Year in Review, Year 2013-2014, Grand Valley Lanthorn

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YEAR IN REVIEW

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This issue contains re-printed articles from the 2013-2014 academic year

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Contents: A...News b...sports c...graduate honors

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APRIL 21, 2014

YEAR IN REVIEW

GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN

BY CARLY SIMPSON ORIGINALLY POSTED OCT. 14, 2013

Fifty-three years ago, Grand Valley State University was a field of corn and mud. Now, it is home to almost 25,000 students and has close to 100,000 alumni scattered throughout the world. About 300 students, faculty, staff and family members of the university’s founders gathered on campus Thursday to honor the first Lakers and kick off Founders Day— a new tradition at GVSU. “I’m proud to be a part of a university that takes the time to appreciate where we come from,” said Cody Rivers, a senior at GVSU. A bronze statue of L. William “Bill” Seidman, who is recognized as a founder of GVSU, was unveiled at the ceremony in memory of his achievements. Brett Grill, a Grand Rapids native who now teaches in Columbia, Mo., created the statue, which was placed near the new Mary Idema Pew Library. “Bill Seidman is one of those individuals of the 300plus people that came together who had a vision for Grand Valley State University,” President Thomas Haas said. “They wanted to develop the talent and keep the talent here in West Michigan. It sounds like this story all over again. Right now, this year

in 2013, where we’re hearing from our state and across the nation that we need to create, we need to shape that talent necessary for our economic vitality and security. It hasn’t changed. But what has changed is this glorious university called GVSU.” Seidman and his citizen’s committees traveled the West Michigan region asking for support and playing their theme song—“High Hopes” by Frank Sinatra. Through donations from community organizations, banks, business labor unions and individuals who donated “a buck a brick,” they were able to raise the initial $1 million and obtain a university charter. “Really the essence of Grand Valley State University is truly the story of entrepreneurship, of innovation and continued service,” Haas said. “Grand Valley State University is a remarkable success story.” In 1960, GVSU became Michigan’s 10th state-supported college, and in 1963, the first 226 students were enrolled. “Let’s think about this just for a minute,” Haas said. “What if Bill Seidman and the others gave up? What if they didn’t have the vision of creating the talent here in Allendale to support this region? They had the con-

GVL | ROBERT MATHEWS

First Founders Day honors GV pioneers

Creating memories: Grand Valley State Univerity President Thomas Haas celebrates with Tom Seidman, son of William Seidman, during the inaugural Founders Day event and the unveiling of the William Seidman statue.

fidence in themselves and then had confidence that they could sustain this model of public higher education in West Michigan. What if they didn’t? Well we wouldn’t be here today. We wouldn’t be here today without those

founders.” Tom Seidman, a son of Bill Seidman, spoke on behalf of his family at the ceremony and commented about the statue that was set up to honor his father. “The expression on his

First remembrance event honors fallen Lakers BY HANNAH LENTZ ORIGINALLY POSTED OCT. 14, 2013

that he had—this incredible campus that extends all the way to downtown now and all the way to Detroit—he will have the grin on by tomorrow morning, and it will be there for the life of this university.”

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.

Lanthorn VOLUME 48, NUMBER 59 The Grand Valley Lanthorn is published twice-weekly by Grand Valley State University students 62 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. POSTMASTER: Please send form 3579 to: GVL | ALEX RAMALES

The Laker Traditions Team hosted a new event on campus, Laker Remembrance, to honor more than 80 Grand Valley State University students, staff and alumni who have passed away in the last year. A crowd of about 50 students and community members gathered Thursday around the Cook Carillon Clock Tower to celebrate and remember the lives of those Lakers and to confirm the university motto, “Laker for a Lifetime.” As names of each of the deceased were read, roses were placed at the base of the clock tower to create a small memorial. In addition, candles were passed throughout the crowd during the service, and the Cook Carillon bell rang 85 times to symbolize each of the lives lost in the past year. “These kinds of events are important because they show that we care,” said Erika Noth, co-coordinator of the event and member of the Laker Traditions Team. “They help bring the campus together and form a sense of community throughout the student body and in the community.” The event started off with a welcome address from Ricky Benavidez, president of the Student Senate, where he thanked those in attendance and remembered those the university has lost. In his address, he reminded the audience of the importance of devotion, honor and the true sense of togetherness that GVSU holds dear. “While we remember the history of the university, we need to remember those who made that history and remind us all that Lakers are part of the university forever,” Benavidez said. Following the welcoming address, a series of poems were read. Stephanie Ewart,

face should have a very familiar lopsided grin,” Tom Seidman said. “And I can tell you this: that if it doesn’t, and this statue is unveiled and this likeness of my father is looking out at what has been created here from the dream

Never forget: Friends and family observe a moment of silence in remembrance of the Laker students, staff and alumni who passed away in the last year.

vice president of Student Senate; Yonathan Mengsteab, funding board chair of the Interfaith Council; and Kelsey Rice of the Laker Traditions team all recited poetry. Bringing the ceremony to an end, Euphoria—a co-ed, student-run a cappella group on campus—led all in attendance in the GVSU alma mater, and those present were invited by Benavidez to take part in the memory tree, a place for individuals to put memories of the deceased. “You could feel the Laker spirit at the ceremony, going to show that Lakers are not forgotten,” Noth said. “There was a real community feel at the event and it

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helped to make the event a success.” Following the third Laker tradition this year, the Laker Traditions Team hopes by hosting events such as Laker Remembrance that they can help to bring unique and memorable experiences to GVSU students to enhance their overall college experience. “There was a good turnout for the first year,” said John Chadwick, Laker Remembrance co-coordinator and traditions team member. “Hopefully, as word gets out, the event will continue to grow from year to year and continue to honor those closest to us.”

