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Sharing
Their Stories Women make their mark on every facet of fine arts
Frederik Meijer Gardens ‘Zoom In’ on women artists for Women’s History Month GRAND RAPIDS | A10
te a en S nt ide e d Ins u t S ide Gu
After fighting in the octagon, former wrestling coach reflects on training two UFC athletes COMBAT SPORTS | A11
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A2 | NEWS NEWS BRIEFS GV COVID-19 CAMPUS DATA UPDATE
The GVSU community has had a cumulative total of 2,703 COVID-19 cases since Aug. 1. The university’s update for this brief was from Friday, March 26. Through testing results this past week, GVSU’s Virus Action team have so far reported 92 current active cases including three members of faculty, five staff members, 24 on-campus students, 38 “off-campus Ottawa” students, 20 “off-campus Kent” students and two “off-campus other” student with active COVID-19 cases. “Current active cases” is the count of positive cases reported to the Virus Action Team over the past ten days. This is an estimate of those currently in isolation, assuming a ten-day symptomatic period following the reporting of a positive test result. Actual periods of isolation are specific to the individual and determined by the county health department. Testing and Incidence: GVSU’s own testing program has performed 69,129 tests overall since August 21, for a cumulative positivity rate of 1.28% from the latest update as of last week. “GV Surveillance” includes the GV/ Spectrum administered programs of randomized testing, regular testing of high-risk groups, and invited testing of individuals connected to potential clusters. A calendar is available. “GV Total” includes surveillance testing plus all symptomatic/exposure tests administered by Spectrum.
STUDENT SENATORS UPDATE UNIVERSITY ON RECENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS, PROJECTS
CAMPUS
GV supports AAPI students following Atlanta tragedy BY AUDREY WHITAKER NEWS@LANTHORN.COM
In the wake of a deadly shooting that took the lives of eight people, including six Asian American women, people across the U.S. are raising awareness of stereotypes and violence against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI), which has been on the rise since the COVID-19 pandemic began. GVSU is no exception to this response. On April 17, students received a statement from President Philomena Mantella recognizing the allegedly racially-charged motives of the shooter and condemning Anti-Asian violence. “(Mantella) made clear that the GVSU community condemns those acts as reprehensible and contrary to the values of our university and each member of our community has a responsibility to interrupt and address hate when it shows up,” said Senior Inclusion and Equity Officer Connie Dang. Vietnamese Cultural Association (VCA) co-President Cindy Doan said that Mantella’s statement was a good first step for showing support of AAPI students at this time. “It meant a lot to me to know that the president of my university acknowledged the Asian minority on campus,” Doan said. “It also showed me that as an Asian American, we are
Interim Grand Valley Student Senate President Grace McMahon led a discussion of Student Senate’s accomplishments and upcoming work at the second State of the Student Body address. Along with members of Student Senate, President Philomena V. Mantella was present for the address, which was held virtually on March 25. The Senate had a variety of successes to share. These included a collaboration with the Community Service Learning Center to register students to vote, Battle of the Valleys’ fall 2021 return and Student Senate Week events. At the address, Senators also highlighted the ongoing Senate elections and the upcoming Center for Women and Gender Equity’s Take Back the Night event.
STAND UP: Following the devastating shootings in Atlanta, Georgia, GVSU and President Philomena Mantella are calling on students to support their fellow AAPI classmates. COURTESY | FOX 17
not being ignored and that our feelings surrounding this issue are valid.” Marian Reid, President of the Asian Student Union (ASU), was critical of the university’s response. As this recognition is necessary and finally bringing light to events that have been occurring for much longer than these past few months, it all still felt socially motivated, Reid said. “When President Mantella released the statement regarding AAPI hate in general and in regard to the fatal shootings in the
Atlanta-area, I knew it was sent with good intentions,” Reid said. “To post and address these issues now rather than throughout the pandemic as reported violence against the community has risen tremendously seems to defeat the true purpose of these forms of social support. It should not take a dramatic act of racially motivated violence to bring these thoughts and opinions forth.” LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE
LAKER EFFECT
GV LGBT Resource Center celebrates Transgender Day of Visibility BY LAUREN FORMOSA NEWS@LANTHORN.COM
SCIENCE OLYMPIAD HOLDS COMPETITION REMOTELY Throughout the week of March 15, GVSU held the Region 12 Michigan Science Olympiad tournament. The tournament was canceled due to COVID-19 last year, but this year, they figured out a way to hold it remotely. Students competed in the tournament and eight teams from each division advanced to the state competition. The opening ceremony and awards ceremony were both held as virtual events. Though the format was different this year, organizers ensured the same focus on what Science Olympiad was founded on.
MARCH 29, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS
SEEN: The LGBTQ Center highlighted the importance of supporting trans students and respect their experiences. GVL | JONATHAN LANTIEGNE
March 31 marks the 12th annual celebration of Transgender Day of Visibility, a day dedicated to raising awareness of the issues faced by the transgender community and celebrating members in the community. The day was founded in 2009 by Michigan transgender activist Rachel Crandall, who saw a need for more recognition of the lives, accomplishments and cultural contributions of the transgender community. Now in 2021, Transgender Day of Visibility is recognized internationally and events are held worldwide to honor and uplift transgender and nonbinary people. Here at Grand Valley State University, the LGBT Resource Center has recognized and celebrated Transgender Day of Visibility for the last four years through their annual keynote events. The goal of these events is to explore issues faced by the transgender and nonbinary communities through a multitude of different lenses.
