Grand Valley Lanthorn vol. 56 no. 28

All Aboard The Gravy Train arrives at Station GV

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

GV nationally recognized for first-generation student success programs COHORT | A3

GV offers unique opportunities for students to study cannabis operation REGISTRATION | A5

M O N D A Y, A P R I L 4 , 2 02 2 // VO L . 5 6 N O. 2 8

@ GV L A N T H O R N

LANTHORN.COM

A2 | NEWS NEWS BRIEFS GV COVID-19 CAMPUS DATA UPDATE The Grand Valley State University community has had a cumulative total of 7,353 cases since Aug. 1, 2020. The university’s update for this brief was from Thursday, March 31.

Through testing results this past week, GVSU’s Virus Action team have so far reported 35 current active cases including two faculty members, two staff members, nine on-campus students, eight “off-campus Ottawa” students, 12 “off-campus Kent” students and two “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 10 days. This is an estimate of those currently in isolation, assuming a 10-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 87% of students report being fully vaccinated, while approximately 93% of faculty and staff reports being fully vaccinated.

There are currently 2,214 students and 139 faculty/staff with approved vaccination exemptions.

Testing and Incidence: GVSU’s own testing program has performed 130,592 tests overall since Aug. 1, 2020, for a cumulative positivity rate of 0.91% from the latest update as of last week. A total of 769 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.

ELECTION

GV Student Senate hosts 'Elect Her' event

BY ALEXANDER VERHEEK NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

The Grand Valley State University Community Service Learning Center (CSLC), in partnership with Student Senate, hosted “Elect Her” on March 31. "Elect Her" was a non-partisan event that encourages women to run for elected office.

Running Start, the non-profit organization that runs the Elect Her program, brings campaign training and real-world experiences from currently-elected officials to college campuses across the U.S. “I’m super passionate about getting not only women but anyone who has been historically excluded into positions of power and we need all the help we can get,” said Paige Robnett, a diversity, equity and inclusion consultant for Running Start and the program’s moderator.

Robnett led the students in attendance through several different modules, all emphasizing important aspects in preparing students for a potential career in politics. The first activity encouraged students to talk among their tables in order to figure out what issues are most important to them.

This activity allowed the participants to focus on what matters most to them and to think deeply about why they’re interested in the realm of politics.

ENCOURAGE: Grand Valley State University's Student Senate recently collaborated with the non-profit organization Running Start to hold a non-partisan event called "Elect Her." The event brought currently-elected officials to encourage women to run for elected office. GVL | BRI CONWAY

Following this activity, the program shifted to a question and answer session with some of the members of the Student Senate Cabinet.

Members of the cabinet went over their own experiences running for office within the Student Senate, giving prospective Student Senate candidates insight into the process of campaigning on the university scale.

Robnett said about half of all women in

Congress started their careers in student government, highlighting the boost that Student Senate can offer their future careers before they even leave college.

From here, the event moved into the panel featuring elected officials from the West Michigan area.

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LOANS

GV students have stake in growing Congressional calls for debt relief

BY JOSHUA ALBURTUS NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

ROBOTICS STUDENTS AWARDED GV SCHOLARSHIPS

Two high school seniors were recently awarded scholarships to Grand Valley State University at the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Robotics district competition by President Philomena Mantella.

The three-day competition hosted nearly 40 teams from across the state and was the first in-person FIRST Robotics competition held at GVSU since 2019.

Adam Kroese from East Grand Rapids High School and Jordan Gabrielse from South Christian High School have each been accepted to GVSU and were awarded $20,000 scholarships at the competition.

Both students have been active in FIRST throughout their time in middle and high school and have expressed interest in pursuing engineering during their time in college.

APRIL 4, 2022 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

PAYMENT: As many students utilize loans, Congressional decisions concerning debt relief are important to watch for. GVL | JOSHUA ALBURTUS

The pressure of student loan payments is one felt by many members of the Grand Valley State University community.

With numerous other financial responsibilities throughout their time at college, many of the students who need to utilize federal student loans have done so while carefully considering what it could mean for their future.

GVSU student Lily Weber-Bailey, who has had to utilize loan funding, said she feels that the weight of her loans weighs heavily on her decisions as she charts a path toward finishing her degree.

“I think taking out loans has pressured me to get through my education as fast as possible,” Weber-Bailey said. “Especially since I changed my major after freshman year, I feel pressured to take as many credits as possible each semester to finish in four years and it has limited my ability to add a minor.”

Weber-Bailey said she also worries as to how the specter of her loans will play into her plans for the future.

“My current goal is to become a doctor,” Weber-Baker said. “To make that

happen, I have to take out loans I will be paying off for a long, long time.”

Lauren DeHerder, another GVSU student and loan recipient, echoed similar concerns about her own financial strategy after college.

“Instead of putting my earnings into buying a house and other future necessities, I have to pay off school instead,” DeHerder said.

Weber-Baker and DeHerder are two of thousands of students at GVSU who have similarly had to rely on loans from the federal government in order to fund their education.

Data from the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics showed 57% of all GVSU undergraduates received aid from federal loans in the 2019-2020 school year.

During this time, the average amount of aid each student received stood at $6,589.

However, for the majority of GVSU students balancing loans with other financial commitments, the calls for loan payment changes on Capitol Hill could alter their situation.

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A3 | NEWS

APRIL 4, 2022 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

CONTENTS ELECTION

| A2

OPINION

| A4

REGISTRATION

| A5

OPPORUNITY

| A6

TRADITION

| A7

CONCERT

| A8&9

EDUCATION

| A10

PERFORMANCE

| A11

SOCCER

| A14

LACROSSE

| A15

TRACK

| A16 VOL. 5 6

NO. 28

Lanthorn Videographer KATE KIRBY

EDITORIAL STAFF Editor-in-Chief ZACK GOODROW

Layout Editor KHOI TRAN

Associate Editor AUDREY WHITAKER Associate Editor XAVIER GOLDEN

Layout Designer DONOVAN LOPEZ PROMOTIONS

News Editor MARY DUPUIS Sports Editor HOLLY BIHLMAN Laker Life Editor JACOB DEWEERD A&E Editor

Promotions Manager GRACE O’BRIEN ADVERTISING STAFF Advertising Manager JORDAN GREEN

EDUCATION

GV announces its plans for new technological epicenter

BY GILLIAN HANTON NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

Grand Valley State University has recently publicized plans for a new educational and professional space entitled the “Digital Learning Epicenter.”

According to an article by MiBiz, the Digital Learning Epicenter “will serve as an intersection of business and technology education for community members and students.”

This will include a variety of resources for STEM students who frequent GVSU’s Pew Campus in Grand Rapids, including updated lab spaces and meeting places for communication between local startups.

Vice President for University Relations, Matt McLogan, said he thinks the project will benefit the greater Grand Rapids area economically and intellectually.

“The proposed Digital Learning Epicenter is in the concept planning phase as we continue to examine ways in which Grand Valley can serve students and enhance regional economic development,” McLogan said. “The initial reaction is positive, with the Right Place Program placing it on a list of 12 projects it calls ‘essential infrastructure.’”

As companies, universities and other professional entities become more reliant on technol-

BUSINESS STAFF

SABRINA EDWARDS

Image Editor MEGHAN LANGREN Multimedia EditorHAILIEGH HUBER

ogy, it’s important for members of the workforce to be comfortable using digital applications.

However, recent data suggests that many employees lack necessary digital literacy, a discrepancy based on socio-economic factors, such as class, education level and age.

According to the Pew Research Center, 52% of U.S. adults are “relatively hesitant” in their digital readiness skills, with the majority of that designation including women ages 50 and old-

er, lower-income households and people with lower levels of formal education.

In contrast, the top 17% of digitally ready adults consist of people currently in their 30s and 40s in higher-income households and with a higher level of education.