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EDITORIAL STAFF Editor-in-Chief LIZZY BALBOA Associate Editor SARAH HILLENBRAND News Editor CARLY SIMPSON Sports Editor JAY BUSHEN Laker Life Editor AUDRA GAMBLE A & E Editor MARY MATTINGLY Image Editor HANNAH MICO Copy Editor ALEX LEMANS Layout Editor ALLISON SUPRON Layout Staff MORGAN GOULD ROSS TANNER Web Team COSTAS CIUNGAN T.J. ZIMMERMAN PROMOTIONS TEAM JEFF SORENSEN LINDSEY VANDENBOOM JENNA LADEMAN

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YEAR IN REVIEW

GVL | MARISSA DILLON

APRIL 21, 2014 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN

Good times: Grand Valley State University students listen to music and dance at Presidents’ Ball 2014, which was held at DeVos Place in Grand Rapids. The dance’s theme was James Bond 007 and was organized by the GVSU Student Senate. This year, there was a record number of attendees with more than 4,000 tickets sold for the dance and another 500 for the dinner. Student Senate is looking to boost the budget of the dance for next year by $7,000 to maintain the high level of entertainment.

BY CLAIRE FODELL ORIGINALLY POSTED JAN. 23, 2014

This is the second consecutive year that classes were canceled at Grand Valley State University in celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. On their day off, many GVSU students took the time to commemorate and remember the legacy of King with the annual silent march and keynote speaker. More than 100 members of the GVSU community gathered Monday in front of Zumberge Hall for the march, which symbolizes the march on Washington, D.C. in August 1963 when King made his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. Sabrina Elzinga, a sophomore at GVSU, was glad to take time out of her day for the walk and was hoping for a very emotional experience. “I guess I expect the mood to kind of change,” Elzinga said before the walk. “I just think it will be a great time of reflection.” The march moved swiftly and silently from the south side of campus, across the Little Mackinac bridge, up the hill past Fresh foods and across the pathway between Mackinac and Manitou halls. It eventually made its way back to the

Kirkhof Center where it finished in the Grand River Room. However, the celebration was only beginning. Shortly after, a large crowd filtered inside the room to listen to Chuck D., legendary rapper and creator of the group Public Enemy. As the crowd entered, the room was filled with the voices of the Fisk Jubilee Singers from Fisk University. Before Chuck D. spoke, President Thomas Haas explained what kind of impact he believes King had on the people of his time as well as the people of today. “He gave people a sense of purpose,” Haas said. “A conviction for a just cause, and I think that people showed up there on those steps of the Lincoln Memorial not for Dr. King, but for themselves as you are showing up here today, for yourself.” Chuck D. then emphasized the importance of getting and using a college degree and traveling the world. “It’s not important how you look like on the outside; it’s your insides, and to design your insides it takes a lot of work,” he said. “Knowledge, wisdom and understanding does not come in a microwave.” Chuck D. also mentioned the importance

GVL | ROBERT MATHEWS

Symbolic march across campus ends with keynote speaker Chuck D.

Taking notice: Chuck D. of Public Enemy speaks to a packed audience inside the Grand River Room in the Kirkhof Center as part of Grand Valley State University’s MLK Jr. Day events.

of remaining cautious of giving in to new technologies. “They are an unbelievable tool, but if you ain’t smarter than your smartphone, you’ve

lost,” he said. “Don’t be crippled by social media to not learn anything else on the Internet other than social media and taking 7,000 selfies of yourself.”

GV goes for world record of sets of twins enrolled BY CARLY SIMPSON

GVL | KEVIN SIELAFF

ORIGINALLY POSTED APRIL 7, 2014

Sticking together: Kaylee Tuin and Allison Tuin, seniors at GVSU, take a moment for a picture with President Thomas Haas. The sisters are one of the 101 sets of twins currently enrolled at GVSU.

With 101 sets of twins currently enrolled, Grand Valley State University is hoping to set a world record. On Sunday, the university invited its twin students to the Fieldhouse Arena for a “twin day” and to get a group photograph. “I got the idea just by walking around campus and going to workout and watch basketball games,” said Kim Schmidt, associate director of alumni relations. “I noticed a lot of twins and wanted to know exactly how many are at Grand Valley.” Mallorie and Morgan McCord are juniors at GVSU and were excited to participate in the event. The sisters were born one minute apart on June 2, 1993. “Our favorite part of being twins is dressing alike and tricking people,” said Mallorie, the older of the two. “People always mix us up, so we respond to both names now.”

The identical twins share more than appearances, though, and can answer each other’s questions before they’re even asked. “We’re together all the time and so we think the same things and do a lot of the same things,” Morgan said. Kaylee Tuin and Allison Tuin, seniors at GVSU, agree that twins share a special connection. “Sometimes we’ll say twin telepathy isn’t real, but then we’ll start saying the same thing about a completely random topic and we’re always finishing each other’s sentences,” Allison said. Rachael Dykstra, research analyst for Institutional Analysis at GVSU, cross referenced students’ birth dates, addresses and parents’ names to come up with the sets of twins. GVSU will send the students’ information to the Guinness World Records headquarters to be verified. The process could take at least two months to be completed.