“This day is particularly resonant today in the context of a record-breaking year for anti-transgender legislation across the country,” said Marla Wick, Associate Director of the LGBT Resource Center. “Many of these anti-transgender legislative efforts are aimed at excluding transgender people from public life, which is obviously deeply salient on a day when we celebrate the visibility of this community.” Due to COVID-19 guidelines, this year’s keynote with speaker Chelsea Thompson was held virtually on March 25. The event focused on how technologies such as facial recognition and body scanners have failed the transgender community. These types of technological failures are not new to many in the transgender community who suffer from society’s assumed gender binary. In particular, transgender students run into these issues within school systems and, consequently, in the classroom. LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE
MARCH 29, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS
CONTENTS CAMPUS
| A2
EDITORIAL
| A4
STUDY ABROAD
| A5
FINE ARTS
| A6&7
ADMINISTRATION
| A8
LEADERSHIP
| A9
THEATRE
| A10
COMBAT SPORTS
| A11
VOLLEYBALL
| A12
VOL. 55
NO. 24
Lan thorn EDITORIAL STAFF
Layout Editor VIVIANA RUBIO
Editor-in-Chief
Layout Designer
NICK MORAN Associate Editor OLIVIA FELLOWS
KHOI TRAN PROMOTIONS Promotions Manager ALEX DAGOSTINO
Associate Editor XAVIER GOLDEN News Editor MARY RACETTE
ADVERTISING STAFF Advertising Manager SHANE MCATAMNEY
Sports Editor ZACK GOODROW Laker Life Editor YSABELA GOLDEN
BUSINESS STAFF
A&E Editor MARY DUPUIS Image Editor MEGHAN LANDGREN
Business Manager RACHEL MCDOWELL 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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A3 | NEWS PRESENTATION
Second Brooks College Civil Discourse Symposium tackles dangers of global misinformation BY OLIVIA FELLOWS ASSOCIATE@LANTHORN.COM
On Thursday, March 25, the Grand Valley State University Brooks College of Interdisciplinary Studies Civil Discourse program held its second evening of a two-part virtual symposium that featured GVSU journalism professor Vandana Pednekar-Magal and acclaimed Chilean journalist Alejandra Matus. The discussion included topics like global journalism, global politics and the tension between people working to share accurate information and other individuals, organizations and governments trying to misinform the public having a major impact on the available information for civil discourse. Co-sponsored by the Big Data Initiative, the School of Communications, the Writing Department, the Digital Studies Program and GrandPR, the aim of this year’s Symposium was to examine issues involving national and global journalism and misinformation. The event had over 95 participants, one of those being GVSU President Philomena Mantella and a number of other esteemed GVSU faculty. Brooks College Endowed Professor Jeff Kelly Lowenstein kicked off the night with the official launch of the Global Civil Discourse Map, a collaborative project between Kelly Lowenstein, a team of GVSU students from his IDS 350 course and the Computer Science Program. The map itself, an interactive website that utilizes characterizing countries with specific information regarding their official ‘civil discourse rating’ like internet access, online censorship level, and other useful data-driven discourse information. The initial build of the map and accumulation of its data began throughout the fall semester in the IDS 350 class, whose members compiled and discussed the data, categories to highlight and new inputs. This semester a new group of students has begun adjusting and improving the map and its contents. GVSU Computer Science and Information Systems student Aaron Bager explained that one of their new additions was making the map color-blind accessible by creating multiple color settings for the user depending on what type of color-blindness they have, as well as adding more information like creating a curated ‘latest news section and a live-updated populations number for each country. “Creating the color-blind accessibility addition was an important goal of the university project, and I know that Professor Kelly Lowenstein and my team believe that greater accessibility in a tool such as this is nothing but a benefit,” Bager said. “We are hoping to be able to expand our reach of the online map to people outside the United
GLOBAL: The second Civil Discourse Symposium unvieled the Civil Discourse Map and featured journalists from Chile and India who discussed global misinformation and media. GVL | OLIVIA FELLOWS
States, and we think it will make a huge difference in understanding and educating on the civil discourse research and work in the world today.” Next up was a presentation featuring Chilean journalist and writer Alejandra Matus, who has written extensively on Chilean politics and the justice system and published a variety of books, the most controversial of which is The Black Book of Chilean Justice. Her work has also inspired a television series that has won several film accolades. Matus’ discussion focused on the history of Chilean journalism and politics, and she highlighted how journalism and messaging in Chilean press was incredibly diverse but less objective historically, and they essentially aspired to defend an idea of society. “Early on in Chile, there were leftist newspapers, right-wing newspapers, centrists, worker’s and women’s newspapers that covered a variety of issues,” Matus said. “I would say that these papers could be seen as an analog of the internet today, and we see similarities between the environments today. There was not a lot of pluralism in the papers, they all covered their own interests and issues, which most people seemed to be fine with during that time.” Matus’ presentation highlighted how Chile’s dictatorship of military junta headed by General Augusto Pinochet, which began in 1973, controlled the media in the country and changed the press to cover only positive news about the government and would censor any papers publishing perceived slander against the government which caused chaos and violence at times toward citizens and media during the dictatorship until its end in 1990. Matus also discussed the poverty levels and internet access issues that have impacted Chile’s media literacy and access to information. She explained how this has impacted
Chile’s journalists in that there are not large numbers like there used to be when newspapers were the more popular form of media. She said that the internet and social media have completely transformed media in Chile and what is posted, seen and shared. “The digital outlets are very poor in Chile, and there are not big teams of journalists working in digital media, it’s only probably one or two people focused on specific conversations or information when now there are enough resources to hire journalists to investigate anything,” Matus said. “Now we are seeing more anger towards journalists, like in the uprisings in Chile in 2019, who are trying to report on the injustice and the abuse of police. But in many ways, these are just citizen journalists trying to spread the word, they aren’t official journalists even though there are many out there covering the same thing. Understanding that more of this kind of journalism is being used is important.” The second presentation featuring GVSU journalism and communications professor Vandana Pednekar-Magal highlighted media and press in India, and how misinformation has been used in that country both in and out of politics which has caused problems socially and culturally for citizens and the country’s leaders. Pednekar-Magal has extensive work in the journalism field, including involvement in the production of two PBS WGVU documentary films, membership on GVSU’s Civil Discourse Advisory Board, and as a journalism professor at GVSU. Prior to moving to the United States, Pednekar-Magal was a reporter and feature writer in Mumbai, InLOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE
A4 | OPINION GVL EDITORIAL CARTOON
MARCH 29, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS By Lauryn Syrba
EDITORIAL
Seven mass shootings results in zero significant changes
A
3/29/21
editorial@lanthorn.com
Microsoft and Discord: A match made in Game Pass
BY FABIAN SEGURA SENIOR FILM & VIDEO, MULTIMEDIA JOURNALISM EDITORIAL@LANTHORN.COM
Hot off the heels of acquiring game publisher Zenimax, Microsoft seems to have set their eyes on messaging app Discord. On March 22, Bloomberg announced that Discord was in talks with various compa-
nies such as Epic Games and Amazon before Microsoft came into the picture. For those who don’t know what Discord is, it is a voice and chat program like Skype, but originally aimed at gamers. In light of the pandemic, they have moved away from their video game branding into a more holistic virtual community center where people can create channels on whatever topic they want. They have doubled their monthly user base during the pandemic with people using the platform to connect with each other online, host clubs and events, and even as a platform for work or teaching. Discord’s main features are free for anyone, with more advanced features locked behind their subscription service called Discord Nitro. Perks include higher quality screen sharing, file transfer support and user profile customization. Despite having record growth and
subsequently subscription numbers, Discord is still mainly funded through venture capital, raising $100 million last December from investors. This is where Microsoft comes into the picture. Microsoft has been investing heavily into the game industry recently, such as offering a Game Pass service granting users access to a large library of games and acquiring various game studios, integrating them into its service such as Bethesda. They’ve even partnered with EA for their games and have brought the service to their consoles, PC, and even phones through game streaming. Microsoft very much has the resources and reasoning to acquire Discord, as this will net them an even larger part of the game industry market share.
LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE
Spring Cleaning: Freshen your surroundings up figuratively, literally
BY MADDIE ZIMMERMAN FRESHMAN BIOLOGY EDITORIAL@LANTHORN.COM
Spring is finally on its way. For many people this can mean several different things. For some, it’s about finally getting some warm weather, time to travel and
seeing loved ones if it’s safe, but what I’m focused on is spring cleaning. Yes, cleaning is boring and a lot of work. I wish I could snap my fingers and have my dorm completely cleaned, but you can’t. When you hear the words “spring cleaning” 90% of the time you think of literal cleaning and getting rid of old clothes or maybe revamping your room for the new season. But I’m talking about a different kind of cleaning: mental spring cleaning. For the new season, there’s a few things you can do to start the warm weather off well. One is taking a break from social media. Coming from a girl who is pretty much addicted to social media, this is probably one of the hardest things for me. I’d say I use social media the way it was intended to be used: to look at cool
outfits, new projects and get ideas for my small jewelry business. My mom, however, disagrees. Even if I don’t seem stressed while on social media, deep down, everyone truly is. If you jolt everytime you hear a ding from your phone and immediately reach for it, this is stress. If you feel your stomach drop when you see a picture of your friends together when they said they were too busy to hang out with you, this is stress. There are so many underlying stressors when it comes to social media. We all need a break. Whether it’s from Snapchat, Instagram, or even parents on Facebook, we all need a breather sometimes.
LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE
s the end of COVID-19 seems near, long unattended issues are dominating the newscycle. Seven mass shootings have taken place in the last seven days, leaving 20 people dead – one of whom was Rikki Olds, a college student in Boulder, Colorado. It’s jarring to see these shootings in the news again after having gone so long without them. The more they continue to happen, the chance is higher that we’ll become as desensitized as we were before the pandemic. The grim reality is that this is to be expected; we expect to see another shooting; we expect a pointless, frustrating debate in Congress; and we expect to see more shootings when no laws are passed. Despite the frequency of these shootings before the pandemic, progress never came, and as time passes, it seems like progress still won’t come. While gun reform seems to be the more straightforward path to saving lives, the opponents of these laws focus on furthering their discriminatory agenda. Conservative lawmakers in several states, including Michigan, are focusing on voter reform in a transparent attempt to limit access, requiring stricter ID checks and shortening the drop-off times for ballot boxes. These politicians leverage misdirection and outrage to
maintain their power. They pass the buck and leave the country without a solution to mass shootings, and the cycle continues at the expense of innocent people. The majority of United States citizens are in favor of stricter gun laws. Americans being killed isn’t a partisan issue, but when it comes to mass shootings and white supremacist or misogynistic domestic terrorism, it’s treated like one. While everyone else pushes for common sense gun control, conservatives and the NRA push narratives like the one about the AR-15 being a hunting rifle as opposed to a weapon of war. Change can begin on a social and individual level if we can collectively begin to fight the “didn’t happen to me so I don’t pay attention” ideology and actively work to dismantle the desensitization that media coverage of these endless shootings has brought. What we see after each tragedy are moments of silence and outreach to families, but we don’t see enough compassion to actually make significant changes. Politicians are quick to mourn with the families of those slain in mass shootings, but don’t take steps to ensure that other families are spared the same burden. LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE
GVL OPINION POLICY The goal of the Grand Valley Lanthorn’s opinion page is to act as a forum for public discussion, comment and criticism in the Grand Valley State University community. Student and columnist opinions published here do not necessarily reflect those of the paper as an entity. The Lanthorn strives to be a safe vehicle for community discussion. With this in mind, the Lanthorn will not publish or entertain any forms of hate speech, but neither will it discriminate against any other views, opinions or beliefs. The content, information and views expressed are not approved by— nor do they necessarily represent those of—the university or its Board of Trustees, officers, faculty
or staff. Letters to the editor should include the author’s full name, relevant title and a headshot, along with a valid email address and phone number for confirming the identity of the author. Letters should be approximately 500650 words in length, and they are not edited by the Lanthorn staff except to fix technical errors or to clarify. Reader submissions on the opinion page appear as space permits. To make a submission, email editorial@lanthorn.com or drop your submission off in person at:
0051 KIRKHOF CENTER GRAND VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY
MARCH 29, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS
A5 | NEWS
STUDY ABROAD
Padnos International Center holds virtual ‘Being Black and Brown abroad’ event BY ZSOLT PALMER NEWS@LANTHORN.COM
On March 31, the Padnos International Center will be holding the virtual event “Being Black and Brown Abroad.” Hosting a panel of students and alumni of color, the event seeks to boost the representation of historically underrepresented students in Grand Valley State University and other study abroad programs by helping students better understand how study abroad works, as well as getting students familiar with the benefits. “A study abroad is an incredibly valuable experience, especially during college,” said Alissa Lane, the international programs coordinator at the Padnos International Center. “For a lot of students, it might be their first chance to leave the country and meet new cultures and perspectives. It’s an eye-opening experience and a time for personal and professional growth that can help you develop as a person and help you develop your future.” But not everyone is sure that a study abroad experience is right for them, and so the event seeks to help show attendees that not only is studying abroad a positive, trans-
formative experience but also that it is within everyone’s reach. Panelists will be sharing their stories and experiences while abroad and Padnos International Center employees will help answer student questions about affordability and viability. “In addition to the panelists talking about their experiences, there will also be Padnos International Center Staff present, who afterward, will help attendees think about how they might do their own study abroad, discussing things like scholarships and funding,” said Lane. The event will also focus on the unique experiences had by students of color while abroad and seeks to help prepare students of color who are considering a study abroad experience. Panelists will not only be relating their experiences but also handing out advice. “I’ve never been on this panel before, nor have I ever gone to an event like this before, so I’m very excited to be there,” said Magingo Mpungwe, one of the panelists at the virtual event. “As a black lady, it’s always at the back of my head, no matter where I go, that people might treat me differently. So, I’m going to talk about how to prepare yourself for a study abroad, while keeping in mind
TRAVEL: GVSU study abroad students of color are encouraging others to take part in the university’s study abroad program and will highlight experiences with the program. GVL | ANNABELLE ROBINSON
that there may be discrimination depending on where you go.” Mpungwe said that discrimination happens all around the world, but doesn’t necessarily follow students wherever they go. However, keeping a positive mindset and focusing more on immersing oneself in the culture.
But there are still barriers that prevent some students from studying abroad, and representation is one of them. LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE
HISTORY
‘60 for 60’ campaign celebrates 60 years of GV history BY TREVOR HUBERT NEWS@LANTHORN.COM
CELEBRATE: GVSU has a series of events planned to celebrate 60 years of campus education and innovation. GVL | TREVOR HUBERT
After his tour of duty in World War II, Grand Rapids businessman Bill Seidman had a vision for his home community. He noticed that students were leaving Grand Rapids to pursue higher education, but not coming back to the city after graduation. In the late 1950s, he lobbied the State of Michigan to build a new state school. With significant backing from the community and one million dollars raised in just one year, something new began to grow from the farmlands of Ottawa County. Sixty years and thousands of graduates later, Grand Valley State University has become a sprawling institution, establishing itself from the lakeshores of Holland to the skyscrapers of Detroit and everywhere in between. To celebrate the history, community, and culture that GVSU has built in six short decades, University Communications has launched a “60 for 60” campaign, which is meant to tell untold stories and powerful memories of GVSU. The video series in its entirety will feature sixty-second video stories from sixty
chosen members of the GVSU community, including current students and alumni, as well as current and former faculty members. GVSU President Philomena Mantella said that the concept was born out of a need to do something different with the inability to hold a formal celebration due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “We started to think about how to celebrate the 60th year and how we all had a certain amount of digital fatigue,” Mantella said. “So we were trying to think about ideas that would be exciting, different, and actually snippets so that people weren’t actually online for a session or a program that would be the 60th year done digitally.” Mantella said she knew that GVSU was a special place before she even arrived on campus. “The stories of the university and the changes over time signaled that it was a place that was always looking around the next corner,” Mantella said. “So what the university had, the people that were her and the mission, along with this kind of passion to look at what’s next was what drew me here”. Mantella and Vice President Matthew McLogan both believe that GVSU stu-
dents have played the most important role in making the university what it is today. “I think the ‘60 for 60’ project is wonderful for bringing attention to the most important thing we do, which is graduate students and produce talent and new leaders for the next generation of Michigan residents,” said McLogan. He went on to highlight examples of successful alumni such as former Lanthorn Editor Mary Kramer, who is now the publisher for Crain Communications in Detroit, as well as former Student Senate President Frank Foster, who went on to serve in the Michigan State Senate. “We see the ‘Laker for a Lifetime’ in reality,” Mantella said. “It’s not a slogan, it’s that people that are here embrace the responsibility beyond going to school here. And those that leave embrace a lifelong relationship. So the stories that are a part of what GVSU meant in the student journey or what it means today as a student, in addition to what it means as they’ve gone on in their life are really an important part of our whole ethos as a university.” LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE
A6&7 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
MARCH 29, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLARTS
WICKED PERFORMANCE: Actress Idina Menzel performs as Elphaba Thropp in “Wicked” on Broadway. Menzel made waves with her performance. COURTESY | NY DAILY NEWS
LINDSAY LOU WHO?: Michigan native singer-songwriter Lindsay Lou said that learning things about herself greatly contributed to her comfort as a woman in the music industry. COURTESY | LOCAL SPINS
Through the Eyes of a Woman:
Women share their lives through fine arts BY MARY DUPUIS ARTS@LANTHORN.COM
