GV VOLLEYBALL IMPROVES TO 5-3 WITH FOUR-GAME WEEKEND SWEEP
GRAND VALLEY
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VOL . 5 1
NO. 6
SOCIAL JUSTICE
Fresh from the garden Laker students to practice farm-to-table initiatives
JUSTICE: Patrisse Cullors, Black Lives Matter advocate. COURTESY | GVSU.EDU
GV offers new Black Lives Matter course BY SANDA VAZGEC ASSISTANTNEWS@LANTHORN.COM
Following ongoing social justice issues within the black community in the U.S., the Black Lives Matter movement has gained strength and influence. In the midst of these events, Grand Valley State University is offering a new course this fall framed to open up discussion about how the Black Lives Matter movement has affected society. The course, titled IDS/AAA 180: Black Lives Matter, will run from Sept. 12 to Oct. 14 and meets from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Mondays and Fridays. The course will focus on what the Black Lives Matter movement means, why it is controversial and the events that lead to the movement’s inception. The course is taught by Louis Moore, chair of the African African American studies department at GVSU. “This is a major movement happening in our society today and we need to have some dialogue about it,” Moore said. “We’re going to look at these issues from today’s perspective but also taking a look into the history of the civil rights movement and how that transcends to today.” Students taking the course will learn about historic forces of racial power and the concerns surrounding police brutality. They will also learn about the message of the Black Lives Matter movement in regard to policing, gender equality and the future for black Americans. Moore said an emphasis of the course will be looking at the historical evolution of how past generations have handled issues like police brutality. Students will have readings from different decades and use the opportunity to learn context for the modern issues the Black Lives Matter movement focuses on. Maalik McClinton, a GVSU student enrolled in the course, said his motivation for registering comes from his personal experiences as a young
HEALTHY LIVING: Austin VanDyke sells peppers at the GVSU farmers’ market Sept. 7. The Sustainable Agriculture Project will host a workshop on healthy, fresh foods later this month. GVL | LUKE HOLMES BY BENNETT SLAVSKY BSLAVSKY@LANTHORN.COM
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he Sustainable Agriculture Project is hosting a “Fresh From the Garden” workshop Thursday, Sept. 15 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Grand Valley State University Farm off Luce Street, less than a mile from campus. Interested students will have the opportunity to come together over a freshly harvested meal grown on GVSU property. Amy McFarland, professor of the Food for Thought course at GVSU, will spearhead this event. The class explores the relationship between people and how we get our food, from production to consumption. The fresh from the garden
event takes this concept out of the classroom and apply it to real life, bringing students to the GVSU farm so they can see exactly where food comes from—from the soil to the table. Participants will walk the fields, harvest the food and cook it together, all in a matter of a few hours. “This event is about going out, seeing what’s there, and making a dish out of it,” McFarland said. “Its about getting in touch with the land that grows their food so (people) feel comfortable with a range of food activities.” “Fresh from the Garden” will not only put students in direct contact with their food source, but will also deal with issues regarding the seasonality of food. There will
be a total of six workshops throughout the fall semester, and each one featuring different, in-season foods. Workshops in September will be centered around foods such as tomatoes and eggplants, while November workshops will feature foods like winter squash and root vegetables. In-season and fresh foods not only taste better, but are also better for the environment, McFarland said, which is another key component of this event. “Fresh from the Garden” will give students the chance to connect with their food and connect with one another. They will bond over a meal, and discuss issues of food, agriculture SEE FRESH | A2
SEE BLM | A2
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12
LAKER TRADITIONS
Family Weekend restructured to one-day event Laker Traditions Team changes scheduling of annual festivities BY EMILY DORAN EDORAN@LANTHORN.COM
Grand Valley State University students and their families will join together this upcoming weekend, thanks to the Laker Traditions Team and the Office of Student Life. GVSU’s annual Family Day will include a variety of sports-themed activities Saturday, Sept. 17, which will be followed by the more arts-based Great Laker Weekend from Sept. 30 to Oct. 2. In order to highlight the weekend’s football game against Northern Michigan University, the traditional Family Weekend has been rescheduled around the GVSU athletics calendar and condensed into one activity-filled day this year, with some events spilling over into the Great Laker Weekend later this month. “In order for us to have the football game be involved, we pushed (Family Day) up because there is no football game that weekend we normally have it, which is the last weekend in September,” said Caity Hamaker, Laker Traditions Team member and cocoordinator of Family Day. In keeping with these scheduling changes, the activities for Family Day have also changed location. “In the past, we held our activities in Kirkhof, but this year, to go with the sports theme of ‘The Grand Score,’ we decided to move our activities to the Fieldhouse,” said Dan Ziegenfelder, Laker Traditions programming chair. Given these scheduling and location changes, Ziegenfelder said it’s difficult to predict how many people will attend Family Day. “In years past we have had a good turnout at the events, but due to the event being earlier this year, it is hard to tell what the turnout (will) be,” he said. “We are confident (it) will be good.” SEE FAMILY | A2
FAMILY FUN: Siblings bond at GVSU Friday, Jan. 29. GVL | LUKE HOLMES
Exploring the great outdoors
FITNESS
Variety of nature trails around GV available to students BY KYLE BINDAS KBINDAS@LANTHORN.COM
BREATH OF FRESH AIR: Grand Valley State University students Jacob Salter and Casey Malburg go for an evening run on trails near campus. GVL | LUKE HOLMES
With fall right around the corner and the trees about to transform into abundant autumn colors, there is no better time to get outside and experience nature. Fortunately, Grand Valley State University has some great places to do so, right in its backyard. GVSU is home to many trails that showcase the natural beauty of the surrounding area, many of which are located just a short walk from classroom buildings or student housing. The largest network of these trails are the Ravines trails. These provide an easy way to navigate through the steep hills of the ravines and down to the Grand River. These trails also provide access to the GVSU boathouse. Students often use the trails for
running paths, including Paige Arney, a sophomore at GVSU and avid runner who prefers running on the trails in the ravines over running on a treadmill. “It’s nice going in the trail because you get that breath of fresh air,” Arney said. “It releases stress better because you’re by yourself for the most part, and it’s just nice scenery. It’s nice looking at something other than walls and other people all the time.” Entrances to the Ravines trails are located at the back of parking lot D, behind the William F. Pickard Living Center, at the end of parking lot O near the Alexander Calder Residence building and at the end of the Grand Valley Apartments. In addition to being used by students as hiking and running paths, the ravines are used by faculty for
teaching and research purposes. If the Ravines seem like too much of a hike for some students, there is a slice of nature right in the heart of campus. The GVSU arboretum features several short wooded trails and an open field. It provides a place to relax and escape the hustle and bustle of campus, while still being inside of it. Founded in 1989, the arboretum was originally part of a sustainability project. For every ton of paper the university recycled, a new tree would be planted. This program earned GVSU an award from the Environmental Protection Agency. Today, many Lakers use the arboretum to set up a hammock or enjoy a picnic and escape the stress of school. SEE TRAILS | A2
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