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YEAR IN REVIEW

APRIL 21, 2014 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN

Corporate presence rises on campus BY CARLY SIMPSON ORIGINALLY POSTED DEC. 5, 2013

Grand Valley State University has earned a reputation for being ‘born’ by the West Michigan community and its business leaders. Although the university is past the bottle and diaper stage, corporations continue to nurture it. “As a community asset, we know the corporations in the area feel that this is an excellent investment of their philanthropic dollars so that Grand Valley can continue to attract, educate and retain the best and brightest talent for West Michigan’s future,” said Karen Loth, vice president of University Development. State funding has steadily decreased since 1997, and with little money coming from the government, the university relies on tuition and donations to sustain its budget. Since 2009, University Development has raised around $1 million to $1.5 million each year from corporations, Loth said. In 2012, monetary gifts from corporations represented 11 percent of total private giving.

“In the last 20 years, the state has not had much money for construction,” said Matt McLogan, vice president for University Relations. “Of necessity, we asked business leaders to help us produce graduates. Grand Valley is no different from any other college. From day one, we’ve solicited gifts. We were born with them.” Students and professors see proof of this as they walk past the campus buildings and rooms named after top donors, which has earned the university another reputation. As mentioned in a previous Lanthorn article, “Roasting Lubbers,” GVSU alumnus and Ionia Mayor Dan Balice joked about having a toilet dedicated in his honor. “If you’ve ever been to Kistler Hall, go to the fourth floor, men’s lavatory, third stall, it’s the Balice toilet,” he said. “Cost me 50 bucks, and Tom Haas tells me tonight there are still naming opportunities for the urinals.” Although bathrooms on campus remain untouched by corporations, a growing trend is being seen at GVSU as students’ study spaces are being

transformed by corporate undertones. This year alone, 31 rooms on campus have been named after corporations. The L. William Seidman Center has 18, the Robert B. Annis Field Station has 10, and the Mary Idema Pew Library Learning and Information Commons has three. “Corporations give to non-profit organizations, like Grand Valley, to support their desire to be good corporate citizens and community partners,” Loth said. Along with the warm, fuzzy feeling of philanthropy, though, these corporations are getting another return on their investments: name recognition. Thousands of GVSU students use these rooms every day. “I really like going to the DTE Innovation room at the library,” junior Kelsey Martin said. “It’s a comfortable environment to study in and for meeting with groups. I think it can be seen as a form of positive advertising for them. It brings a twist to our campus that I think many students will notice.” Loth disagreed, stating that cor-

Board of trustees members share their opinions BY CARLY SIMPSON ORIGINALLY POSTED APRIL 7, 2014

Board of Trustees members joined in the discussion about donor relations at Grand Valley State University during a second town hall meeting held by the Student Senate on Thursday. Shelley Padnos, chair of the Board of Trustees, and Kate Pew Wolters, the former chair and a current member of the board, shared their views with more than 50 members of the campus community including students, staff, faculty and administrators. “We wanted to send a clear message throughout the university that conversations on controversial topics are not taboo or out of bounds,” Padnos said. “In fact we wanted to encourage this civil discourse and we both feel that this particular topic is worthy of conversation and further thought.” Padnos and Pew Wolters spoke as individuals and as donors, and they said their views do not necessarily represent the administration’s. The pair started by answering students’ questions that were left from the first town hall meeting held in February. One concern that was brought up is that donors affect the curriculum being taught at the university. At GVSU, new programs and those that are being cut must go through Provost Gayle Davis and the Board of Trustees. “I would be willing to bet you that 95 percent of the donors couldn’t tell you Gayle Davis’s name,” Padnos said. “I can assure you that the driving force behind curriculum change has been students and students’ demand and need.” Students also had said they would like to see more Laker community members recognized for their contributions, and it was suggested that more things be named after alumni or faculty who have positively affected the university. The LGBT Resource Center was listed as an example as it is going to be named after Milton Ford, who founded the center and was a professor at GVSU. “I think it’s perfectly reasonable to expect that to happen in any given situation whether it’s a building or it’s a program or it’s a lecture series,” Pew Wolters said. However, this is not a simple request. As state funding has decreased, the university has had to rely more on private donations, which can be boosted with certain techniques.

“The fact remains that with a lot of buildings, we have to raise money for a lot of the expenses,” Pew Wolters said. “We do go to donors, and that helps us to raise money if we’re willing to put a name somewhere. The state is not supporting us the way that they used to support us, and we now are required to try and find those funds elsewhere.” The Mary Idema Pew Library was a $65 million project. Private donations accounted for $25 million of the funding. The L. William Seidman Center, which cost $42 million, did not receive any money from the state. Almost 60 percent of the funds came from donations, which totaled about $25 million. Another concern that was voiced to the senate was that naming has become an excessive practice at GVSU. The library was listed as an example. “Each corridor, each floor and classrooms are named after individual people, and we also have spaces in the library named after corporations,” said Ricardo Benavidez, president of the senate. “Some students feel the excessive amount of names on spaces has become detrimental to studying and learning, that it has become a distraction.” The third floor of the library is named after Pew Wolters. Also on the third floor is the Padnos & Sarosik Reading Room. Padnos shared the story of the first time the pair viewed the library. “We looked at the first floor then got in the elevator and went to the next floor. The next floor happens to be named after Kate and we got off and ‘whoa,’” Padnos said. “Her name is in really, really big letters.” When they viewed the Padnos Greeting Room, Padnos recalls Pew Wolters saying, “Thank God your name is as big as mine.” Both agreed that the university could look at alternative ways of recognizing donors, such as a donor wall. “The bottom line is different people give for different reasons,” Pew Wolters said. “There is no doubt that some people give to get their name big on a wall. Is that wrong when the ultimate result is a great building or great whatever? I suppose that’s up for philosophers to debate. We all probably have different feelings about that, and other people just give because they are proud about the institution that Grand Valley has become.”