Half of the population sees life through the eyes of a woman. This does not mean that the lens of the female gaze is lost to men. In fact, everyone is given a way to see the stories and experiences of our sisters, daughters, wives, mothers, aunts, girlfriends and grandmothers through the fine arts and the women that create them. One of the ways women are best able to visually translate their experiences is through artwork. Assistant Curator of the Grand Rapids Art Museum (GRAM), Jennifer Wcisel, said that although women’s artwork has been undervalued in the past, their artistic voice is essential to conveying the female experience for the world. “Every individual brings a unique perspective and voice and way of looking at things,” Wcisel said. “In the past, half of the population was discouraged from expressing themselves through art. We as human culture, collectively, were missing out on half of the experiences of humans across the world.” She said while many well-known female artists have a gift for portraying the experience of motherhood and the conceiving and bearing of children in their artwork, many others use their artwork to stray away from the female experience they live every day. “Some female artists have no interest in creating ‘female art,’’’ Wcisel said. “Gender doesn’t matter to their expression of their work.” Wcisel said that although women have been underappreciated in the art world in the past, many institutions today are attempting to reconcile this by curating exhibits with equal representation of male and female artists and revamping their collections to make them more diverse. “Everywhere, museums and major arts institutions are actively trying to course-correct,” Wcisel said. “I know I have looked at
the history of exhibition programs here at GRAM and figured out how many solo exhibitions we have done of women artists, and through this, we’re actively trying to improve those numbers.” Women have also left an incredibly bold mark on the written form of artwork: literature. Corinna McLeod, an English professor at Grand Valley State University, said the very first known author was a woman named Enheduanna — a princess, priestess and poet in Sumeria (circa 2,300 BCE). She said while it is important to learn Enheduanna’s name, it is even more important to recognize that millions of women have come after her and into the world of literature despite cultural barriers. “There have been countless women writers, known and unknown, in the thousands of years since Enheduanna,” McLeod said. “But when we think about the impact women make when it comes to literature, we have to think about literature as it emerges around the world.” McLeod said in many cultures women were forbidden to practice the art of writing, and in others, women couldn’t get access to any formal education. If women did learn to write, publishing work and becoming “public” was considered shameful or indicative of loose morals or madness — even in the western world. Despite overcoming these barriers, women that do have the ability to write and publish works have still had to put up a fight. “The most influential authors are often male,” McLeod said. “Male authors still dominate textbooks and ‘the canon.’ Anthologies have to intentionally and consciously include female writers — not because there are few women writers, but because their works, considered minor because of the sex of the writer, have gone out of print.” McLeod said oftentimes female writers have had to write under a male alias for their work to receive the recognition it deserves.
“Female authors have long used male pseudonyms to get published like the Bronte sisters, or have used initials as a ‘gender neutral’ nom de plume because the thought is that a male name can appeal to a general audience while a female name restricts audience,” McLeod said. “J.K. Rowling is one famous — and recent — example of a woman author intentionally disguising her gender. There are many others.” Kathleen Blumreich, a medievalist and professor of language and literature in the English Department at GVSU, said it is becoming increasingly important to read women’s literature and to listen to the voices that were silenced for so long. “I think (women) have given voice to experiences that are often marginalized,” Blumreich said. “They’ve allowed us into a world that’s often marginalized or deemed unimportant or irrelevant because of the golden standard set by men in society. Typically, men have been the ones with the access to means of publication and the male experience has been viewed as a universal experience, and it simply isn’t.” Both McLeod and Blumreich said many people are attempting to remedy this silence by teaching more works written by women, and that it’s essential to do so in order to continue their legacy. “We are increasingly aware of the ways women — and particularly BIPOC and non-European women — have been silenced,” McLeod said. “More and more people are seeking to rectify this by teaching their work, pushing to get their work back in print and deliberately seeking out a variety of cultural perspectives to publish.” Ashley Shannon, Unit Head and associate professor of GVSU’s English Department, said this diversifying of voices in literature is essential because it allows the reader to feel understood and recognized.
“With the emergence and acceptance of women writers, women readers could see their wide range of lived experience reflected in literature,” Shannon said. “Of course men are capable of writing female characters, just as women are capable of writing realistic male characters. But the ability to self-represent is a powerful one, and the more voices literature expands to include, the better.” Another form of the fine arts that is currently seeing more diversifying than ever before is cinema and the theatre. Julia Mason, associate professor in the Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Department at GVSU, said women today have been able to play a major role in contemporary popular media by creating female characters that are full, rich and complex instead of the narrow female stereotype. “I think women across popular media have had a prominent role in changing and challenging some of the narratives,” Mason said. “They want to talk back to some of those dominant narratives which position women as objects to be looked at and say, ‘Look, we’re more than that. We’re complicated, we’re interesting, we can be the anti-hero, we can be the superhero, we can be the President and the CEO,’ and all of those things.” Mason said that although previously, most media was created for a dominantly white, straight male audience, it is slowly becoming more and more diversified — and people love it. Allison Metz, an associate professor of theatre education in GVSU’s Department of Music, Theatre, and Dance, said studies have shown that every year there seem to be more women working professionally as designers in the theatre and that they continue to expand into other roles. Metz said the more female representation is included in the theatre, the better it could become for life beyond the stage. “I think that the more voices that we hear
SWIFT VICTORY: Singer-songwriter Taylor Swift won Best Album at the 2021 Grammy’s over seven competitors. COURTESY | THE NEW YORK TIMES LEFT: Judy Garland was the first woman to with a Grammy for Album of the Year, among her many other accolades. COURTESY | BIOGRAPHY.COM.
CENTER: Beyoncé is both one of the top-selling musicians in the world and widely dubbed “Queen B” by fans. COURTESY | THE NEW YORK TIMES RIGHT: Oprah Winfrey is a leader in talk show television, literature and film, often using her broad platform for philanthropy. COURTESY | PINTEREST
in this art form in terms of creating pieces, the better the theatre is going to be,” Metz said. “If theatre is a reflection of the human condition in the most general of ways, and if we can create more equitable reflections in theatre form, there’s a chance we can have more equitable conditions in humans.” A visiting professor at GVSU in the Film and Video Production Department, Spencer Everhart said that while continued efforts towards representation on stage and on screen must be made, those same efforts must be put towards equality behind the scenes. “I think one of the best ways to move forward is to understand that while on-screen representations of women are important, there must also be efforts for representation off-screen and behind the camera, in writers’ rooms, on set crews,” Everhart said. He said that placing the burden of change on the movies themselves can only take things so far if there is still a lack of women serving in essential positions of control and expression within the industry. “Expecting changes on the art and culture side to result in a substantial change on the industry and structure side is a long waiting game, and the time for change has been long overdue,” Everhart said. “Enormous strides have been made, especially in recent years, but there is still much work to be done. Transform the industry and structure and the art and culture will follow.” A place where women have been making continual strides towards furthering representation on and off-screen is the music industry. Icons like Beyoncé and Taylor Swift have paved the way for many women in the music industry, but much progress has yet to be made. Lindsay Lou, a singer, songwriter, musician and performer who grew up in the Upper Peninsula, said the main way she has made a place for herself in the ever-changing music industry has been by creating an intimate bond with
herself and recognizing how her own subconscious habits may be holding her back. “There’s this book I remember seeing called ‘The Confidence Code’ and it’s about what women should know about the art and science and self-assurance and it had all sorts of interesting statistics in there,” Lou said. “In the book, it said men are likely to apply for a promotion even if they think they’re only 60% qualified and women have to feel 100% qualified before they do. I think that mentality seeps into our subconscious.” Lou said learning to recognize this mentality playing out in her actions has been a major step forward. “Learning things about myself like how to interpret my behavior has been important for me,” Lou said. “It’s things like recognizing times where I don’t want to take a solo because I think I’m not qualified, when in reality, I just have to take a solo and take another solo and another because I can do it.” Finding her voice through this process is something that Lou said she hopes all-female artists can do for themselves. “My experience I think has been a series or a practice of trusting myself and trusting my voice and just being able to hone in on being a leader,” Lou said. “My job is to realize my power and to realize the bags that it comes with. It’s knowing how to wield it without shame and carry responsibility with it.” Lou said the efforts of some women to reclaim their power and their recognition in the world helps to make a path for all women, and that the only way to go from there is forward. “We are constantly showing up for each other in every decision we make and everything we do,” Lou said. “When we show up and put all of ourselves out there without shame, with our whole heart, I think it lets other people who are listening know that they’re allowed.”