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COHORT

Business Manager MORGAN JOHNSTON

GV nationally recognized for firstgeneration student success programs

Asst. Business Manager LUKE KREGER Distribution Manager

BY LAUREN FORMOSA NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

DAYTON HAMMON

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PUBLICIZE: Grand Valley State University recently publicized plans for a new “Digital Learning Center” to be built in Grand Rapids. The plans have yet to receive proper funding. GVL | RACHEL SLOMBA

COMMITMENT: Grand Valley State University was recently recognized for its support of first-generation students. GVL | SYDNEY LIM

Grand Valley State University has worked to show its support for first-generation college students throughout their time at the university. This commitment has been recognized on a national level, as GVSU was named to a cohort aimed at improving the experiences and resources available to first-generation college students.

The Center For First-Generation Student Success announced their 53 recipients of the First-Gen Forward Cohort, with GVSU being one of two Michigan institutions selected for the recognition.

The designation gives the university access to data on best practices for supporting first-generation students as well as program models from other institutions in the cohort.

According to the Center’s official website, the cohort was launched in 2017 “with the mission of being the premier source of evidence-based practices, professional development and knowl-

edge creation for the higher education community to advance the success of first-generation students.”

The First-Gen Forward designation, which remains as long as the recognized institution continues to actively improve and advance first-generation programs, reaffirms GVSU’s commitment to supporting first-generation students.

GVSU currently has eight federally funded TRIO programs that serve both first-generation and low-income students. These programs aim to help them navigate through their college experience.

The Grand Valley Pledge is also available for low-income students, another resource first-generation students can utilize to make attending a four-year university financially possible.

About 40% of GVSU students are the first in their immediate families to attend a college or university.

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A4 | OPINIONS GVL EDITORIAL CARTOON

APRIL 4, 2022 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLANTHORN

By Athena Jasman

EDITORIAL

Reflecting on changes in GV’s culture

A

04/04/22

editorial@lanthorn.com

Review: MGK embraces the hate with “Mainstream Sellout”

BY AYRON RUTAN FRESHMAN JOURNALISM EDITORIAL@LANTHORN.COM

Multi-faceted rapper-turned-pop punk prince Colson Baker, AKA Machine Gun Kelly, has dropped his sixth full-length LP “Mainstream Sellout,” a declaration of self-hate that pokes fun at critics.

Ever since “Tickets to My Downfall” was released to the masses in September of 2020, MGK has re-

ceived loads of both love and hate, as rock fans are divided on the authenticity of the Cleveland native’s new sound. While some embrace it as the new direction for pop punk, others label him a sellout, the latter of which is acknowledged and embraced on this new record.

The album kicks off with the ferocious “born with horns”, a two-part track that MGK uses to tell the world that he doesn’t care if he’s unconventional and about what others want him to be. Lines like “Yeah, I’d rather be a freak than somebody’s puppet/ Release your leash, I don’t belong in the circus” communicate that he’s aware of the hate gatekeepers have for him and he’d rather be an outcast than what he’s “supposed to be”.

This theme of flipping the bird to critics continues on the record’s title track, where its chorus echoes their negative sentiment: “Leave the scene you’re ruining it/Leave

the scene you’re ruining it/You sold out and it makes me sick”. It’s clear MGK has heard the feedback, and rather than letting it get to him, he welcomes it with open arms only to throw it back in the face of gatekeepers everywhere.

While this theme of accepting and embracing hate is an admirable one, I find that it grows stale as the tracklist progresses. Songs like “maybe,” “ay!” and “die in california” show MGK in a more introspective state, but it doesn’t go much deeper than the surface level “I suck” comments littered all over the album. Mixed with pointless duds like “drug dealer,” “god save me” and the cringe-inducing “emo girl,” the album starts to feel like a lazy attempt at recreating the same sound from “Tickets to My Downfall.”

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BY XAVIER GOLDEN SENIOR ART EDUCATION WEB@LANTHORN.COM

In September 2021 I, alongside my roommates, wrote the rules for the Unofficial Grand Valley State University Tabletop Role-Playing Game. Truly, this was a time before final projects, exams and medical school applications.

It was a combination of ignorance and hope that made us okay with not knowing. No matter what we would end up deciding about our futures, we knew those choices weren’t a burden to us at that moment.

This was only enhanced by the sense of community that prevailed across campus. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, dorm buildings, dining halls and even walkways were filled with fellow college students. There was a sense of togetherness and community that was dashed

by COVID-19 restrictions as we entered the middle of our college careers.

As upperclassmen, tasked with covering campus news and events, we have observed a distinct shift in GVSU’s campus culture.

All the stresses and decisions of life were thrown to the forefront of our minds as we worried about the health of our families and ourselves, online classes, canceled campus activities and a lack of sporting events. The things that define the “college experience” and motivate many students to go away to college were gone.

GVL OPINION POLICY

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:

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Column: I can’t play the Unofficial GVSU TTRPG, so now you have to We came up with roles, rules and a character creation system, but we never actually got the chance to play it. Being seniors, as the 20212022 school year progressed, life got in the way and time ran out.

Soon, roommates and friends were moving out and schedules became cluttered with due dates and pseudo-depressive episodes.

My friends and I might find a time and a place to play the— and I cannot emphasize the ‘unofficial’ part of the title enough— Unofficial GVSU TTRPG, but until then, here are some very broad rules so you might have a chance to play it yourself. All you’ll need are some dice, pencils and paper.

The premise of the Unofficial GVSU TTRPG (which is largely owed to my pre-med roommate) is simple enough; the large-scale lies and confusion of the Trump admin-

s members of the “Lanthorn” editorial board, several members are graduating in just one month or have only a couple of semesters left to go.

It’s exciting to know that we will soon accept our diplomas and start living “real” life, but it’s also a period of nostalgia and reflection on our time at GVSU. When most of the “Lanthorn” editorial board members walked onto GVSU’s campus for the first time three or four years ago, there was a sense of eagerness and excitement to start our posthigh school careers.

Walking into freshman-living centers was filled with excitement and some anxiety. Community centers are filled with new faces and possible friendships. The campus felt much bigger than it actually is, as thousands of students packed “freshman land.”

Perhaps the most memorable thing about our first years at GVSU was not knowing what was to come next. Some of us hadn’t picked our majors, didn’t know what classes we were interested in or what parttime jobs we wanted. The best thing of all was that this didn’t seem to matter.

istration and the baseless disinformation campaigns that undermined COVID-19 safety guidelines have damaged the fabric of reality and the collective American psyche, allowing supernatural creatures and forces to manifest themselves on GVSU’s campus from the psychically-damaged minds of its students, who must take it upon themselves to solve the problem. (Monsters are leaping out of students’ imaginations and into the real world, and they have to fight them.)

There are two roles in the Unofficial GVSU TTRPG: “Students” and the “Dean.” The Dean is like the Dungeon Master (of Dungeons and Dragons), running the game and guiding the direction of the story.

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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.

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A5 | NEWS

APRIL 4, 2022 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS REGISTRATION

GV offers unique opportunities for students to study cannabis operation

BY JAMIE WILSON NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

What began as a single class in 2019 called Cannabis Regulations and Tourism, HTM 242 has now expanded into an opportunity for students to receive a badge, certificate or minor in cannabis operation.

“At the time, HTM 242 was the first course in the nation that focused on the impacts of legalized cannabis on the hospitality and tourism industry,” said John Lipford, an affiliate professor for Grand Valley State University’s Hospitality and Tourism Management (HTM) program.

Both the badge and the certificate are completed online, while the minor now offers in-person courses for students.

Lipford said the badge can be earned with the completion of three courses that offer students a holistic look at the cannabis industry. Degree-seeking and non-degree-seeking students, such as alumni, are able to register for these classes and receive the badge.