porate philanthropy and outreach is not the same as advertising. “While their corporate name might get exposure in a building, they are not giving for that reason, and they could get much more exposure if they invested the same dollars into actual advertising,” she said. The Grand Valley University Foundation plays a large role in creating and maintaining the university’s private and public partnerships and completing fundraising campaigns. Top donors to any given capital project are offered naming opportunities as available, Loth said, and they are able to select within a set of options or decline recognition. “Corporations don’t come in and say ‘I want to buy a classroom,’ typically anyways,” said Nancy French, senior director of communications for University Development. GVSU has five donor societies, which receive recognition for the different amounts they contribute. There are three lifetime giving societies: the Gillett Society, DeVos Society and the Seidman Society. The

Lubbers and University societies are comprised of annual donors. The DeVos Society includes donors such as Amway Corp., Meijer and Steelcase Inc., which have made gifts totaling $1 million or more in their lifetime. The Seidman Society has three recognition levels: Founder ($500,000- $999,999), Pacesetter ($250,000-$499,999) and Benefactor ($100,000- $249,999). Autocam Corp., SPX Corp. and the DTE Energy Foundation are several members of the Founder level. Hines Corp. and the Grand Rapids Press are Pacesetters. Contributors at the Benefactor level include IMB Corp. and Microsoft Corp. At GVSU, the top donors—including Amway, Meijer and Steelcase Inc.—are also top employers for graduates. “Their support is essential today,” McLogan said. “We are delighted that the same businessmen who support our university also hire our graduates. It’s a great relationship.”

TRACE THE

CONTR View community letters to the editor regarding doner relations and free speech online at www.lanthorn.com

Apology letter To the staff of The Lanthorn: Much has been said and written about The Lanthorn’s editorial on donor recognition and the differing view expressed by university administration. We would like to reassure you of the administration’s respect for and support of The Lanthorn. The Lanthorn is, always has been, and will always be entirely free to express its views. College is a learning experience, and sometimes it is not just students who can learn from missteps. We greatly regret that words we chose conveyed an impression we never meant. No member of the Grand Valley community would ever find their financial aid at risk for exercising First Amendment rights. When making his regular update to Faculty

RECEIVED JAN. 21, 2014

Senate last week, Ricardo Benavidez, president of the Student Senate, offered some eminently sensible advice. ‘We all need to be educated on how the university operates and what the student concerns are. Rather than arguing and defending ourselves, we all – students and administrators alike – must open ourselves up to this learning experience and soak up the knowledge that each side has to offer.’ We agree. The Lanthorn performs an important service to the campus community by raising questions and offering opinions. Vibrant discussion is an essential part of the university experience; we support and defend it always. Respectfully, Matt Mclogan and Karen Loth

APRIL 21, 2014 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN

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YEAR IN REVIEW

NO MORE BILLBOARDS BY LANTHORN EDITORIAL BOARD ORIGINALLY POSTED DEC. 5, 2013

Names are intimate things. They belong to individuals to distinguish them from outsiders, and the extension of personal names to umbrella other things suggests that those other things are affiliated with and owned by that original namesake. So when private names are extended to encompass public property, it concerns us. At Grand Valley State University, it’s hard to be ignorant of the people and companies who “sponsor” our education. The names are plastered everywhere. From the DTE Energy Innovation Zone to the William L. Seidman Center, you know exactly who is behind our learning efforts. It may not be accurate to describe the naming as a “sale,” but what else do you call an exchange of money for a good or service? GVSU is selling out. And what precedent is the sale of our buildings setting? During a comedy-based fundraiser this year, GVSU alumnus and Ionia Mayor Dan Balice joked that his dona-

tions earned him a urinal in his name, and the university is still offering urinals to future donors. But to what extent is he kidding? Because the rate at which these signs are appearing begs the question: What’s next? Will we turn Lake Huron 133 into the “Amway Lecture Hall?” Will the backs of our chairs have plaques dedicated to the lower-level donors? We’re compromising the cleanliness, the integrity of our educational efforts for a quick buck. It’s time that we stop prostituting ourselves to corporate sponsors and reserve the eternal respect of namesakes for figures who significantly contributed to our educational endeavors. Why elevate our local corporations— however heroic they may be—to stand at the side of William James and Alexander Calder, for whom we have buildings named? It just doesn’t feel right. It’s not that we don’t wish to be associated with these corporations. Many of them have greatly contributed to West Michigan and are exemplary figures of community involvement. And this isn’t to detract from the

generosity of donors. We in no way wish to appear ungrateful. Certainly, without their contributions, we would not be living as comfortably with the futuristic library and business building, and we probably wouldn’t be managing a reasonable university budget. Donors: we want to be clear that we are extremely appreciative of your contributions. We just don’t approve of the way that GVSU responds to them. We trust that you would have donated without the expectation of shiny signage in a well-trafficked part of campus (also known as advertising). And we disapprove of the university offering this sort of honor to educational contributors other than MLK or Elizabeth Cady Stanton. For the record, GVSU, we chose to attend a public university for a public education—one unadulterated by, unattached to and free of ownership by private thinkers with personal agendas. For now, we’ll trust that you’re issuing a sense of integrity when “selling” our educational buildings. But the minute we see T. Haas in a Nascar-esque advertisement suit, we’re out.