MARCH 29, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS
A8 | NEWS ADMINISTRATION
Karen Loth reflects on 20 years with GVSU BY KYLIE ELWELL NEWS@LANTHORN.COM
After 20 years employed with Grand Valley State University as Vice President of University Development, Karen Loth is set to retire this year in June. She was appointed as the VP of Development in May 2012, as well as also serving as the Executive Director of the Grand Valley University Foundation. Prior to her current position, she served as the Assistant Vice President of Development for 12 years. “My most memorable moments are the special times with our donors,” Loth said. “Working with them on the impact they want to make for our students and our university has been extremely gratifying. The fundamental goodness of people and their generosity give me great confidence in our future. I have built many relationships over the years that I highly value. Matching their passions with our projects has been a joy.” Since 2000, she has led many campaigns and projects to help raise money for the university. She has led 17 campaigns and been involved in 12 capital projects, all of which have raised over $265 million dollars for GVSU in the past 19 years. The most recent initiative that she has been involved with is the Laker Effect comprehensive campaign. It exceeded the university’s goals, raising $132 million, with a new record of 35,000 donors. With this campaign, they were able to complete GVSUs Health Campus by adding two necessary facilities at a time when frontline workers are
in such high demand for the community. “I’m also very pleased that in my final year at Grand Valley we are on track to have the most successful giving year in our history which is a credit to our loyal and committed donors who kept giving despite all the turmoil this past year,” Loth said. In addition to growing the physical campus to accommodate increasing enrollment, generous donors from the community have created more than 525 donor-funded scholarships benefiting thousands of students. These donations have also expanded academic programs and created academic centers like the Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies and the Robert B. Annis Water Resources Institute. University Development has also provided support for students through providing them with internships, research opportunities, tutoring, and mentoring. When asked about what direction she sees the University going in the future, Loth said GVSU is proving to be a model university. “Under President Mantella’s leadership, I believe Grand Valley is going to be a national model for educational innovation and leadership,” Loth said. “Learners will be well served whether they are coming directly from high school, or returning to enhance their education later in life. We will increasingly provide access to under-resourced populations, and we will continue to be the talent pipeline for this region and this state, anticipating employer needs and being ready
LEGACY: Karen Loth worked at GVSU and with university donors for over 10 years as the Vice President of Development and said she has had many memorable moments on campus. COURTESY | GVSU
to provide the education they require. Our alumni will look to Grand Valley to supplement and enhance their skills
throughout their career as lifelong learning partners. Our donors will be totally on board with all of this.”
FOUNDATION
GV Foundation mourns the loss of long-time supporter BY RACHEL MATUSZEWSKI NEWS@LANTHORN.COM
RESPECT: GVSU is mourning the loss of Dan Pfeiffer, a beloved longtime university supporter and GV Foundation member. COURTESY | GVSU
A Grand Valley Foundation supporter, Dan Pfeiffer, passed away on March 19 at 89 years old. Pfeiffer will be missed by his family and friends, but his legacy lives on through his generosity to various organizations, commitment to bettering the GVSU community through his work in the Grand Valley Foundation and drive to reach his own goals while caring for others. Pfeiffer served on the Grand Valley Foundation for 19 years, starting as a foundation director and in 2012 as a member of the advisory cabinet until his passing. The Grand Valley Foundation is a nonprofit which provides students with grants and scholarships, faculty and academic program development, capital maintenance and growth, as well as long-term fiscal security. Karen Loth, Vice President for University Development and Executive Director of the GVU Foundation, said Pfeiffer advocated for the GVSU community and generated support.
“Our GVU Foundation directors are critically important to the success of the university and each of them contributes greatly in their own way,” Loth said. “Thanks to their loyal support, we have grown tremendously in the number of donors and the amount of giving we receive each year so that every student who comes here has the excellent Grand Valley education. Our community is better because Grand Valley keeps doing amazing things, and it’s largely because of the way our foundation directors give their time, talent, and treasures to support our students.” According to an obituary by MLive, Pfeiffer was born in 1931 on a farm in Byron Center, Michigan. He left the farm from 1952-1954 to serve in Korea in the United States Army as a sergeant and post-combat driver for generals. Pfeiffer met his wife, Eunice after returning from the Army. They have three daughters, Stephanie, Sarah and Stacy. “Dan was a good friend to the university,” Loth said. “He was smart, savvy in business and generous with his gifts — not just to us,
but to many nonprofits in West Michigan.” Pfeiffer’s work for GVSU began in 1980, where he supported capital projects and the Grand Valley State University Endowment Fund. The Cook DeVos Center for Health Sciences has the Dan and Eunice Pfeiffer Student Study Space. “He was a loyal and active supporter of the university and generations of students have benefited over the years from his generous giving to our Health Campus, the Veteran’s History Project, and to scholarships and academic programs through his support of the university endowment,” said Loth. Pfeiffer’s support of others is reflected in his active involvement in the American Cancer Society, the Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park, the Family Living Center to help patients with Alzheimer’s, and Habitat for Humanity. LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE
A9 | LAKER LIFE
MARCH 29, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLLAKERLIFE
A LOOK AT LIFESTYLE OMA ACKNOWLEDGES IMMIGRANTS, CÉSAR CHÁVEZ Starting on Monday, Mar. 22, the Campus Activities Board is putting on a full week of events inspired by the classics of the Disney animated canon. All week long will be a “Dress Disney” social media challenge, where members of the GV community can wear clothes and costumes relating to everyone’s favorite media monopoly conglomerate and tag @gvsucab on a post on Instagram. Other events include craft nights on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, a Disney trivia night (which will take place both virtually and in-person) on Wednesday, Mar. 24, a “Magic Kingdom Adventure” scavenger hunt during the day on Saturday, and a Lion King watch party at the Kelly Family Sports Center starting at 8 p.m. on Saturday night. A full schedule of events can be found on CAB’s website at gvsu.edu/cab.
#WETOO: DISCUSSING SEXUAL ABUSE IN A CHRISTIAN CONTEXT
As Women’s History Month comes to an end, Grand Valley State University’s InterVarsity Christian Fellowship is seeking to address the frequent silence of the Christian church on the global issue of sexual violence against women. Anyone (survivors, allies or curious observers) is welcome to join in the discussion, which will focus on how to advocate for survivors in a Christian context. The event will take place in-person from 6-7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 30 in room 2270 of the Kirkhof Center. Those interested can find more information and a schedule of all the Fellowship’s events on Laker Link.