“I’m really happy about offering students the opportunity to get a certificate,” Lipford said. “It’s an interdisciplinary type of certificate where we incorporate criminal justice, social justice issues, social equity, social work, government and nonprofit

administration, as well as hospitality and tourism as an underlying theme that shows how legal cannabis impacts communities both positively and negatively.”

The certificate in cannabis operations and community planning can be earned after taking six additional credits. This will offer students an experiential component where they have the opportunity to create marketing plans, plan events and work with governments to draft ordinances.

“Achieving these credentials makes students more well-rounded and prepared for the industry,” Lipford said. “It gives this growing industry a greater pool of employees.”

Michigan currently has the third-highest number of cannabis jobs in the country and “Marijuana Moment” reported 1.8 billion dollars in Michigan cannabis sales in 2021 alone.

“The state recently released $42 million dollars, which is being doled out to the communities in the state that have chosen to participate in legal cannabis,” Lipford said. “This money can then be used for a variety of community-oriented issues like social work, education and more.”

Currently, there are 50 institutions across the nation that offer some curricula in cannabis operation.

One complexity addressed in the pro-

MARIJUANA: GV’s Hospitality and Tourism Management (HTM) program now offers new opportunities for students to receive a badge, certificate or minor in cannabis operation. GVL | RACHEL SLOMBA

gram is the intersection between federal law’s current status of cannabis as a Schedule I drug and states deciding to incorporate it into their markets.

“I think this intersection is where a lot of educational institutions’ hesitation to incorporate cannabis education into their curriculum comes from,” Lipford said. “However, there are students interested in the industry or in industries that are involved in the complexities

around cannabis like government and the hospitality and tourism industries, so GVSU has decided to try and satisfy this interest.”

With registration for fall 2022 opening to students, Lipford and the HTM Program Director, Kristen Jack, are finding new ways to promote this new opportunity for students.

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POLICE

GVPD responds to mental health calls, encourages reaching out for help

BY EMMA ARMIJO NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

CALL: Grand Valley’s Police Department keeps record of mental health related calls and encourages students to reach out. GVL | BRI CONWAY

Grand Valley State University’s Police Department reports about two to four mental health-related calls on campus per week.

These calls can require different responses, but most come in outside of the counseling center’s open hours.

“So as we move into April, that’s a common occurrence for us to deal with mental-health situations in various forms from lower level up to people that have suicidal ideations or are threatening suicide actively,” said GVPD Captain Jeffrey Stoll. “We work with our campus partners to try and mitigate that at the moment.”

GVPD has collected data throughout the years that divides the mental health calls to GVPD into four categories: suicidal ideation, intent/plan, attempt and completed suicide.

From 2016 to ‘19, GVSU’s total mental health cases called into GVPD stayed at around 20 to 30 calls per year.

The data shifted when COVID-19 struck and as the campus population decreased, the calls did as well.

Once the campus fully reopened, however, the numbers went right back to the original trend, with 26 mental health calls in 2021. Of those calls, 63.6% resulted in students being transported to the hospital.

Captain Stoll said that while some of the data can be misleading because of a decrease in campus population, an increase in calls could be due to students becoming more willing to reach out for help when they need it.

“We want people to come forward when there’s a mental health issue, and in doing so, that’s going to generate some numbers and responses that may be concerning, but I would submit are beneficial because they are people that are seeking and getting help to prevent a tragedy,” Stoll said. “I’d much rather talk to them as they’re on the slide downward in the beginning, rather than when they’re at the very bottom.”

Detective Phil Reinink of the Grand Rapids Police Department handles mental-health calls more frequently than GVPD. GRPD responds to multiple calls per day, with an entire task force dedicated solely to the homeless community.

“Without looking at the true numbers I would guess that 10 to 25 calls a day for our patrol officers have some type of mental health element to them,” Reinink said.

“We won’t give up our tactics on how we’re safe with any of these calls, but being able to teach and be able to deescalate these type of calls is the most important thing we do.”

The homeless community in Grand Rapids accounts for many mental health calls, but the Homeless Outreach Team (HOT) has helped to decrease the numbers for that community.

The general response for a mental health call from either GVPD or GRPD includes a multiple-officer team. The officers are able to assess the situation, try to calm the victim and connect them with the resources and support they need to move forward.

“If our officers are responding to a mental health pick-up order or suicidal subject, a lot of the time a supervisor will respond with them,” Reinink said. “We don’t send any less than 2-3 officers on these types of calls as they can go from 0-100 in seconds.”

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A6 | NEWS

APRIL 4, 2022 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

OPPORTUNITY

GV College of Health Professions partners with Samaritas for new student program

BY GRACE SMITH NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

Grand Valley State University’s College of Health Professions will be piloting a partnership program with Samaritas Senior Living of Grand Rapids beginning in the fall of 2022.

Through this program, two GVSU College of Health Professions students will be selected to take part in an immersive intergenerational experience.

During the school year, participants will work and reside alongside seniors at Samaritas in exchange for discounted housing.

“There are really some huge benefits for students, especially students going into healthcare,” said Dawn DeVries, Program Director and associate professor of GVSU’s recreational therapy program.

“With the experience of living among an older adult, you’re going to develop empathy. You’re going to see the ins and outs of daily life, not just the problems we tend to focus on in health care, and you’re just going to have that real opportunity to really see what it’s like to age.”

Participants will be expected to provide at least 10 volunteer hours a week at Samaritas in exchange for the reduced housing expenses. DeVries said that Samaritas’ goal is to have these volunteer hours be a combination of social and academic.

“The students are going to have some different opportunities based on what

their interests are,” DeVries said. “Somebody might want to lead an exercise group because they’re going into exercise science or PT, or a rec therapy major wants to do a reminiscing group or a cognitive training group, the students will have those kinds of opportunities.”

In exchange for their voluntary participation, students will be provided with a one-bedroom apartment for $100 dollars a month along with two free meals a day.

Program directors said they hope to expand the program by eventually increasing the number of students residing at Samaritas.

“We are looking forward to expanding our affiliation with Samaritas beyond our clinical affiliation agreement,” said Teresa Beck, acting Dean of the College of Health Professions, to GVNext. “This living and learning opportunity has the ability to have a tremendous impact on the students as well as the Samaritas residents through the intergenerational programming.”

For those interested in applying for the partnership, Samaritas requests a letter of recommendation from a GVSU faculty member as well as a letter to the residents of Samaritas explaining why applicants would be a good fit for the partnership

by Friday, April 15, 2022.

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HEALTH CARE: Grand Valley State University recently partnered with Samaritas Senior Living of Grand Rapids to offer students an opportunity to reside alongside seniors. Students will receive discounted housing and free meals in exchange for 10 weekly volunteer hours. GVL | MAX RITCHIE

A7 | LAKER LIFE

APRIL 4, 2022 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLLAKERLIFE

A LOOK AT LIFESTYLE GV AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY HOSTS FIRST IN-PERSON RELAY FOR LIFE IN TWO YEARS Relay for Life of Grand Valley State University was held from April 1-2 at the Fieldhouse Arena. The event was hosted by the American Cancer Society (ACS) of GVSU. The COVID-19 pandemic moved GVSU’s ACS events outdoors or online.

This year’s Relay for Life of GVSU was the first in-person Relay since 2019.

ACS of GVSU Vice President Nicole Miller said the intervening years of virtual events affected the process of organizing Relay.

“We have two new classes that have never been part of an in-person Relay,” Miller said. “So most people either don’t know what Relay is or have no idea what to expect.”

While participants walked laps around the Fieldhouse Arena, the event featured live music, yard games and an inflatable obstacle course.

Miller said further challenges included raising awareness of the event in the GVSU community, but ACS is optimistic about the turnout for upcoming events.

