokes ahead of the third-place finisher. “It was a tale of two events for me,” Scott said. “The first day, I played fine in a little bit of wind and still in a decent spot, but it wasn’t where I wanted to be. But on the third and final day, I found my game a little bit more, and I shot a 65 in some of the toughest weather I’ve ever had to play in. If you told me I was going to get all the way to second after being tied for 43rd, I would have taken it.” Freshman Charles DeLong also posted an impressive showing, shooting 3-under overall to place fifth in the competition and first among all amateur golfers. “I had a god ball-striking week, and I kept it in the fairways off the tees, which is a big thing at those courses,” DeLong said. “If you weren’t in the fairways, you were getting into a lot of hazards, so hitting it straight off the tees was the key to
good golf for the most part.” DeLong credits Scott for his strong performance. He gained a lot of tips on the course from Scott when they played together in their practice, as the former GVSU golfer knew the Traverse City course like the back of his hand. “I played my practice round with him and he knows the course really well,” DeLong said. “He worked there throughout high school so I got some insider knowledge. He had a great weekend and it was fun to talk to him about his comeback.” After going pro in June of 2019, Scott felt as if he was just settling into his own before the pandemic hit. “With the virus coming in March and shutting down the PGA tour for a bit, it capped off what was a very weird first year for me,” Scott said. “But after this past year and especially this busy summer, I feel a lot more experienced as a pro golfer. You really have to trust the process and try to get better each and every day, but it seems to be coming together.” Like many other golfers, Scott has used golf during these past six months as a way to take his mind off of the pandemic. He is also thrilled to see how the golf industry has grown during COVID-19, with more people wanting to get out of their houses and learn the game he loves. “The golf industry itself has actually exploded with the virus,” Scott said. “People have been trying to get outdoors
and find new hobbies. If you go around any golf course, especially in the Midwest, and ask how they are doing, they’re like, ‘Man, these are record rounds for this time of year.’ It’s not just me, a lot of people have seemed to find some comfort and mental ease at the golf course. People seem to be really enjoying it.” DeLong agreed with Scott, saying the course he worked at this past summer is posting record numbers due to the sheer number of people that want to play. “I worked at a Lansing golf course over the summer, and even with the two months of no one playing because of COVID, they are on pace to have the best year ever,” DeLong said. “It’s good to see more people getting into the game, as while COVID is obviously a negative thing overall, it’s been a blessing in disguise for the golf industry.” As the Michigan weather starts to get colder, Scott has looked into moving to Florida in the winter to golf in much more adequate conditions. Before that move, he will try to qualify for his next match, as he could potentially head to Las Vegas to play in the Shriner’s Hospital Open for Children PGA tour event on October 1st. DeLong’s next match will be at a College Golf Coaches’ Association event in October at Eagle Eye Golf Club in East Lansing.
FOLLOW-THRU: GVSU freshman Charles DeLong launches a shot. COURTESY | GVSULAKERS.COM