LEADERSHIP
EqualiTEA discusses role of women in leadership
BY KATHERINE ARNOLD LAKERLIFE@LANTHORN.COM
Every year during Women’s History Month, the Center for Women and Gender Equity (CWGE) hosts EqualiTEA, an event for GVSU staff centered around the celebration of women and enjoyment of tea, crumpets, and conversation with friends. Last year, the discussion revolved around the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment and women’s right to vote. This year focused on women’s leadership, with a special message from Grand Valley State University President Philomena Mantella and her experience as a woman in a senior leadership role at GVSU. Sharalle Arnold, the Assistant Director for CWGE, opened the celebration with a few words about the 19th annual EqualiTEA. “This is a time for gathering and discussing important matters related to women and activism,” Arnold said. “While this year has delivered us quite the power-packed punch with a loss of friends and loved ones, we have experienced cancellations of some of life’s once-in-a-lifetime moments. In the true spirit of womanhood, we are still here. We are rising, climbing and still lifting.” Even throughout the hectic nature of the past pandemic year, EqualiTEA has not
STRENGTH: The EqualiTEA event celebrates women through enjoyment of classic foods like tea and crumpets while discussing curent events and women’s issues through history. COURTESY | THE CWGE
missed a beat. Arnold said it is heartening to be able to witness an event with such a strong purpose continue to find the dedication and motivation to celebrate women, even when it has to be in a virtual space. “We are here to celebrate women regardless of their education, their sexual orientation, their socio-economic status, marital status, race, or gender identification and so on,” Arnold said. “This tea time is curated for us and it’s about us. It is our time.”
The event consisted of opening remarks, listening to significant and impactful songs such as Andra Day’s “Rise Up,” watching a recorded message from Mantella, and an interactive segment where participants could lead their own conversations around the idea of women in leadership. LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE
EVENTS
Campus organizations host Field Day for April 1 break
OSCCR OFFERS CONFLICT RESOLUTION WORKSHOP
BY AUTUMN PITCHURE LAKERLIFE@LANTHORN.COM
Issues arrive from student behavior are an occurrence at any university, and Grand Valley State University is no different. That’s why the Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution (CSCCR) exists: to help address these issues while ensuring the fair treatment of everyone involved. To encourage healthy problem-solving on campus, the office is holding a workshop on resolving student conflicts. It’s aimed both at students (teaching them how to maintain healthy relationships and make ethical decisions) and at faculty and staff (teaching them how to promote academic integrity and address academic misconduct). The event will be held virtually over Zoom from 10-11 a.m. on Thursday, April 1. More information on the event can be found on the office’s website at www. gvsu.edu/osccr.
FUN: GVSU is offering activities for Field Day during the break day this coming week to help students relax. COURTESY | GVSU QUIDDITCH
The pandemic has left people trapped inside for long periods of time. With the numbers of those with COVID-19 decreasing and a vaccine being distributed, people are looking for the light at the end of the tunnel, to get back out and do the things they enjoyed most. Grand Valley State University Club Sports and the Community Service Learning Center (CSLC) will be hosting a “Field Day” to get students out and having fun with games, food trucks and loads of club sports to pique their interest. “With the weather being so nice, we wanted to do something for students that they could do on their break day to have fun with their friends,” said Giavonna Ward, Graduate Assistant for Civic Engagement in the Office of Student Life. “Also they can get to know more about CSLC, club sports, RecWell and the Student Academic Success Center.” Field Day will be taking place on Thursday, April 1, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on outdoor turf field one. Students will be
able to enjoy a wide variety of food while walking around and looking at all the showcased club sports, along with meeting club sport representatives. “Club sports provide a unique opportunity for students to try new sports or continue sports through college at any level,” said Brianna Slager, Sports Programs Coordinator for Recreation and Wellness. Joining club sports is a way students can be proud to represent their school while staying physically active. Some of the clubs are recreational and some are highly competitive, nationally ranked teams. GVSU has one of the largest programs in the country with over 52 teams and over 1,300 athletes representing the university. “Club sports leaders have gone above and beyond in this time of uncertainty to build team bonds and keep motivation looking forward to when they compete and travel again,” said Slager. LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE
A10 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT ARTS AT A GLANCE ANOTHER MURAL LIT UP IN THE DOWNTOWN GRAND RAPIDS ALLEYWAY The “Ethel B. Coe Way,” a formerly-nameless alleyway off of Monroe Avenue, is now well-lit and vibrant for all to see. Painted as part of the larger “Women’s Way” alley activation initiative by Downtown Grand Rapids Inc., the alleyway is named after Ethel B. Coe, a local renaissance woman, community activist, musician, actor and civil rights leader. Local artist Pluto Monday painted the mural of Coe last year in effort to honor her legacy and bring life to a previously lifeless area. Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. said on their Instagram that additional alley improvements are coming soon.
THEATRE
Theatre Department presents ‘Orphan Trains’ as more than a history lesson BY PARKER LEARMAN-BLAAUW ARTS@LANTHORN.COM
Throughout the return to campus and slow acclimation to the new COVID-19 lifestyle, Grand Valley State University players have been there to provide entertainment and escapism — even without an in-person audience or a stage. However, the GVSU Theatre Department’s most recent production, “Orphan Trains” by Deborah Craig, approached the tried-and-true Zoom format a little differently. For this production, the actors were able to DOWNTOWN GRAND RAPIDS INC. ADDS be together, but the show was still performed PING-PONG TABLE, CHESS, CHECKER for the audience in a virtual setting. Taking place March 25-26, the play foBOARD TO MONROE AVENUE cused primarily on the story of six unfortu555 Monroe Ave., a waterfront property nate kids as they embarked on a titular orin downtown Grand Rapids, served as a giphan train. ant car park for decades. Based on true events, the Orphan Train Now, Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. has Movement was ultimately a precursor to plans to make this nearly four-acre space a organized foster care in America, as during hub for local movement to rejuvenate and the late nineteenth century, there was an revitalize the Grand River as a recreational epidemic of homeless, abused, or otherwise place for the people of Grand Rapids. unwanted children, with almost 30,000 in In order to continue to cultivate this New York City alone. space as a central gathering place on the While this may not sound like much by water they recently added a shiny hot pink today’s standards, it’s important to note that ping-pong table and a bright green chess/ at the time, NYC only had a population of checkers table for visitors to take part in 500,000, meaning over five percent of the city’s some outdoor fun and games together. residents were children living on the streets. These children were loaded onto empty APPLICATIONS FOR ARTISTS NOW OPEN FOR THE DOWNTOWN GRAND RAPIDS INC. CHALK FESTIVAL Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. (DGRI) is currently calling all chalk artists to apply for their second annual “Chalk It Up” festival taking place on May 23. The festival began in September 2020 and is a free event that invites artists and the general public to fill the streets of downtown Grand Rapids with chalk-based art. Artists who apply and are accepted will be compensated for an 8x8 chalk piece. Anyone interested is invited to fill out an application and send it to Megan Catcho, DGRI’s Event Coordinator, at mcatcho@ downtowngr.org no later than April 5.