“We had our biggest year in 2019, this year, as a rebuilding year, is setting us up well for the future,” Miller said. “I hope, next year, we can get as many people on campus involved as possible.”

By the end of the event on April 2, the ACS of GVSU had raised over $30,000. “(That money) will be going towards ACS and their research efforts, and services they provide to cancer patients and their families, like running the National Cancer Information Center and things like Road to Recovery, which gives chemo patients rides to treatment,” Miller said.

Miller has been participating in Relay for Life for over a decade and noted some differences between the community events of her childhood and Relay at GVSU. “I think people get a little more involved with a student event, and it’s a lot of fun,” Miller said. “Like the sandcastle contest, there are more youthful activities.”

Miller also spoke to her history with Relay and its personal importance.

“Cancer is a horrible thing, but it brings people together and unites them in a common cause,” Miller said. “We all come from different backgrounds and have different beliefs, but we all get to share in this one thing to help end cancer.”

TRADITION

Indigi-Fest discusses indigenous culture, food and powwow etiquette

BY MELIA WILLIAMS LAKERLIFE@LANTHORN.COM

In past years at Grand Valley State University, the Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA) has hosted an annual powwow in honor of indigenous people and their heritage. Historically, the ceremony involved feasting, singing and dancing. Due to COVID-19, this event has been replaced by a two-day celebration called Indigi-Fest that covers the same information in a pandemic-friendly format.

This year’s Indigi-Fest took place in the Kirkhof Center’s Grand River Room on March 30 and 31. The event was organized by the Native American Student Association and led by the organization’s president, Jacob Klanke.

“This year, to keep safety in mind, we are hosting this event as a big gathering conference where we can learn what’s done in a powwow without an actual powwow,” Klanke said.

Indigi-Fest kicked off early, with the first events starting at 9:30 a.m. The black ash presentation took place first and taught the audience about a material that’s commonly used to make traditional baskets. The next presentation focused on food sovereignty and the significance of food in indigenous culture began at 11:30 a.m.

This food sovereignty presentation ex-

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HERITAGE: Indigi-Fest featured investigations of many aspects of indigenous culture, including the importance of food sovereignty, family togetherness, and tradition. GVL / LAUREN SEYMOUR

ANCESTRY

Michigan Fosters hosts webinar on breaking the mold of generational trauma

BY STEVEN LAWRENCE LAKERLIFE@LANTHORN.COM

CELEBRATE AAPI HERITAGE AND HISTORY

The Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA) is hosting an interactive presentation that discusses the history of racism against AAPI Americans on Wednesday, April 6. By the end of the presentation, OMA says students will be able to identify historical events that have impacted AAPI Americans, define differences between racism and microaggressions, and understand how to be an ally to AAPI Americans. This event is open to students and approved for INT 100 and INT 201.

plained that most people don’t think about where their food comes from. In indigenous cultures, there are stories that describe the food or provide an explanation for why it’s eaten. Food is an important aspect of indigenous cultures, carrying significant physical and spiritual value.

“I think the food has its own sort of history, and (symbolizes) the things we hold important to us,” Klanke said.

Indigi-Fest’s final event was a reimagining of the powwow event from past indigenous celebrations. The powwow featured dancers like years past, but also included an informational explanation of powwow etiquette.

The powwow provided a snapshot of how Indigi-Fest differed from past indigenous celebration events at GVSU. While the lively atmosphere was still there throughout both days, Indigi-Fest showed a unique commitment to informing the audience about the cultural significance behind each of the three events.

“Indigenous cultures tend to be thought of as a one-size-fits-all,” Klanke said. “An event like this is where you can learn, but not put yourself in a position to be vulnerable.”

AWARENESS: The webinar’s principal goal was to teach students about effective ways to remedy their generational trauma. GVL / SYDNEY LIM

A recent webinar held by Michigan Fosters and the Grand Valley State University Master of Public Health Program candidates Marissa Moore, Allison Selner, Danielle DeHetre and Megan Kwantes discussed generational trauma as it relates to the foster care system and how it can affect people’s lives.

The webinar was titled “Breaking the Cycle of Generational Trauma.”

In a recent study conducted by Children’s Rights, it was found that in 2019 over 672,000 children spent time in the United States’ foster-care system. The study also found that on average, children are in the foster-care system for over a year-and-a-half and 5% of children in foster care have lived in the system for five or more years. The presenters at the webinar taught the audience how to help those who may have trauma from spending time in foster care.

Moore said one of the main goals of the webinar was to increase awareness of generational trauma and how it relates to the foster-care system. The webinar also covered

how those who’re still harboring trauma from time in foster care can healthily advocate for themselves and for others.

“Bringing awareness to such an important topic is extremely powerful and that is what we were aiming to do,” Moore said.

Trauma can manifest itself in many ways.

Affected individuals might be more resistant to communicating their feelings, talking about their traumatic experiences and allowing others to help them. Generational trauma involves these feelings becoming an integral part of several generations of a family.

In addition to bringing awareness to generational trauma in the foster-care system, the webinar also taught attendees how they can create change in themselves and their families. The goal of these lessons was to encourage attendees to think about how positive changes in dealing with trauma can help put an end to its impact on future generations.

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APRIL 4, 2022 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLARTS

A8&9 | ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT

BY SABRINA EDWARDS ARTS@LANTHORN.COM

This past weekend the Campus Activities Board hosted rapper Yung Gravy for the annual spring concert.

This was the first spring concert since Blackbear performed at Grand Valley State University in 2019.

Yung Gravy took the stage at the Fieldhouse Arena on April 2.

The event sold 4,500 tickets, which was the maximum capacity for the Fieldhouse Arena. This comes after T-Pain’s performance was canceled in 2020 due to COVID-19.

Matthew Raymond Huri, also known as Yung Gravy, is a 26-yearold rapper from Minnesota. His career took off in 2017 with his song “Mr. Clean,” which samples “Mr. Sandman” by The Cordettes.

Since its release, Yung Gravy’s song has gone platinum.

The concert was opened by DJ EDERZ, also known as Matthew Ednie, an emerging DJ from the Detroit area. He opened the set by mixing popular songs, giving them a house-party twist. He played both classic pop hits and new favorites, sampling Labrinth’s “Still Don’t Know My Name,” which was made popularized on “Euphoria.”

“The best part is the way I feel when I’m performing,” EDERZ said. “It’s awesome to make a bunch of people happy in a live setting, live music obviously brings everyone together. For everyone to be vibing and having a really good time to the same song in the same moment, it’s unexplainable really.”

EDERZ tries not to conform to one specific genre. He blends dubstep, house, trap and hip-hop turning each song into a unique experience. EDERZ has been DJ’ing for seven years, starting when he was a junior in high school. EDERZ is a Central Michigan University alumnus and often plays in Mt. Pleasant at venues such as Wayside and Encore The Nightclub. This is his first time playing a set on the west side of the state.

“My vision is always to bring fun, I always want to throw the crowd

something that they might not expect to hear in a DJ set,” EDERZ said. “I want to play them music and mix things together that they’re not going to be able to hear on the radio or something that you’re only going to be able to hear at a live show. I don’t really want to combine to one genre specifically; if it gets a good reaction, I love it.”

EDERZ is a self-taught DJ and he advises anyone who is interested in learning to buy a mixing board and start practicing. He recalls the hardest part of starting out is getting the first paid gig, recalling that the most important thing is networking to get connections. He describes the moment of being told he was opening for Yung Gravy as “pure excitement.”

“I was thrilled, my buddies that play hockey actually put me onto him years back when he was still growing as a musician,” EDERZ said. “I loved his music back then, so for everything to come full circle is just amazing.”

After DJ EDERZ’s set, Yung Gravy’s DJ, DJ Tiiiiiiiiiip, came out to play to warm up the crowd for the rapper.