OVERSY

Letter to the Editor

ORIGINALLY POSTED DEC. 9, 2013

Dear Editor: The editorial in the December 5 Lanthorn (“No More Billboards”) is a kick in the teeth to generations of donors who built Grand Valley State University. Instead, the Lanthorn, on behalf of our students, should thank donors for their commitments that make student success possible. That the Lanthorn is ignorant of this reality is astonishing, embarrassing, and deeply disappointing. Grand Valley would not exist were it not for the donor community. The university’s founders, led by L. William Seidman, were required by the State of Michigan to raise $1 million ($8 million in today’s dollars) before the Legislature would approve legislation to authorize Grand Valley. The founders succeeded in record time. No other public university in Michigan was born of public/private partnership and the names of our founders and donors appear on university buildings in grateful recognition of their foresight and determination. In the 1980s, the university’s expansion into Grand Rapids was again endorsed by the donor community and could not have occurred but for their support. More recently, in the wake of state budget cuts, donors have again stepped to the plate to help us construct the Mary Idema Pew Library and the L.

William Seidman Center. These extraordinary facilities were built without state funds and without raising tuition for construction. While neither Mrs. Pew nor Mr. Seidman asked that their names appear on these buildings, it is the university’s honor to recognize them, thereby illustrating for future generations of students the importance of selfless giving. One cannot learn to give without seeing how others do so. Our donor community has also stepped up to create named scholarships for our students, while our own faculty and staff have forgone raises in order to increase giving to the university’s scholarship fund. Collectively, this kind of donor support makes Grand Valley fundraising the envy of higher education in Michigan. The Lanthorn should take pride in this - especially because so many of its staff receive scholarships from donors who help make Grand Valley accessible and affordable to talented students. Perhaps the Lanthorn staff should return their scholarships to the university for reissuance to students who would be more appreciative of our donors. Sincerely, Karen Loth, Vice President for Development Matthew McLogan, Vice President for University Relations

GV REACTS TO THE LANTHORN’S VIEWS ON CAMPUS DONOR RECOGNITION

Free thought and GV’s business model BY LIZZY BALBOA ORIGINALLY POSTED JAN. 13, 2014

Last semester, GVSU administrators surveyed students to ask what the university should aspire to be. In considering qualities and defining missions, I never thought certain fundamental functions — such as champion of free speech or free thought — were up for discussion. They were “givens.” But nothing is a given, and at times it becomes necessary for students to reearn and again justify the necessity of these rights. On Dec. 5, the Lanthorn ran “No More Billboards,” an editorial responding to Carly Simpson’s article, “A public university run by private donations.” As Simpson reported that 31 new rooms had been named after donors just this year, the editorial questioned whether the increasing presence of donor names on campus buildings hinders GVSU’s mission as a public university. We considered the implication of the strikingly numerous “naming opportunities” — as Vice President for University Development Karen Loth described them — and what they represent: a level of administrative attachment to and association with donors that could trump dedication to students. Our original thought was that perhaps in the future, if the naming trend becomes even more excessive, academic integrity and freedom could be sacrificed. We were also concerned that private companies might take a place of honor above academic giants, such as our own deans and professors, who have committed their lives to the university and our education. This was never meant to belittle the benevolence of donors or express un-

gratefulness; the donors are, as the editorial states, obviously generous people without whom the university could not have grown and succeeded to the extent that it has — especially as government support fails to meet our needs. Instead, the purpose of the editorial was to consider the consequences of increasing attachment to private entities on the part of the administration. This attachment, again, would not in and of itself be a bad thing. The Lanthorn only hypothesized that excessive attachment might discourage students from speaking freely if that speech could adversely affect university fundraising. The negative and personal responses to that Dec. 5 editorial entirely proved our point. Just before exams began, I was contacted by three of GVSU’s top administrators; one called my private cell phone, and the other two co-wrote a message that was sent to my student email account and published in the Dec. 9 issue (view the issue at www.issuu.com/ grandvalleylanthorn). They had similar complaints. In the two messages, the administrators said the Lanthorn staff is clearly “ungrateful” to donors as evidenced by its “disappointing” editorial, and it did a “disservice to students” with its disrespect. They suggested that, perhaps because of these offenses, my colleagues and I are undeserving of our meritbased scholarships and should relinquish them “for reissuance to students who would be more appreciative of our donors.” The three administrators suggested further that the editors recant the message of the editorial and that, rather than challenging policy regarding donors, we write editorials thanking them