PERFORM: The GVSU Theatre program performed the production of Orphan Trains over Zoom this semester, a challenge for the department to tackle. COURTESY | GV MUSIC, THEATER AND DANCE DEPT.
trains and essentially redistributed across America, especially in the Midwest, where they had a much higher chance of finding a home. By the time it ended in the 1920’s, it is estimated that over 250,000 children were relocated. Marcus Chapman, a former history major and the Director of “Orphan Trains” at GVSU, said that he was first drawn to the
script because of its informative nature on a lesser-known part of American history. “It’s a documentary play, so the primary purpose is to educate,” Chapman said. “(But) as a director, my primary purpose was to put a statement to it.” LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE
GRAND RAPIDS
Frederik Meijer Gardens ‘Zoom In’ on women artists for Women’s History Month BY ALLISON RAFFERTY ARTS@LANTHORN.COM
“SEASONAL WONDERS” PROJECTION SHOW IN GRAND RAPIDS BROUGHT BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND
When the season’s final viewing of the World of Winter Festival’s “Seasonal Wonders” Projection Show took place on March 14, Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. was met with a call for more. The installation, showcasing the four seasons of Grand Rapids on the facade of the Civic Auditorium downtown, has been resurrected for more family fun and will continue showings every Saturday through April 3. Three shows will be taking place each night beginning at 8:30 p.m. with each show lasting about 20 minutes.
MARCH 29, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLARTS
SHOWCASE: The Frederik Meijer Gardens will dedicate one of their Zoom events to women’s history. COURTESY | FREDERIK MEIJER GARDENS
Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park celebrated the final week of Women’s History Month by dedicating one of their “Zooming In’’ events to women’s history. On Thursday, March 25 from 2:003:00 p.m., the park hosted an event titled, “Zooming in on Women Artists at Meijer Gardens.” Curator of Arts Education Amber Oudsema said “Zooming In” events are live and interactive virtual visits to the Sculpture Park, gardens, and galleries with the park’s educators. “These programs are free to register and invite learners of all ages to practice looking closely, thinking deeply, and asking questions to make discoveries about art and horticulture in the world around us,” said Oudsema. While there are a large number of women artists in the Meijer Gardens collection, Oudsema chose a few to highlight for the Women’s History event for specific reasons,
whether it be breaking artistic barriers or shedding light on the experiences of womanhood. “These three artists made highly-unique works that were groundbreaking in the Modern and Contemporary art world for various reasons,” said Oudsema. The artists and their artwork that were selected for the event were Louise Bourgeois who created “Spider” (1997), Beverly Pepper who created “Galileo’s Wedge” (2009), and Kiki Smith who created “Sleepwalker” (2002-2008). “Louise Bourgeois made art that was highly personal, exploring childhood trauma and her role as a daughter, wife and mother,” said Oudsema. She said Kiki Smith was selected because she creates work that connects with bodily functions of women, humans’ subconscious nature and wild animals. LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE
A11 | SPORTS
MARCH 29, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLSPORTS COMBAT SPORTS
QUICK HITS GV SOFTBALL DOMINICAN
SWEEPS
OHIO
On Saturday March 20, the GVSU softball team won both of their contests against Ohio Dominican. To start the double header, the Lakers won 1-0 with a dominating pitching performance from both teams. The game went into extra innings, and the Lakers were able to pick up the only score of the game in the top of the 8th inning. Hannah Beatus (3-1) pitched all eight innings, gave up zero runs and struckout nine batters. Shortstop Lydia Goble grounded out and Megan Koenigshof scored. In the second game of the series, GVSU won 4-1. The Lakers scored all of their runs in the fourth inning. Ashley Platek (2-1) pitched all seven innings giving up just one run and striking out five batters. Koenigshof once again provided an important at-bat, hitting a triple that scored three runs for the Lakers. Goble also had an RBI in the second game of the series.
GV BASEBALL DROPS TWO IN A ROW TO TIFFIN UNIVERSITY
Against Tiffin University, the Lakers dropped their first two games of their three game series. In the first game, the Lakers lost 1-4. Nick Rutkowski pitched 4.1 innings and gave up four earned runs, taking the loss for the Lakers. 2B Cade Stanton singled through the right side of the infield to pick up the only RBI of the game for the Lakers. GVSU lost their next game 1-4 as well. In this matchup, Austin Brown (0-1) picked up the loss for the Lakers, despite not giving up a single earned run. Brown struck out six Tiffin batters. The only score of the game for the Lakers came in the top of the ninth inning. CF Nathan Logan hit an RBI single to bring 1B Ryan Blake-Jones home. After their last game against Tiffin, the Lakers will take on Purdue-Northwest.
VOLLEYBALL WINS BOTH GAMES AGAINST ASHLAND
The GVSU volleyball team swept their weekend series against Ashland University. In their first matchup, the Lakers won all three of the first games of the series. GVSU dominated the contest by having 49 kills, six aces, 47 assists, and 70 digs as a team. Ali Thompson led the team with 19 kills and two aces. Rachel Jacquay had a dominant stat line with 45 assists. Jayla Wesley recorded eight kills and a team high four blocks. Abby Graham led the team with 23 digs and also contributed two assists. In the second matchup of the series, GVSU again won the first three games to earn a victory. They won these series by a larger margin in their second outing. In this series, Sarah Wright led the team with nine kills and three blocks. Jacquay had another impressive performance with 23 assists and one ace.
LAKER LIGHTWEIGHTS: Former Lakers lightweights Tony Ferguson and Kevin Lee fight each other in the UFC octagon. COURTESY | BLEACHER REPORT
After fighting in the octagon, former wrestling coach reflects on training two UFC athletes BY JOSH ROCHETTE SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM
Rick Bolhuis said he was always a West Michigan kid. Coming to Grand Valley State University in the fall of 2000, half of the buildings on campus didn’t exist. There were under 12,000 students on campus. What brought Bolhuis to GVSU was wresting, where he served as a coach. He coached the team for 13 seasons and trained perhaps the highest-caliber athletes that GVSU has given the fighting world. Bolhuis trained former UFC Lightweight Interim Champion Tony Ferguson and UFC Lightweight Contender Kevin Lee. They both wrestled at GVSU during Bolhuis’ tenure, and despite them being with the team years apart, they both followed their dream into the world of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). That alone is an impressive feat for both the athletes and the coaching staff, but none of them could have guessed the two would headline UFC 216, 10 years after Ferguson’s departure. For Bolhuis, it had been the culmination of a long and fruitful career to see the two square off in the octagon, and for the fighters it seemed that destiny had brought the two together again for one last fight. “Tony was already on the team for a year when I started coaching, and he was a national champion in ‘06,” Bolhuis said. When Bolhuis coached him, Ferguson was the kind of guy who would show his tenacity and competitiveness with every trip to the mat. He wasn’t surprised when Ferguson sat him down to discuss his move to MMA and knew that he had the potential to follow through on his goal of becoming champ someday. “Back then, I was still relatively young and about his size, so I worked out with him quite a bit,” Bolhuis said. “We had a few other guys that could perform at his level, but it was crazy to watch the pace they worked at. Iron sharpens iron, and it was fun to be a part of that.” Moving forward a few years to 2010, a
young kid from Southfield by the name of Kevin Lee asked to join Bolhuis and the wrestling club. During this time, Ferguson started his UFC career with his time on the reality show, “The Ultimate Fighter.” Ferguson went on to win that season, earning his first UFC contract while Lee fought up the ranks as an ambitious fighter with a chip on his shoulder. Lee grew up in the Southfield, Michigan and attended Southfield High School before moving across the state to Allendale. Southfield High’s wrestling program was new to the school when Lee attended, wrestling in a classroom for much of that time due to the school’s lack of gym space. He came to GVSU looking for a degree, but left with much more. “He was someone that we didn’t recruit, so he came to us,” Bolhuis said. “He had a few years of wrestling experience but not in the same way Tony did, so for him it was more about turning that innate athleticism into wrestling ability.” Lee was never an All-American for the team, but that hardly mattered since he picked up more and more with each of his three seasons with the team. “He’s one of the smartest guys I’ve worked with,” Bolhuis said. “I’m talking middle-of-the-match adjustments, extreme body awareness and inherent talent.” Interestingly enough, Ferguson came to visit from California and speak with the team during Lee’s stay at GVSU. He came in and talked about his time with the team and what he got from being a Laker. That was the first time the two would meet. The next time they would face one another was under much different circumstances. “Tony would treat every match like a fight and would try to beat you up on the mat,” Bolhuis said. “I knew Kevin would learn that, but I never saw that same brawler that I saw in Tony.” It wasn’t until Lee’s ventures into the amateur fighting that Bolhuis knew he could make it. Lee was a junior in college still wrestling with the team when he faced off against former D1 wrestling champion JP
Reese for the Impact Fight League in 2012. Reese was an established fighter with plenty of matches under his belt while Lee was still the undefeated up-and-comer. None of that mattered however when Lee came out a victor. Five years later, Ferguson had moved his way up the UFC lightweight ladder while Lee was just starting as a fresh face to the big leagues. The two were in the same weight class, so it was bound to eventually fcae each other. When former Lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov pulled out of a fight with Ferguson from injury, Lee was given a shot at the interim title against his former alumni at UFC 216. Both of them being GVSU wrestlers was a big part of the lead-up to the fight. As insults flew, it became evident that they remembered their former meeting a little differently. The fight was looking like a box-office smash as Nurmagomedov had dominated the weight class for what felt like forever, and Bolhuis along with other team members flew out to Vegas to watch. “I followed MMA, but this was the first event I actually went too,” Bolhuis said. “To see two former GVSU club wrestlers fighting for a UFC title was wild.” Ferguson came out victorious, winning with a triangle choke in the third round, but it was a strong performance from both athletes. Bolhuis acknowledges that by the time the two met, Ferguson had much more time under his belt, so Lee may not have expected a former wrestler to spend most of the latter rounds on his back. Nonetheless, it seemed that GVSU and its wrestling program shined brightest that night. As for what came out of this for coach Bolhuis, he’s just glad he could give people the chance to do something they love. “If we contributed anything to their careers, it was making sure they left a better wrestler than they came in as,” Bolhuis said. “All we were trying to do is get people connected to campus, continue to do something they love and make better men out of them. Better fathers, husbands, employees and having fun doing it.”