He played classics like “Sweet Caroline,” “Party in the USA” and “Burning Up” to get the crowd ready.

Throughout his other shows, Yung Gravy often throws out items to the crowd. During this show, he stopped the show to throw out signed Lunchables and water bottles. One audience member held up their prosthetic leg, getting the rapper’s attention and received a Lunchable.

Unlike previous years, CAB didn’t send out an email to students to gauge who they would want to see perform at the spring concert. Erin Westberg, Director of Live Music, was in charge of finding an artist that would fit best. At Campus Life Night, CAB had a whiteboard where students could write down artists they wanted to see or genres or music they enjoy. After pooling them all together, Westberg noticed that people were interested in pop and party music.

“I figured out demographics, different genres and different age

groups,” Westberg said. “I found that pop and party music was a big thing with people our age, so I went from the genre to looking at the list the agent provided for us, when I saw his name (Yung Gravy) we went from there.”

CAB has been planning this concert since last semester. The longest part was filling out the paperwork with the agencies and solidifying the contacts. After months of work, their efforts paid off.

Some of the CAB members have been a part of the group for all four years while at GVSU, so this experience made up for the previously canceled 2020 concert.

“I have a unique experience of being in CAB for four years but this is only the second spring concert we’ve had,” said CAB president Jay Chapa. “My first year I didn’t get a lot of the behind the scenes, but it’s been really cool to see how Erin has taken autonomy in this role and how they’ve found ways to listen to what the student body wanted and work with our advisors to make it all come together.”

While the organization of the event went smoothly, there were still some issues that CAB faced when putting together this event.

“It has been hard seeing students not be as receptive to some things,” Chapa said. “We definitely want to have a space where students feel comfortable sharing those feelings with us, but we’d like to hear maybe a bit more on why students are upset. We also think it’s a great opportunity to know if students are looking for something different or something more.”

Chapa said she wants students to share their feelings with CAB moving forward. For CAB, it was difficult to figure out the one artist that fits what everyone wants to see, but they feel like with Yung Gravy they achieved that as best as they could.

“I’m very excited and I’m very interested to see how it’ll go because the campus culture is so different,” Chapa said. “Not in a good or bad way, it just is different, and I’m very

excited to see because I feel like the demographic and what we’ve heard people say as well as the people we’ve seen buy tickets come from all sorts of areas on campus. So, I feel like it’ll be a unique event in terms of all sorts of people are going to come.”

Returning students who went to the Blackbear concert were happier with this concert. So the changes CAB made were well received by some.

“I think that Yung Gravy was a good selection for Grand Valley and what everyone likes,” said Holly Heathfield, a GVSU student. “I didn’t go to the Blackbear concert and I know a lot of other people didn’t go, so this made more sense to me.”

While many students had fun at the concert. there was some confusion about specific rules, like if masks were acquired at the event.

Before the event, there were questions being asked on CAB’s Instagram asking if they were required.

“It was super fun, but I remember there being some confusion about whether or not we need masks, which was interesting that we didn’t need them for the concert but had to wear them in class,” Heathfield said. “It just doesn’t make sense because everyone is piled in on top of each other, but we need them in the classroom.”

CAB is recruiting new members for next year and their applications are currently open. Those who are a part of CAB have the opportunity to plan events like these, Chapa said.

With the spring concert having been canceled for a few years, CAB knew that students were excited for the event to come back, but they didn’t feel any pressure. Westberg said she felt all of the events flowed together nicely.

“I think something really awesome about this year is that we had the opportunity to start with a clean slate,” Chapa said. “The students that we have that are engaging with CAB are almost entirely different than they have been before. It’s not so much of a sense of pressure but an opportunity.”

APRIL 4, 2022 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLLAKERLIFE

A10 | LAKER LIFE EDUCATION

Film and Speakers series investigates CRT

BY CLEMENCE DANIERE LAKERLIFE@LANTHORN.COM

On March 31, Grand Valley State University held its fifth annual Film & Speakers Series. The event was hosted by the Educational Foundations faculty of the College of Education and Community Innovation.

Speakers from various educational backgrounds and institutions were invited to share their opinions about Black-history education.

In the past few years, these events have created an environment where discussion of “controversial” topics often leads to deeper understanding. These topics have included school violence, civil discourse and the criminalization of Black women. But this year’s event was focused on Critical Race Theory (CRT) and the far-right’s recent attempt to keep the language and history of race out of schools.

“We wanted to contribute something that would be beneficial, informative and would strike a conversation between different individuals,” said professor and co-leader of the event Chasity Bailey-Fakhoury.

CRT has become a heavily-discussed and politically-charged topic in recent years.

Critics have used CRT as an umbrella-term for talking about race in the classroom. Legislation against CRT has been introduced and even passed in certain states.

Although Michigan hasn’t passed anti-CRT legislation, other states including Tennessee, Georgia and Florida have successfully passed restrictions on what teachers are allowed to teach in their classrooms.

These policies target topics like race, sexual orientation and climate change.

Professor Dorinda Carter Andrews, chair of the Department of Teacher Education at Michigan State University, was invited to speak on her expertise and research findings about CRT in the classroom. Part of her research is focused on educational equity.

Journalist Chastity Pratt also spoke at the event. Pratt shared her accomplishments and observations as an award-win-

ning journalist and instructor at Harvard University. She has spent the majority of her career covering issues within the field of education, such as what she calls the “miseducation of Michigan.”

According to Pratt’s research, Michigan students tend to have below-average test scores when in social studies. Pratt said she’s afraid that anti-CRT legislation could water that knowledge down even more.

Pratt dives deeper into this topic in her “Bridge Michigan” article titled “The miseducation of Michigan: How state fails kids in black history.”

“This is a national movement that they see when it comes to their fields and that are targeting history and anti-history bills that are being currently created,’’ Bailey-Fakhoury said. “She helped us conceptualize that movement.”

Kefense Chike, Wayne State University professor of African-American Studies, spoke about the cyclical aspects of this movement. He warned the audience about pushback against CRT, saying that it was a manufactured crisis. Chike said advancements made in 2020 with the multiracial and multigenerational movement of Black Lives Matter are not talked about anymore, proving the cyclical nature of these social advancements.

“These anti-CRT bills and anti-history bills are political movements that are funded and are used as political issues so we want voters, citizens, students and the community to be educated,” Bailey-Fakhoury said.

With these conversations featuring experts in their fields, GVSU hopes for future educators to learn important facts about this landmark moment in the history of education. Michigan teachers’ ability to teach certain aspects of Black history could be undermined by legislation that’s currently sitting in the Michigan House.

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RESTRICTIONS: Critical Race Theory has been a popular point of conversation among lawmakers who believe certain subjects are not appropriate to teach in some classrooms. GVL / SYDNEY LIM

APRIL 4, 2022 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLARTS

A11 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

ARTS AT A GLANCE GV TO HOST “MR. BURNS: A POSTELECTRIC PLAY”

The Theatre department at Grand Valley State University is hosting “Mr. Burns: A Post Electric Play” until April 10. There will be showings April 7-10; the play will start at 7:30 p.m. on the April 7-9 showings and then at 2 p.m. on April 10. “Mr. Burns: A Post Electric Play” is written by Anne Washburn with music

by Michael Friedman. This play is directed by Diane Machin. The show will take place at the Lin Maxwell Keller Black Box Theatre. This play is a dark comedy that explores myths and stories and follows a group that finds common ground in the retelling of an episode of “The Simpsons” after a global catastrophe.

Tickets are available to be purchased online and range from $7 to $17.

DANCE TROUPE PRESENTS “KICKS FOR KESEM” GVSU’s Dance Troupe is hosting their winter recital, “Kicks for Kesem.” There will be performances on April 8 and 9. The performance on Friday will start at 7 p.m. and 1 p.m. on Saturday. This event is open to the public. GVSU’s Dance Troupe is a student organization that works in partnership with children with cancer. All the money raised from this recital will be going to help fund a camp for children with cancer. Tickets are $5 per person, however, children aged five and under are free.

