FEBRUARY 11, 2019 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS
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FOOD 4 FINES REINSTATED FOR WINTER SEMESTER
Food 4 Fines returns to GVSU on Monday, Feb. 11. This collaboration between Grand Valley State Police and Replenish food pantry allows Lakers with up to two parking citations to pay for their fines with donations to Replenish. Donation items are grouped into three tiers depending on price and size. Included in all three tiers are various food and personal care items. A full list of accepted items can be found on the GVSU Parking website. Valid donations must include items that are not damaged or expired. Additionally, donations are only valid for unpaid parking citations and will not be applied to other campus violations or previous citations.
FORMER BOARD OF TRUSTEE CHAIR HONORED AT MEETING
Grand Valley State University’s Board of Trustees honored former board member David Hooker during their meeting on Friday, Feb. 8. Hooker, current president and CEO of Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park, served on the board for eight years, both as chair of the Academic and Student Affairs Committee and the board as a whole. “David was steadfast in his commitment to the governance of Grand Valley,” said Chair of the Board of Trustees Mary Kramer. “His insistence upon academic quality, founded in the liberal arts, reflects his belief in providing students with the best possible educational experience.”
STUDENT SENATE ENCOURAGES BOARD OF TRUSTEES AMENDMENT
On Thursday, Feb. 7, Grand Valley State University’s student senate passed a resolution calling for GVSU’s Board of Trustees to adopt former Michigan Governor Rick Snyder’s executive order that expands on Michigan’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act. The proposed change protects LGBT citizens from discrimination in addition to the already protected basis of race, sex, creed and more. Because of the university’s federal funding, GVSU does not have to comply with Snyder’s executive order. The proposed change encourages the Board of Trustees to amend section 6.10, which is their purchasing policy, to ban working with companies that have a history of LGBT discrimination. While student senate noted that the board can self-enforce the standard, but the passed resolution recommends the creation of a fail-safe for the future.
PROFESSOR RECOGNIZED FOR MENTORSHIP, DRIVE FOR STUDENT SUCCESS
GVSU associate professor of physical education Ingrid Johnson was named Mentor of the Year by the Society of Health and Physical Educators, a national organization. Johnson’s title was earned for her dedication to mentoring and advising her students. The award is given through nominations, which were given by two of Johnson’s students. They cited her drive to see students succeed and influence as a leader.
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Trump also discussed the success in the increased amount of women in the workforce, concern with passing the United States Reciprocal Trade Act, our troops overseas and immigration. Yet, Peters said he wished Trump would have outlined a plan to help modernize roads, bridges and ports and expand rural broadband networks, especially in states like Michigan. He was also disappointed the president did not highlight ways to strengthen the education system so that students have the tools to pursue their
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“These challenges came forward to the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners and they immediately responded with a need to conduct an intensive scientific study to understand what is happening below our feet,” said Ottawa County Director of Planning and Performance Improvement Paul Sachs. “When you look at where the emerging issues are around water in the state, groundwater is definitely a significant one,” Steinman said. “Ottawa County is sort of the bellwether for this in terms of the amount of groundwater that’s being extracted and not replaced.” Some of the huge demands on groundwater that are causing these issues come from west Michigan’s agriculture industry, resulting in problems of both quality and quantity.
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“When people are looking down at their phones, accidents are bound to happen. About a month ago, we had a female on campus (a non-student) trying to find her friend by using GPS on her phone. This driver became distracted and struck a pedestrian using the crosswalk.” Students also recognize the hazards presented when drivers try to multitask, especially in conditions that leave roads icy and slick. “It’s probably happening for good reason,” said senior
dreams, whether that’s through a four-year college degree or a career and technical education. Regardless, Peters said he is dedicated to working with Trump on these issues. Through her visit, Mantella said she acknowledges the need to continue bipartisan work in Congress and with educational leaders “I recognize that president’s use the State of the Union address to prioritize their agenda,” Mantella said. ”Of course, I think education needs always to be on the list. Education and innovation are central in our national agenda and are an investment in our future — a future that’s already here.”
GOING LIVE: Posing for the camera, incoming GVSU president Philomena Mantella sits with Sen. Gary Peters. COURTESY | MATT MCLOGAN
IWR took seven years to complete the groundwater study and, with help from AWRI and Ottawa County, a groundwater management plan was created. Research into the county’s groundwater will likely remain constant as investigators attempt to reduce the amount of groundwater extracted and improve the recharge rates. Looking at other areas of concern, Steinman believes the collaboration could also investigate some of the most prominent water issues in the state like PFAS contamination. Just last November, Michigan Senator Gary Peters held a hearing at GVSU’s Loosemore Auditorium in Grand Rapids to address arising PFAS concerns. PFAS chemicals pose a unique hazard to both humans and the local environment due to a lack in research regarding their long-term effects. “When you talk about these kind of issues, one thing is going to be, what’s in front
of us right now that’s sort of in crisis mode?” Steinman said. “Line 5, Flint, PFAS. I suspect you’re going to see PFAS all over this country, it just hasn’t been investigated yet. We are, for better or for worse, leading the charge.” No specific projects have been identified yet for the collaboration, but it will likely provide research-based solutions for some locally prominent issues. Beyond the intersection of resources and ideas, the potential for undergrad and graduate student exchange could be possible through the water research collaboration. Currently, AWRI only offers a graduate program while IWR has both graduate and doctoral. “I think the student exchange is certainly one way the education would be enhanced,” Steinman said. “So, there might be exchanges of our master student graduates if they want to go on to a PhD they could kind of slide into MSU.”
The exchange of resources, ideas and people will help foster the community within this water research collaboration which could change the landscape for problem solving in the area. The State of Michigan remains highly focused on water as more issues arise, not because of a lack of resources but rather a large water-based research community that tends to jump on these investigations sooner. Michigan is leading the charge in water research and hopefully the partnership of universities will provide another driving force to solving some of the most prominent water related issues here. “Thinking about where these future issues are and developing the kind of models that need to be developed to plan accordingly for the future; that’s where this collaboration can be very positive,” Steinman said.
natural resource major Sabrina Fouche. “If (Battle Creek) took these drastic measures, it was probably necessary… if there’s a need for it, maybe this is how it should be.” Senior marketing major Sam Vaughn said that though texting and driving generally isn’t safe, there may be legitimate reasons to use a phone while driving. “Texting or talking while driving or anything of that nature can be dangerous, but I think there should be some leeway for people who are checking their GPS or changing songs really quickly. Of course though, it’s not like this ordinance will actually hurt anyone,” Vaughn said.
While some view this purely as a safety matter, Liberal Studies senior Rachael Ocampo considers what monetary gains this could mean for the areas that implement the no-phone ban. “Any law that allows zero exceptions seems like a bad policy to me and could also come under scrutiny as a way for a city to max out their profits on unnecessary fines. Michigan’s current distracted driving law does a good job outlining when it is permissible to use your phone while driving and when it is not—I think the city should stick to those guidelines,” Ocampo said. Michigan’s statewide
guidelines on distracted driving make exceptions for using the devices for GPS tools or to report a crime, accident or road hazard. As it stands now, there are few restrictions to talking on the phone while driving, whereas reading or writing text messages behind the wheel is illegal. It is unclear now whether more Michigan communities will apply the no-phone ban, but it’s likely that traffic data provided by the Battle Creek city commission over the next few years could influence whether or not this ordinance will be adapted elsewhere.
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