(such as the Sept. 5 editorial found on www.issuu.com/grandvalleylanthorn). To recap: at our liberal arts university, which preaches free and critical thought, there is at least one topic not up for honest debate and discussion. And, if anyone disagrees with the views of a few administrators, they should remain quiet and know that their dissent renders them undeserving of their financial aid. Now, based on the administrative responses, I could take this opportunity to discuss the freedom of the press. I could also deliver the age-old lecture about freedom of speech and how public institutions — above all, universities — should protect this principle. And I could also point out that the administrators neglected to address any point made in the Dec. 5 editorial. But this is not about freedom of the press. After all, I was admonished not as editor-in-chief Lizzy Balboa, but as private student Lizzy Balboa. And this is not about freedom of speech. The complaint was not about expression of ideas; it was about the ideas, themselves — an “ungrateful” attitude. And this is not even so much about the December editorial. A new issue has arisen: the business model of education appears to be valued over education, itself. Based on the, quite frankly, overthe-top reaction against the editorial, it seems that some administrators have lost sight of one of the primary responsibilities of a university — no less one that champions the liberal arts. These few are beginning to put money and donor interest above learning and student interest, and they are making personal

calls to discourage critical thinking for the sake of placating donors (who I would like to think invested in our education because they believed in its mission, not in its marketing opportunities). They are creating a system that discourages dissent, promotes consensus and suggests that financial aid be contingent upon thoughtless allegiance to themselves and the donors they have secured. Is this attitude conducive to the critical thinking demanded of a liberal arts education? I think not. What we at the Lanthorn want to encourage and exemplify is open debate. We want to inspire not only honest development of individual opinion but courageous expression of the opinion — regardless of whether or not we agree with it. In the spirit of this debate, I encourage professors, staff and students to submit letters to the editor to express their personal views on this matter or any other (free speech, increased presence of donor names on campus, etc.). In the meantime, the Lanthorn staff and I will continue to express our opinions and will not miss an opportunity to question authority for the benefit of the students. Instead, we will promote honest discussion and critical thinking. So back to the original question: what should GVSU aspire to be? It should be a marketplace of ideas — both popular and unpopular — and an environment that encourages my fellow students and me to retain our individual opinions. I want not to fear punishment for exercising the skills that my professors work hard to inspire. And I want the leaders of my university not to agree with everything I think, but to defend valiantly my right to think it.

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YEAR IN REVIEW

APRIL 21, 2014 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN

Year of Student Senate Senate seeks gender-neutral bathroom space

Senate pushes for open access to provide students free books BY HANNAH LENTZ ORIGINALLY POSTED MARCH 24, 2014

A student in the U.S. will spend about $1,200 a year on books and supplies, according to a recent report by the College Board. However, through the efforts of several individuals at Grand Valley State University, this expenditure may be reduced. Scott St. Louis, the vice president of the educational affairs committee on Student Senate, and Lee Van Orsdel, dean of University Libraries, held a lecture regarding the idea of open access on March 17. Open access stands for the publics’ right to unrestricted use and reuse of educational journals and other materials. It is generally used for scholarly or peer-reviewed articles, but book chapters, theses and monographs are also becoming available online. “Open access is one of the most important issues for this generation,” Van Orsdel said. “This can help to open the door for additional information that can be provided through the Internet.” In a 2011 Campus Climate survey done at GVSU, it was shown that 57 percent of students suffer

from financial hardship on campus, and 69 percent of those students had difficulty affording textbooks. Students aren’t the only ones struggling, though. Institutions such as GVSU are often faced with the choice of whether to pay astronomical amounts to publishing companies for rights to their materials or providing fewer resources for their students. The idea of open access is to eliminate the online fees that are required to read articles due to publishers’ monopolies on the rights to these materials. Though taxes and tuition dollars pay for much of the research being published, the public is still locked out of accessing this information, causing a flaw in the information system, said Van Orsdel. It prevents students from doing accurate research and makes it harder for professors to properly update their materials. Van Orsdel added that open access could provide students accelerated discovery, public enrichment and an improved education. She said that giving the public a greater access to information could lead to more incredible and intellectual

discoveries. St. Louis agreed. “Innovation is fueled by knowledge. To extract the greatest amount of positive returns from the public good that is scholarly research, the public needs better access,” he said. “Creative disruption is often frightening at first, but it can bring untold benefits to our society.” Both Van Orsdel and St. Louis urged students to take several different measures to promote open access across campus. They recommend that students publish their research in ScholarWorks to increase the potential audience of their own work. More than 750,000 full text downloads have been made from GVSU’s ScholarWorks in countries around the world. Additionally, they asked students to encourage their professors to consider looking for an open access textbook for classroom use to save money and promote universal education. “As the next generation of scholars, doctors, entrepreneurs and conscientious citizens, it is up to us students to set the pace,” St. Louis said.

for gender-neutral restrooms on campus. The surveys found that some transgender students Student Senate was presented with a new resolution last week at GVSU have thought about that pushes for more gender- transferring to different schools neutral restrooms on Grand because there weren’t enough gender-neutral Valley State University’s campus. accessible The resolution requires restrooms. Munoz said she is hopeful that there to be one gender-neutral bathroom on every floor of the passing of this resolution will the Kirkhof Center—the most push GVSU to become a more populated building on campus— inclusive campus. GVSU currently has a and at least one in every academic policy in place building on campus. that requires all of As of now, there is its new buildings at least one genderconstructed on neutral bathroom in campus to have Kirkhof, but it is not If we want to accessible genderhighly accessible. The resolution be a cohesive neutral bathrooms. Other schools does not mention specific logistics for and inclusive in the state have pursued similar the process of adding university... policies. The new restrooms, University of including cost and MARGIE MUNOZ Michigan’s Ann reconstruction of STUDENT SENATE Arbor, Flint the buildings; it only and Dearborn advocates for what the senators have found the campuses are adding genderneutral bathrooms during all student body wants and needs. “If we want to be a cohesive renovations of old buildings and inclusive university, we and construction of new ones. have to provide the same basic Michigan State University passed commodities for everyone, and a policy this fall to build more right now we’re not there,” said gender-neutral bathrooms on Margie Munoz, a member of campus, and Central Michigan the senate’s Diversity Affairs University is requiring all newly constructed buildings need to Committee. Before creating the have accessible gender-neutral resolution, Munoz conducted restrooms. student surveys about the need BY CLAIRE FODELL