TRUMPET STUDIO TO PERFORM AT HAAS CENTER

The GVSU Trumpet Studio is performing a full evening of trumpet ensemble music on the night of April 6. The recital will begin at 7:30 p.m. and will feature music arranged by members of the studio, as well as works

by Danny Elfman, Panic! at the Disco, Steely Dan and more artists. This event is open to the public.

PERFORMANCE

GV Animation Students collaborate with GR Ballet

BY AYRON RUTAN ARTS@LANTHORN.COM

The Grand Rapids Ballet highlighted local organizations as a part of their “Jumpstart 2022 Refocus” performance on March 25-27. One of those groups was Grand Valley State University’s animation students, who played a role in the Ballet’s 50th-anniversary celebration.

Under the tutelage of GVSU film and video production professor and Animation Emphasis Coordinator Julie Goldstein, the students helped create digital backgrounds to accompany the dancers while performing on stage. Goldstein was particularly excited about the opportunity.

“It was an honor to be invited to represent GVSU for the ‘Jumpstart 2022 Refocus’ performance at the 50th-anniversary celebration of the Grand Rapids Ballet,” Goldstein said. “I was so excited to be able to involve the students in the process and give everyone the chance to participate in a project with the only professional ballet company in Michigan.”

To create the backdrops, Goldstein and her class worked with dancer Emily Reed.

Reed guided the class with keywords related to the project. It featured four dancers, two songs and was inspired by words from a recording of Alan Watts’ “A Conversation with Myself.” Goldstein said she enjoyed the

creative process, noting how easy it was to work with Reed.

“The process was very organic as we were working back and forth with Emily in order to see what elements worked best,” Goldstein said. “We would generate hand-drawn animated cycles and insert the animation into rough sequences to see how the animation worked with the dancers. The forest background was generated with 3D animation in the Unity game engine. The composite tests were done various times until we reached the final version.”

Daniel Overway was one of the animation students who worked on the project.

Overway said he was excited to be working with the Grand Rapids Ballet.

“My primary thoughts at the time were ‘what kind of animations does a Ballet need, and are we ready to work for a client?’”

Overway said. “I was also a bit excited to see how the experience of animating for someone would feel and how the planning process would go.”

One background that Overway worked on was that of a bird, which he said was his favorite because of its many colorful elements.

“My favorite piece of background I worked on was a bird animation since it came out smoothly and the coloring went decently,” Overway said. “As for my contributions, I made some expression lines, but my primary focus was on woodland ele-

ments, so some mushrooms, flowers, a butterfly, dragonfly and a bird.”

The opportunity to work with a company like the Grand Rapids Ballet was an experience that Goldstein said her class was extremely proud of and grateful for, as they believe it gave them real-world experience that would benefit them after graduating from GVSU. “I am so proud of both the animation and new media students who were involved as they were able to work on the fly and be flexible with the process,” Goldstein said.

“One essential takeaway is that when working with a client, there are many changes that need to be addressed before the final project comes to fruition. The real-world experience seemed to make an impression on many of them and now they will be able to add this unique opportunity to their resumes.”

This experience gave students the chance to have real world meetings while still in the classroom.

“The biggest thing I got from this experience was meeting the client’s expectations,” Overway said. “We had an overall color chart so we could try and match the dancers’ costumes and I got the opportunity to experiment with different art styles so the animations would match with the background more.”

ARTS CELEBRATION LECTURE HOSTING AUTHOR HANIF ABDURRAQIB Poet, essayist and cultural critic Hanif Abdurraqib is the featured guest at this year’s Arts Celebration Lecture. Abdurraqib’s work has been published in Muzzle, Vinyl, PEN American and various other popular journals. He recently released a new book titled “A Little Devil in America: Notes in Praise of Black Performance.” The event will also feature a conversation between Abdurraqib and professor Louis Moore, who teaches African American history. This event is open to students and is approved for INT 100 and INT 201.

SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME PREMIERING AT KIRKHOF The biggest film of 2021 is making its long-awaited premiere at the Kirkhof Big Screen Theater. Spider-Man: No Way Home brought back some of the series’ most legendary villains including Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus and Electro, and grossed over $1.8 billion at the box office as a result.

The film will be screened at 7 p.m. on April 8 in the big-screen theater.

BALLET: Grand Valley State University film and animation students partnered with The Grand Rapids Ballet to produce animated backdrops for their performances with themes centered around nature and animals for their 50th anniversary celebratory performance in March. GVL | MEGHAN LANDGREN

A12 | SPORTS

APRIL 4, 2022 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

APRIL 4, 2022 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

A13 | SPORTS

APRIL 4, 2022 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLSPORTS

A14 | SPORTS QUICK HITS BOTH GV TENNIS TEAMS DEFEAT DAVENPORT 6-1

Celebrating senior night on April 2, both the men’s and women’s tennis teams extended their win streaks to four on the men’s side and five on the women’s side against Davenport University.

At the Premier Athletic and Tennis Club in Grand Rapids, the men improved to a 12-3 overall record and 4-1 in the GLIAC, while the women went 10-4 overall and 5-0 in the GLIAC. On the men’s side, seniors Josep Canyadell and Tomas Oliveira claimed their fourth straight doubles win making them undefeated in GLIAC play so far, scoring 6-2. The other doubles pair, junior Sean Miller and senior Martin Matov, claimed a 7-5 win, making their GLIAC record 4-1 together. For singles, Canyadell earned two wins for the Lakers with 6-0 and 7-5 wins. Miller added his 6-4 and 7-6, followed by Oliveira’s two 6-3 wins. Sophomore Freddy Cossio won both of his singles as well, going 6-0 and 6-3, and senior Jack Dausman concluded the singles wins with both of his 6-0 shutouts.

For the women’s team, both doubles teams maintained their 5-0 undefeated GLIAC streaks, starting with sisters Vera Griva (senior) and Vasileia Griva (sophomore) winning 6-0 alongside junior Taylor Barrett and freshman Estephania Hernandez who also won their sets 6-0. For the singles, senior Marija Leko won both her matches 6-2 and 6-0, Barrett added two wins 7-5 and 6-4 and sophomore Sophia Hanover claimed two 6-2 wins. Continuing their individual 5-0 win streaks, Vasileia and Hernandez won their matches 6-1 and 6-2.

GV BASKETBALL WELCOMES CORNELL MANN AS NEW HEAD COACH

At the end of the men’s basketball season, the announcement of 18-season head coach Ric Wesley’s departure from the program prompted the hiring of Cornell Mann for next year as the sixth head coach in program history.

Starting at Central Michigan University as a member of the coaching staff from 2001-03, Mann was a part of the Chippewas advance to the tournament in 2003, then moved to Western Michigan University from 2003-08 following the Broncos to a Big Dance appearance in 2004.

Among the many incredible student-athletes that Mann worked with, Western’s all-time leading scorer in Mid-American Conference history David Kool was one of them.

Moving to the University of Dayton from 2008-11, Mann was a part of the coaching staff that made it to three-straight postseasons, contributing to Dayton’s second-most wins in school history at 27 and a second round NCAA Tournament appearance.

After a short stint at Oakland University from 2016-17, Mann moved to the University of Missouri where he coached with Cuonzo Martin from 2017-21 where he helped bring the Tigers to their first NCAA Tournament in five years where they recorded a 20-win season. Mann recruited First Team All-SEC Kassius Robertson as just another one of the six All-American athletes and eight NBA draftees during his lengthy and impressive coaching career over the last two decades.