MARCH 29, 2021 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLSPORTS
A12 | SPORTS VOLLEYBALL
After tough matchup, GV volleyball defeats Michigan Tech BY JOSH CARLSON SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM
Grand Valley State University’s volleyball team (9-3) took the floor at home against conference leader and rival Michigan Technological University (8-1) for another doubleheader weekend. The Lakers dropped their Friday match to the Huskies 3-0 in a fierce battle. In that matchup, all three sets were decided by 5 points or less. For the first match, the Lakers were led by sophomore Karlie Kucharczyk, who had 10 kills and four blocks. Junior Ali Thompson had six kills, an ace, and two blocks. Sarah Wight had six kills and three blocks to round out the Lakers for the first of two matches for the weekend. The second match was like the first. The match ended up going to five games as both teams battled back and forth. GVSU took the first set 26-24 and dropped the second to tie at 1-1 with the Huskies. The Lakers then moved on to win the third set 25-18. As soon as GVSU got some separation from the Huskies, Tech answered right back in the fourth set to even it up at 2-2. The Lakers then took an intense fifth set 15-13 to seal their victory 3-2. After dropping the first match 3-0, head coach Deanne Scanlon knew her girls would learn from their mistakes and come back on
day two with a will to win. “I think our team has had a pattern all season long,” Scanlon said. “On day two they take the lessons they learned from the match the night before and they make changes and adjustments and we have probably played our best volleyball on day two.” Scanlon also noted the bench for the Lakers, who were on their feet and cheering nonstop the entirety of the night in support for their teammates. “It’s been them all year long,” Scanlon said. “We say they are the seventh man and it’s because they are. It’s hard to keep your energy level up that whole entire match but they’re into supporting their team whether they are playing or not playing. Some of those kids haven’t played all season long, but that’s what their role is on this team, to build a great culture of appreciating what everyone’s role is. Everyone is vital and important. It’s not just the starters on the floor, it’s every little thing that everyone does to make us better and you can’t deny that the bench is the thing that drives us and makes a better.” Abby Graham had a huge day for the Lakers, coming in with 23 kills along with 20 digs, coach Scanlon spoke highly of Graham’s stellar performance. “She came up huge for us,” Scanlon said. “She has got a great vision of the
DOUBLED: The GVSU Women’s Volleyball team was victorious over Michigan Tech in doubleheader games that were long and hard fought for both teams during matches. GVL | ANNABELLE ROBINSON
court to see what’s open and what they are giving her. She had some nice hard kills, but she also did a lot of finessing them, she knew right where the open spots were at the right moments.” Also coming in big for the Lakers on the attack was Thompson and sophomore Jaelianna Primus. Thompson had 16 kills for the Lakers and Primus chipped in 10. Sophmore
Rachel Jacquay led the way for assists with 59 on the day for the Lakers. Defensively, Jayla Wesley and Wight led with nine blocks each and Primus added in eight herself. Thompson also helped out on the defensive end with 30 digs while Kucharczyk added 24 as the libero for the day. LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE
SOFTBALL
GV Softball dominates their doubleheader to kick off GLIAC schedule BY SHAWN ROBINSON SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM
SLAMMED: The GVSU Women’s Softball team succeeded in winning both of their games against Parkside. GVL | KATHERINE VASILE
The Grand Valley State University softball team kicked off GLIAC play March 25 against the University of Wisconsin-Parkside in a doubleheader. After almost two years, the Lakers were able to take on the Rangers at GVSU. The Lakers came out with dominant performances both offensively and defensively, winning game one 6-1 and game two 8-3. “It was good, we pushed the games up because of weather, luckily we got it in,” said coach Dana Callihan. “They were amped up and ready to go and it’s nice to be on our home field again.” The Lakers quickly showed that enthusiasm in game one. In the first inning, the Lakers allowed Parkside to score first, but were able to take the lead in the next half of the inning. A fielding error by Parkside allowed for sophomore outfielder Joanna Cirrincione to score. Freshman OF Hannah Hollister then hit a single to bring in junior
infielder Taylor Rieger. The third inning was huge for the Lakers as they scored three runs thanks to sophomore IF Lydia Goble who started things off with an RBI double to right field. The Lakers continued to swing hot bats as junior IF Nikoma Holmen singled brining in a run followed by a junior OF Bailey Thatcher sacrifice fly, allowing the Lakers to take 5-1 lead. The first game saw five different players record RBIs with four players having multiple hits. The pitching for the Lakers was key to their victory in their first game. Starting pitcher, sophomore Hannah Beatus, pitched five innings posting only one earned run, one hit and three strikeouts. Relief pitcher sophomore Samantha Gehrls came in the sixth inning walking her first three batters. She then bounced back by striking out the next two she faced and forced a fly out to end the inning. “I felt good coming into the game,” Beatus said. “After the first inning, I was
able to get into a groove and it helped us for the rest of the game. The girls were swinging that bats well, so I had to match that intensity and made sure I pitched well to get the victory.” The second game started off differently then the first. After the first inning, the game looked like it was going to be a victory for the Lakers due to the mercy rule. Hollister tripled to left and brought in three runs followed by a Thatcher single that brought Hollister home. The Lakers taking an early 4-0 lead, but the Parkside Rangers weren’t going to go down without a fight. In the third inning, the Rangers scored two runs to make it a 4-2 game but that didn’t slow down the Lakers offense at all. Holmen hit a home run, her fourth of the season, to center field extending the Lakers lead 5-2. Parkside would then score once again in the fourth inning, slimming the Lakers lead 5-3. LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE