GRAND VALLEY
A L L E N D A L E & G R A N D R A P I DS , M I C H I G A N ST U D E N T- R U N P U B L I C A T I O N S // P R I N T · O N L I N E · M O B I L E // L A N T H O R N . C O M
M O N D A Y, A U G U ST 2 8 , 2 0 1 7 // VO L . 52 N O. 3
POLITICS
UNIVERSITY
GV student runs for governor of Michigan
GV tuition increases for 201718 academic year BY DYLAN GROSSER ASSISTANTNEWS@LANTHORN.COM
BY JENNA FRACASSI ASSOCIATE@LANTHORN.COM
Evan Space, a student at Grand Valley State University, is currently one of the registered Republican gubernatorial candidates for governor of Michigan in 2018. Space, who served in the Michigan Army National Guard for eight years and was deployed to Afghanistan for a tour, has been a Michigan resident for 37 years. He credits his military experience as being a “very large factor” that got him into politics. In the future, he plans to push for a Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program through GVSU. “I’m not what you would call a politician, but I’m pretty much what you would call a self-employed, blue-collar U.S. military veteran that ended up with an education and is now seeking to pursue bigger goals in life,” Space said. Some of the main elements of his political platform include protecting the education system, making environmental improvements, legalizing recreational marijuana, rebuilding Detroit, re-establishing permanent jobs, improving correctional facilities and more. Space is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science at GVSU with an emphasis in film and video production. He noted that his time on GVSU’s student senate piqued his political interest, saying it “gave (him) a better understanding of what the campus was more about and what the students were like.” “I have taken my education with Grand Valley with a grain of salt, and I understood that this was a good time for me to actually try and make a positive development and a good impact for Michigan and all Michiganders,” Space said. He said most of his political background comes from “education and experience through the military.” Aside from his military experience, he believes his moderate standing sets him apart from other candidates, specifically his perspective on the legalizaSEE GOVERNOR | A2
NEW ADDITIONS: People walk by the freshly renovated performing arts center Sunday, Aug. 27. The center was named after President Thomas Haas and his wife, Marcia Haas, to honor their donations. GVL | EMILY FRYE
Ready for acting GV celebrates dedication of expanded performing arts center BY JOSHUA VISSERS NEWS@LANTHORN.COM
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rand Valley State University’s newly renovated performing arts center was officially dedicated and named after university President Thomas Haas and his wife, Marcia Haas, at a ceremony Friday, Aug. 25. The renovations, which began last year, include new rehearsal space, refinished dance floors, three new ensemble rooms, a new conference room, an enlarged lobby and reception area, and a state-of-the-art black box theater. Pioneer Construction finished the work on time and within the $20 million budget, according to Vice President for University Relations Matt McLogan.
Danny Phipps, chair of the music, theatre and dance department, was the first to make his remarks in front of donors, administrators and alumni in the Louis Armstrong Theatre. “Providing desperately needed production and performance space, this new facility will allow our growing programs to expand their positive impact on students,” Phipps said. The black box theater, which will be dedicated in October, is a flexible and reconfigurable performance space, equipped with a hybrid tungsten-LED lighting system, digital audio mixing equipment, and both wired and wireless networks. It seats a maximum of 150 people. Seth Burton, a senior in both the theatre and communications
programs, was acting as an usher at Friday’s ceremony in full costume for the upcoming production “The Tempest.” “Words cannot describe my excitement,” he said. Burton and other theatre majors will have rehearsals as often as six days a week in the new spaces. “This building never sleeps; there’s always something going on,” he said. The new ensemble rooms— one each for jazz, contemporary and classical music—are each equipped with a suite of classroom technology and are also specialized for music with high ceilings, better speakers and adjustable sound damping on the walls. “The whole complex is goSEE PAC | A2