SOCCER

First-year GV soccer coach Jim Conlon steps down

BY HOLLY BIHLMAN SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM

After yet another incredible soccer season, the Grand Valley State University women’s soccer team bids another farewell to their second head coach in the last two years, Jim Conlon.

Coming to GVSU to replace coach Jeff Hosler after seven years, Conlon started off with the Lakers at the beginning of the 2021 fall season to go on to win the teams’ seventh NCAA DII National Championship.

Before coming to GVSU, Conlon coached the DIII Washington University Bears to three National Championships, so his success this past season after the jump up to DII was even more sweet.

The roster that Conlon inherited from Hosler was a huge contributing factor in that success, highlighted by senior midfielder Cecilia Steinwascher, the four-time FirstTeam All-America and All-Region winner and United Soccer Coaches National Player of the Year. She’s also a three-time GLIAC Defensive Player of the Year recipient — the first in GLIAC history to receive the award three times. For her performance this past season, she was a finalist for the prestigious DII Honda Athlete of the Year award.

The team’s 24-1-2 overall record was a result of was helped by junior forward Greta DeLoach’s 20 goals on the season, sophomore Kennedy Bearden’s 15, redshirt fresh-

MENTAL HEALTH: Jim Conlon is stepping down as the head coach of the women’s soccer program after taking the Lakers to their seventh NCAA National Championship. GVL | ANNABELLE ROBINSON

man Taylor Reid’s seven, among the many other leading contributors on this season’s elite roster. The team was also able to achieve 18 shutout games, leading the entire NCAA for the 2021 season.

With great success in his inaugural season with the Lakers, Conlon’s decision to step down as the head coach came as a surprise to the team once again, but due to mental health concerns with Conlon’s family. The GVSU community has shown great support for his difficult decision.

“I’ve had an amazing experience working at this university and with such outstanding

young women, coaches and administrators,” Conlon said in his official announcement.

“I will always cherish the relationships I’ve made and value the experience and memories from my short time here.”

As just the fourth coach in GVSU soccer program’s history, Conlon took the reigns on an already outstanding team’s season, allowing the Lakers to do the work they knew needed to be done, leaving a legacy nonetheless despite his short-term stay.

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SOFTBALL

GV Softball splits doubleheader with rival Bulldogs

BY JUSTICE STEINER SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM

The Grand Valley State University (174) softball team defeated rival Ferris State University (10-17) on April 2 by a score of 3-1 before dropping the second game of the doubleheader 8-3.

BATTING: The Lakers came out strong in their first game against the Bulldogs, but fell 8-3 in the second game of the day. GVL | SYDNEY LIM

“We played well in the first game, obviously behind Hannah Beatus, I think we always seem to have a little bit more confidence,” said coach Dana Callihan. “In the second game we just let the other team take control of things and we didn’t control things the way we needed to, both offensively and defensively. We’ve got to get that back somehow.”

Beatus, a redshirt junior pitcher got the Lakers off to a good start, allowing zero hits in the first inning which gave the Laker offense the chance to gain an early lead. Senior infielder Taylor Rieger had the Lakers on the board early, as she hit a double into left-center field to bring home lead-off hitter senior outfielder Joanna Cirrincione, who was walked to start the bottom of the first inning.

“It’s always important to score first in that first inning, especially just to set the tone for the game and set the tone for our pitcher going forward,” Cirrincione said.

The Lakers went on to score all three of their runs in the first inning, as Rieger and redshirt junior infielder Lydia Gobel scored the second and third runs for GVSU. With the early 3-0 lead, the Bulldogs did respond

in the top of the second inning, scoring their only run of the first game.

For the remainder of the contest, it was a pitching battle as no more runs were scored in the final five innings, which was led by Beatus, who only gave up one hit in that span.

“She (Beatus) is going to get more ground balls, missed hits, those kinds of things, so the defense is going to have the chance to play the ball a little bit more and they did a nice job,” Callihan said.

At the start of the second game, the roles seemed to reverse as this time the Bulldogs were the ones to get out to a quick start, gaining a 3-0 lead behind two home runs in the first inning.

With the early deficit, Callihan made a pitching change to begin the second inning, pulling junior Hannah Dieck and putting sophomore Genesis Eggart on the mound.

“You could just tell that Dieck wasn’t as sharp as she needed to be,” Callihan said.

“Just even the miss pitches were not where they needed to be and stuff like that.

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APRIL 4, 2022 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLSPORTS

A15 | SPORTS

LACROSSE

GV Lacrosse dominates cross-town rival Davenport in 19-3 win

BY JAMES HERRICK SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM

The no. 11 Grand Valley State University women’s lacrosse team (12-1) hosted cross-town rival no. 24 Davenport University (9-2) on March 30. The Lakers controlled the entirety of the game on their way to a 19-3 victory.

Sophomore attacker Maddy Champagne scored the Lakers’ first points offensively with a highlight-reel goal. While driving to the net, Champagne was fouled but still able to find the score as she got the shot off by sending the ball between her legs while facing backward. The ball went between the legs of Davenport’s goalie to give the Lakers an early lead. Davenport then attempted to respond as they were able to find a good shot on goal after long offensive possession, but sophomore goalie Audrey Malone made a save to prevent Davenport from gaining any momentum.

To help extend the early lead, freshman midfielder Ashleigh Rothe and sophomore attacker Molly Bursinger each scored. This put GVSU up 3-0. Davenport tried to stop the Laker’s early run with a goal of their own. Less than a minute later, junior attacker Kate DeYoung scored to get the Laker’s lead back to three. With one second left on the first-quarter clock, fifth-year midfielder Olivia Esposito scored a free-position shot

to put GVSU up 5-1.

A lot of this early success can be attributed to the Laker’s ability to control the draw and set the pace early led by Champagne, who competed in a large portion of the faceoffs.

“I think it helps us start really fast, which we did again today,” said coach Mackenzie Lawler. “We changed the game plan up a little bit on the draw and Maddy (Champagne) was winning more to herself, versus winning out on the circle to Molly (Bursinger). I think she has done an outstanding job, really bringing that back into her game and being really confident on the draw.”

The Laker’s momentum rode into the second quarter as they relentlessly added to the scoreboard. DeYoung and Rothe started this offensive attack as they each scored early in the second quarter. Sophomore midfielder Sydney Stone and Champagne each scored in the middle of the second quarter as well. Fifth-year attacker Sophie Conroy found the back of the net for the first time with two minutes left to go. To end the quarter, Esposito scored another closing goal, propelling GVSU to an 11-1 halftime lead.

Coming out of the half, Conroy caught fire and scored the first three goals of the quarter. The only other goal of the third quarter came from Esposito. At the end of the third, the Lakers led 15-1.

In the fourth quarter, Davenport at-

OFFENSE: The Lakers’ strong offensive showing was led by Maddy Champagne’s draw control and Sophie Conroy’s six goals for the 16-point advantage to end the game. GVL | ANNABELLE ROBINSON

tempted a late comeback as they scored two goals. However, two goals from Conroy and a goal from Rothe made it clear the Lakers would leave victorious. Sophomore midfielder Hailey Crittenden also added a goal before the final horn. In the end, the GVSU left with a 19-3 victory.

At the end of the day, Conroy finished with six goals and two assists. Esposito and Rothe each finished with three goals. Maddy Champagne finished the day with two goals and nine draw controls.

“I honestly could not (perform at that level) without my circle people,” Cham-

pagne said. “Without the communication, we would not be able to win that many.”

Once GVSU had the ball Conroy was able to manage the Laker’s offense. To pair with her impressive stat line, she led the offense while being efficient, shooting six for eight from the field.

“I think (her performance) just really speaks to her leadership and the drive she had to come back for her fifth year,” Lawler said.

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BASEBALL

GV Baseball postponed, Lakers prepare for full slate of games

BY BRIAN BLOOM SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM

The Grand Valley State University COVID-19 alert level dropped to one in March, but for student-athletes, that doesn’t always mean their seasons are in the clear.

Due to an outbreak at Purdue-Northwest University, the GVSU baseball team’s fourgame series scheduled for April 2-4 was postponed. “(The postponement) is very frustrat-

ing,” said senior pitcher Nick Shaw. “We work so hard day in and day out and we just want to play games. I’m used to things changing, I try not to think about it, (but) it’s pretty tough. Just when you think you’re out of (COVID-19), it comes back.

It’s so frustrating.”

Coming off of seven wins in their past 10 games, the team’s momentum is not slowing down despite the setback last week.

“Our mindset is to make sure we contin-

PITCHING: Despite the teams’ postponed games, GVSU Baseball is maintaining their momentum this season by keeping their mental games sharp during the off-weeks. COURTESY | GVSU ATHLETICS

ue to work and move forward at a championship pace,” Detillion said. “There’s no taking our foot off of the gas. We’re going at the right pace to prepare to go on a run.”

With their overall record at 15-7 so far this season, the key to getting the players to buy into the system has been seeing results show up in games and continued progression.

“Every day we see the progress, we do the things we work for and see that in games,” Detillion said. “When the results are there, buying in is easy; working so we can see success sooner than later. There’s so much adversity in our way, but we just make the best of it. We push game speed and adversity so (the players) can be prepared for it come game time.”

Shaw was one of the biggest contributing factors to their hot start this season. In his inaugural season as the closer pitcher, he’s posting eye-popping statistics. His nearly 22 strikeouts per nine innings put him near the top of all of DII in K/9 among closers.

Despite this, Shaw said the strikeouts don’t mean much.

“It’s a great honor to close games,” Shaw

said. “I’m being relied on to close out the wins. I only pitch one or two innings, so I try to pound the zone and suffocate the hitters. I try to make hitters uncomfortable and close out the games.”

Moving forward from the postponement, the team has a big slate of games this upcoming week. On April 5, the team hosts Lewis University in a double-header as their last non-conference game before GLIAC games begin this coming weekend.

“Everything is a building block, whether it be a game or practice,” Detillion said.

“We’re not content; we want to win every day and continue to build momentum.”

To close out the week full of games, the team will travel to Northwood University for a three-game slate April 8-10. After dropping three of four games to the Timberwolves last season, Detillion says the team is not focused on getting revenge.

“We need to play the best we can, there’s no revenge factor,” Detillion said. “(Northwood) winning three of four doesn’t matter.

It doesn’t matter who’s in the opposing dugout, we need to play as well as we can to win our conference.”

APRIL 4, 2022 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLSPORTS

A16 | SPORTS TRACK

GV Track and Field competes in the cold at Spartan Invitational

BY ANTHONY CLARK JR. SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM

The Grand Valley State University men’s and women’s track and field teams traveled to East Lansing this past weekend to compete in the Spartan Invitational on April 1-2, coming away with several individual successes.

Despite the wet and cold weather, the events were highlighted by the men’s high jump first and second place finishes by sophomore Eli Kosiba at 2.11m and freshman Jonathan Rankins-James with 2.06m.

Due to the weather, Michigan State University officials moved the high jump indoors, which benefited Kosiba and RankinsJames’ performances greatly.

“I felt pretty good, pretty happy with how I jumped today,” Kosiba said. “It’s pretty difficult to transition into the groove of competing indoors versus being outdoors. This was the first time this season that the whole team was able to travel together and I think that helped bring a lot more energy to the team as a whole. This allowed us to not only motivate one another, but we were able to

critique each other on things that maybe coach wouldn’t be able to see during the chaos of everything.”

Between both men’s and women’s teams, GVSU finished with 33 top-five placements, with Kosiba moving up to fourth overall in the NCAA DII rankings for the high jump.

Sophomores Jason Millis and Jacob DeBoer also paired up in first and second place for the 3000m steeplechase with Millis coming in first at 9.33.91 and DeBoer right behind him at 9.39.54. Sophomore Steven Harris secured first place in the 400m hurdles with a time of 54.40.

In individual events for the women’s team, Timia Robinson placed second in the 100m dash with a time of 12.81 and fifth in the 200m dash at 26.71 for two personal bests. Freshman Melia Williams followed Robinson in both events, placing fourth in the 100m and third in the 200m with a time of 26.37. Highlights from the field events included junior Emma Richards’ second place finish in the discus throw for 48.10 and senior Elli Kimes’ third place finish in the pole vault at 4.17m. Junior teammate Kassidie Stimmel followed Kimes for fourth place at

HIGH JUMPS: On the men’s team, the high jump and the 3000m steeplechase saw two Lakers take first and second place and several personal bests at the Spartan Invite. COURTESY | GVSU ATHLETICS

4.02m.

“It was tough going,” said coach Jerry Baltes. “Athletes having to dip their feet in freezing cold water seven or eight times in the same event is definitely going to play a factor in how they compete as individuals.”

In both the men’s and women’s 4x400 relay races, GVSU placed second, coming in at 4.05.13 for the women and 3.25.12 for the

men. Sophomores Brendon Edoff, Xavier Armand, Ethan Pyeatt and Harris ran for the men’s side and freshmen Ashtyn Gluck and Deji’ona Simpson with sophomores Isabel Absouch and Madelyn Allman ran for the women’s side.

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GOLF

Men’s Golf brings home their second first-place finish of the season

BY SHAWN ROBINSON SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM

The Grand Valley State University men’s golf team brought home a first-place finish from the Big Blue Course at the University

of Kentucky March 28-29. The Lakers recorded the fourth-lowest 54-hole score in GVSU history with an 854 (-10) and had the best par 5 average of 4.67 to round out the Findlay Spring Invite.

On the first day, GVSU was -10 through

SWINGING: For the second time this season, the men’s golf team took first place along with Charlie DeLong’s All-Tournament team finish coming in second place overall. COURTESY | GVSU ATHLETICS

15 holes in the second round. Freshman Charles DeLong led the Lakers with a five-under par through the first. In the second, he grew his lead to seven-under par through 15 holes. DeLong notched nine total birdies on the first hole while freshman Nick Kruger led the invite in birdies with six in the first round and five in the second. After day one of the competition, Krueger tied for second with a six-under par (131).

“We played some solid golf, and nothing was really too stressful,” Krueger said. “It was good to see the team pick each other up.”

The Lakers went into the final day of the competition holding first place and finished on top, claiming their second win in the 2021-22 schedule.

“It was a really good team win,” said coach Gary Bissell. “Everyone did their job at one point or another. I’m proud of the guys and what we accomplished here.”

DeLong was named to the All-Tournament team as he finished second with an eight-under par (208). The redshirt freshman scored a 67 (-5) in the first round, par (72) in the second and 3-under (69) in the final round, tying the second-lowest 54-hole

score in school history. Krueger registered a total of 14 birdies in three rounds, plus one eagle in the final on a par-5 565-yard 16th hole. Junior Eric Nunn tied for ninth with Kruger scoring -1 (215). Nunn tallied four birdies in the last round, moving him up 19 spots on the leaderboard on day two.

Redshirt freshman Drew Coble tied for 40th with a 75 (+3) in the third round for a total of 221 (+5). Sophomore Tanner Moore scored his best round of golf on day two with a two-under par (70) in the final round. Moore notched five birdies in the same round to help secure the Lakers’ victory over second place Findlay, finishing tied for 60th with a 225 (+5).

“Now we have to focus our preparation for the post-season,” Bissell said.

The Lakers’ next competition will be at the Argonaut Invitational in Pensacola, FL at the Pensacola Country Club on April 4-5, their second-to-last competition before the GLIAC championships.

“We’ve just got to keep playing the best golf we can,” Krueger said. “We’re a really good team and want to continue winning, especially the GLIAC championship.”