ORIGINALLY POSTED NOV. 25, 2014

Senate gets record number of candidates, voters for elections BY CLAIRE FODELL ORIGINALLY POSTED MARCH 31, 2014

This year, Grand Valley State University’s Student Senate made extra efforts to get more students involved in elections, and their work paid off. Last year, there were only 38 candidates for the 44 available spots in the election. This year there were 60 students on the ballot

for the 44 seats. There was also an increase from 1,300 to 3,000 in the number of students who voted for the candidates. Executive Vice President Stephanie Ewart said the high number of candidates and voters lead to a candidate needing at least 200 votes to get a seat on the senate. To increase the number of voters, Ewart said that

instead of using traditional voting booths, senators walked around with iPads to make the process easier. “This actually attracted more students because it was easy and we came up to them,” Ewart said. “With tabling, students are often resistant to come up and visit the tables, so we found this to be more effective and generate more votes.”

BY CLAIRE FODELL ORIGINALLY POSTED NOV. 11, 2014

Student Senate discussed its newest resolution Thursday to promote the creation of an ombuds office on campus that would direct Grand Valley State University’s community to resources on campus. “It’s a navigator for the services we already have,” said Andrew Plague, vice president of the Political Affairs Committee. It is estimated that more than 200 colleges and universities in the U.S. already have ombuds offices or ombuds persons on their campuses. Plague said most of the services on campus, such as the Counseling Center, LGBT Resource Center, Women’s Center and Office of Multicultural Affairs, are underused because students often don’t know where to go when they have an issue that these centers could address. The ombuds office would direct students to the most appropriate center for their specific issue.

The implementation of the office is being studied by the Ombuds Task Force Committee, which was created by the Executive Committee of the University Academic Senate. The office would also serve as a place where students, faculty and staff members who have felt discriminated against or need a dispute resolved can go to voice their opinions and get advice from a neutral source, and it would be able to help with issues between faculty and students. “It will help them figure out what their path may be from someone who has no stake in it,” Plague said. “In all cases, the ombuds is seeking fairness and truth in the issue, not trying to help the student ‘win.’” In his discussion of the resolution, Plague said some other campuses only have ombuds offices for students because faculty members have union mediators to smooth out peer conflicts. At GVSU, the faculty members aren’t in a union so the ombuds office would also be a resource for them.

GVL | LAINE GIRARD

Senators support ombuds office as campus resource

Making changes: Student senators review materials during a weekly meeting. The group approved a proposal to create an ombuds office at Grand Valley State University to help faculty and students navigate campus resources.

Senators pass resolution to build interfaith prayer space BY CLAIRE FODELL ORIGINALLY POSTED MARCH 24, 2014

Last week, Grand Valley State University’s Student Senate passed a resolution that it hopes will lead to more religious inclusiveness on campus. The senate voted to add a prayer space for students and faculty that accommodate religions other than the Judeo-Christian majority. Members of the diversity affairs committee sponsored the resolution. Vice President of the DAC Anthony Clemons said the current space for minority religions is not adequate for students or faculty. “If you’re part of a non-Judeo-Christian religion and you want to pray, you are instructed to go upstairs in Kirkhof into a cubicle room that is within earshot of the blender from the Lobby Shop,” Clemons said. The loud noise from the shop ruins the atmosphere of a “quiet” place to reflect, he said. Senator Cameron Saghaiepour, a member of the DAC and sponsor of the resolution, said faculty members who identify with other religions also have trouble finding

prayer space. “Even for some faculty members that do practice here, they have to find a spot or find a corner in a building and worship there,” Saghaiepour said. Judeo-Christians on campus, on the other hand, have a whole building dedicated to their religious reflection. “If you look at current prayer space on campus, you have the Cook-DeWitt Center, which is the place to go when you identify with the Judeo-Christian religion,” Clemons said. The senate worked with the Jewish student organization, Hillel, and the Muslim Student Association while creating this resolution. Both groups told Saghaiepour that not having an adequate space for prayer is their main struggle with practicing their religion. The senate plans to stay in contact with both groups, as well as other faith-based organizations on campus, to be able to create a prayer space that will meet the needs of all the different religions represented on campus. “Creating a (prayer) space not only shows the university’s

commitment to diversity and to a diverse representation of religion, but also shows students that we care about every single student, not just the 70 percent who identify with a Judeo-Christian religion,” Clemons said. The resolution doesn’t include specific building plans, such as the size or location of the prayer space, but the senate is currently working with facilities to find an adequate spot. The resolution will now be presented to the Board of Trustees and will be put into different discussions with campus leaders to come up with a plan of where and how the prayer space will best fit on campus. Clemons said there is no telling when exactly construction will begin on the space. “Discussions are already taking place, so the space could be created three weeks from now or it could be three years from now. There’s not really a set date,” he said. “The sooner the better on our end, but unfortunately as with the new library, the new science building and the new bookstore, these things take time.”