Grand Valley State University will be increasing its annual undergraduate tuition across the board for the 2017-18 school year. The cost of tuition for in-state, lower-division students—students who have earned 54 credits or fewer—is $11,994 for 2017-18, while it was $11,520 for 2016-17. This is an increase of $474 for the academic year, or an increase of approximately 4.11 percent. In-state, upper-division students— students who have earned 55 credits or more—now pay $12,618 per year, compared to $12,144 last academic year. This is likewise a $474 increase for the year, or an approximately 3.9 percent increase. Lower-division nonMichigan residents pay $17,064 per year, compared to $16,392 last year, and upper-division non-Michigan residents pay $17,688 per year, compared to $17,010 last year. The bid to increase tuition was approved by the Board of Trustees in order to accommodate the 2017-18 budget, which is $349 million (with financial aid subtracted), whereas the 2016-17 budget was $340 million. Matt McLogan, the vice president for university relations at GVSU, said the increasing tuition prices at GVSU are due to a lack of funding for higher education by the state of Michigan. Appropriations by the state are handed out to colleges on a per-student basis. GVSU received $3,040 per student in 2016-17, placing secondto-last out of all other colleges in Michigan, only higher than Oakland University, which received $2,868 per student. The 2016-17 GVSU accountability report shows the state average for funding for Michigan colleges is $5,345 per student. The state of Michigan does hand out a portion of funding based on university performance. For the coming academic year, GVSU received the highest amount of appropriations for performance in the state, $1.8 million, that is tied to retention rate, graduaSEE TUITION | A2
CONVOCATION
Class of 2021 joins Laker student body BY THERESA MUELLER NEWS@LANTHORN.COM
It’s official: The class of 2021 is here. After a few days of transition-
al events, approximately 4,000 new students were formally welcomed by Grand Valley State University’s faculty, staff, students, alumni and president at the Convocation cer-
WELCOMING CHANGE: Student senate president Jonathan Bowman talks during the ceremony. The event urged new students to branch out. COURTESY | GVNOW
emony Friday, Aug. 25. The Convocation was held in the Fieldhouse Arena to accommodate the large mass of students, faculty, staff, alumni and family members. The ceremony consisted of motivational music, a video presentation and welcoming remarks from various speakers. Those speaking at the event included Stephen Glass, acting vice provost for student affairs and dean of students; Maria Cimitile, provost and executive vice president for academic and students affairs; Felix Ngassa, chair of the University Academic Senate; GVSU alumni Briauna and Brittany Taylor; Jonathan Bowman, student senate president; and GVSU President Thomas Haas. At the ceremony, Glass provided opening remarks with an opportunity for reflection. He asked students to think about the journey of accomplishments that had led them to GVSU. “Time at GVSU is simply another opportunity for accomplishments, but not without challenges,” he said. “It is natural when we are challenged. The accomplishment and struggle is what changes you. ... You are part of
the Laker family now. We struggle and strive together.” Ngassa and Haas both touched on the reality of individual differences within the GVSU community, as well as how this reality must be met with respect. “GVSU values (the) integrity of each person,” Haas said. “Respect others voicing opinions. ... We value civility and respect.” Ngassa encouraged students to engage with peers who hold similar and dissimilar views for the purpose of building relationships and connections. “Welcome to the journey of building relationships and making connections, aka the ‘Laker effect,’” he said. Briauna and Brittany Taylor offered complementary advice by encouraging students to seek conversation outside their comfort zones. They urged students to use their time at GVSU to broaden—not narrow— their perspectives, believing this would set students up for success. The speakers at the ceremony also discussed some of the many resources readily available to students during their academic studies at GVSU, including tutoring
and advising sessions, the university libraries, and professors. “You are the reason we (professors) are here,” Ngassa said. “Make an effort to connect with professors, get to know (them) and give (them) an opportunity to know you.” Establishing relationships with professors and using additional academic resources can help catalyze the pursuit of knowledge within the GVSU community. Cimitile touched on the importance of liberal education in the 21st century, as it can serve to equip students with important critical thinking skills. “Liberal education is not something given to you, but earned,” Cimitile said. Haas also touched on the topic of student growth. “If you continue (to learn), you’ll never cease to grow,” Haas said. “Passion and growth are abundant at Grand Valley.” Haas reminded new students that learning takes place both inside and outside the classroom and requires hard work. Haas assured students that, in addition to their hard work, there would plenty of opportunities for fun.