Issue 59, April 20th, 2017 - Grand Valley Lanthorn

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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

FINALS SURVIVAL GUIDE

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

SEE A6 - A7

T H U R S D A Y, A P R I L 2 0 // VO L . 5 1 N O. 5 9

Raising a glass NEW ALUMNI: (From left to right): Lyndsie Hosang, GVSU President Thomas Haas and Caroline Insalaco pose for a photo Wednesday, April 19, in the DeVos Center in downtown Grand Rapids. This year’s Toast With T. Haas event brought in more than 1,400 students who came to celebrate and have a toast of Champagne before graduating in April. GVL | EMILY FRYE

Graduates toast with GV president for last ceremony before commencement BY DYLAN GROSSER DGROSSER@LANTHORN.COM

M

any traditions at Grand Valley State University have helped graduates transition into alumni and become “lakers for a lifetime.” The Toast With T. Haas ceremony, held Wednesday, April 19, saw a re-

cord turnout of 1,400 GVSU students who came to celebrate their graduation with GVSU President Thomas Haas and graduating student senate president Ella Fritzemeier. Invitations to the toast, this semester hosted in the DeVos Center Plaza, were extended to all students graduating this semester to join and indulge in appetizers and drinks and

discuss their memories of GVSU. Haas called the winter 2017 graduates part of his “extended family” and toasted to the diversity of the graduating class in their fields and in their character. “We want you to come back as often as you can because this is your home,” Haas said. “I can’t think of a better home than Grand Valley with

my extended family right here.” In his toast, Haas talked about the best part of his job as president of GVSU. “It’s the students that I have the opportunity to serve and to be with day in, day out,” Haas said. “It’s about you guys, and I am so proud of you individually and collectively.” Fritzemeier congratulated and

reminisced with the graduating class by showing a video highlighting the most memorable moments of their time at GVSU. She talked about many instances where graduates formed life-changing experiences at GVSU, including student senate elections, Presidents’ Ball and SEE TOAST | A2

ACCOLADES

Student Life to host award reception Community Service Learning Center to honor exceptional organization BY DREW SCHERTZER DSCHERTZER@LANTHORN.COM

RECOGNIZE: Awards are given out during the Student Life Awards Ceremony. This year’s ceremony will be held Thursday, April 20. GVL | STUDENT LIFE VIDEO TEAM

Every year at Grand Valley State University, the Office of Student Life hosts the Student Life Awards Reception. This event recognizes student organizations and members that have had successes in different areas. This year’s reception will take place Thursday, April 20, in the Kirkhof Center Grand River Room from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Around 200 people are expected to attend. “This award ceremony helps to recognize students for what they do,” said Tanisha Kuykendall, the graduate assistant for student organization development at GVSU.

“They do so much on campus, and this highlights some of it.” The awards range from philanthropy to sports through 180 nominations, Kuykendall said. Organizations can nominate members who they think exemplify the missions and values their organizations embolden. The GVSU Community Service Learning Center (CSLC) selects the best nominees through a committee. “I really want to win a national championship this year,” said Joey Digiacomo, men’s club lacrosse athlete. “It would be great for our team to be recognized by the (CSLC).” National championship winners are congratulated on their efforts during the reception, Kuykendall said.

Last year, the women’s hockey team and the wrestling club won the club sports of the year, Kuykendall said. Digiacomo said his team hopes they can hold the honors this year. The CSLC will also be recognizing faculty, graduates and undergraduate students along with student organizations. There will be program awards, individual recognition and organizational awards. The Program of the Year award will be presented to an organization that has done exceptional work and comes with $100 dollars as well. The Emerging Leader award is for a student leader who has helped maintain a SEE AWARD | A2

RETIREMENT

Moving on BY KYLE DOYLE ASSISTANTNEWS@LANTHORN.COM

On the windows outside the Frederik Meijer Honors College Office at Grand Valley State University, first-year students within the program write down on a cloud-shaped piece of paper what their dreams for the future are. These clouds are given to those students when they graduate as a memento of what they thought as optimistic, bright-eyed, bushy-tailed freshmen they would be doing in four years. While the students may be the only

Honors College Director ‘Dr. J’ says goodbye to program he helped build

ones explicitly writing down their aspirations like this, the faculty and staff at the Honors College have their own visions for the program, too. Jeff Chamberlain, director of the Honors College, said his dream was to see the program become a world-class honors college that was beneficial for students. “I would say I’ve managed about 85 to 90 percent of it,” Chamberlain said. “It’s never 100 percent. Your dreams have to be bigger than you’re able to do. My goals, my dreams, are probably a little bit bigger than

I could have accomplished. I don’t have any regrets in that regard.” After the winter 2017 semester, Chamberlain will be leaving for Florida as he becomes the dean of the growing Hicks Honors College at the University of North Florida after 10 years of working and creating lifelong connections and friendships at GVSU. Moving from a private college with a student body of roughly 1,400 students to a public institution with more than 23,000 students would be a huge jump for anybody. And taking over an honors college with an enrollment al-

most the same size of the previous college’s entire student body would be an especially daunting task. But that didn’t stop Chamberlain as he began to build up the honors program when he came to GVSU in 2007. And now, after 10 years with GVSU, the Honors College director affectionately known by students, faculty and staff as “Dr. J,” will be leaving for another honors college down in Florida, a decision that did not come easily. SEE HONORS | A2

MOVING ON: Jeff Chamberlain poses for a photo. GVL | MACKENZIE BUSH


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