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APRIL 21, 2014 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN

Year of Board of Trustees & UAS

Hastings Street

College Ave

Michigan Street

GVL | ROSS TANNER

I-196

pus Operations and Regional Centers, agreed that the new parking lots are necessary. Haynes said that even though there are two park and ride lots already, they are often so crowded that many students cannot find a spot. “The purchase of the land is to help with providing alternatives to students that choose not to park on campus,” Haynes said. “We have been investigating the expansion of park and ride spaces due to the sheer demand of people utilizing this option. This was a proactive purchase to compliment the development of the Laker Line.” She added that the Grand Valley Police Department will not be enforcing the new parking lots because they do not enforce the current park and ride areas. Although they do not know exactly when construction will begin, Haynes said the project will most likely be completed in 2015.

Sinclair Ave

Lafayette Ave

Clancy Ave

The Grand Valley State University Board of Trustees approved the $1,249,000 purchase of 18 acres of land for a new commuter parking lot during its Friday meeting. University Counsel Tom Butcher said the property is currently an unoccupied wooded area between Collindale and Maynard avenues off Lake Michigan Drive. Butcher said the land will be used for a new park and ride between the Pew and Allendale campuses. “We’ve been watching and looking for a convenient place to establish a convenient park and ride that would allow faculty, staff and students to park there and go to either campus,” Butcher said. He added that the new lots are necessary because GVSU commuters need more parking options. Currently, about 400 to 500 cars park near

the Meijer in Standale, and another 100 park behind the Walker Fire Station. The new lots will be on the major Rapid bus route and will be part of the bus rapid transit project. “It is our hope that we would build this out in phases as that develops,” Butcher said. Mary Eilleen Lyon, associate vice president for University Communications, said tuition will not be increased to help pay for this. Instead, the money will come from the Campus Development Fund. “We will be monitoring the progress of the Rapid’s Laker Line bus project that will run on Lake Michigan Drive between our Pew Grand Rapids Campus and the Allendale Campus,” Lyon said. “And we’ll see if we can receive federal funds to minimize our total costs of construction.” Lisa Haynes, assistant vice president of Pew Cam-

North Ave

ORIGINALLY POSTED FEB. 20, 2014

Prospect Ave

BY STEPHANIE BRZEZINSKI

Rapid expansion: The Grand Valley State University Board of Trustees approved a land purchase of nearly 11 acres around the Cook-DeVos Center for Health Sciences downtown.

GV approves $18.9M land purchase to expand downtown health campus BY RYAN JARVI ORIGINALLY POSTED NOV. 4, 2013

Grand Valley State University’s Board of Trustees approved an $18.9 million purchase of nearly 11 acres of land around the CookDeVos Center for Health Sciences in downtown Grand Rapids to expand GVSU’s medical campus. The university previously owned four acres of property on the north side of I-196 near the CHS building, and the purchase—between Hastings and Trowbridge streets and Clancy and College avenues—has increased the university’s total property to 18 acres in that area. The purchase is to ensure the university is prepared for possible growth in the health-related fields, as well as additions of future programs, said Matt McLogan, vice president for University Relations at GVSU. “I’ve always been very grateful my predecessors, as officers of the university, have always made sure Grand Valley has had adequate land for development,” McLogan said. “Land equates to flexibility for universities. When you add additional land and therefore the ability to add additional facilities, you have the opportunity to add or change programs.” University officials estimate about 5,000 students taking health-related courses this semester, which includes those enrolled in pre-health courses that must be taken before acceptance into the secondary admissions programs. Cynthia McCurren, dean of the Kirkhof College of Nursing, considers GVSU’s undergraduate nursing programs to be operating at full capacity, which results in a number of applicants who are turned away.

During the 2012-2013 admissions cycle for the Bachelors of Science in nursing program, McCurren said KCON had 407 eligible applicants for the upper division and denied nearly 60 percent of those. “The primary limitations to increasing enrollment in the undergraduate programs is lack of clinical sites for clinical education and shortage of nursing faculty,” she said. “The expansion, none the less, will still benefit the undergraduate students, as it will allow for enhanced integration of necessary content and innovation in delivery of the educational programs.” McCurren also noted that there is a significant demand for graduate degree programs to expand, which the additional property will help make possible. According to GVSU’s Institutional Analysis, KCON and the College of Health Professions have a total of 3,171 students currently enrolled, which is an increase of 2 percent since 2009’s headcount of 3,105. While the CHP has increased its enrollment by 37 percent since 2009, enrollment in KCON has seen a steady decrease, dropping by 30 percent. The decreasing enrollment of KCON could be attributed to a restructured program, McLogan said. Previously, KCON had three cohorts starting in the fall, winter and spring semesters. The program has been redesigned so that cohorts begin only in fall and winter semesters. “The number of BSN students matriculating in the upper division courses will be lower than usual for fall 2013 and winter 2014 due to the implementation of a new curriculum—to com-

ply with new accreditation standards—and a change in the matriculation pattern,” McCurren said. “We have not, however, decreased the number of students admitted to upper division per year.” KCON is a secondary admissions program. Students can declare nursing as their major whenever they choose, but they aren’t necessarily admitted into the college at that time. “After the completion of the designated prerequisite courses, they then apply to upper division nursing, which is the discipline-specific content,” McCurren said. “We continue to admit the same numbers to upper division. The ‘decrease’ report by Institutional Analysis is a reflection of fewer incoming students declaring nursing as a major.” The proposal, which was announced Thursday and approved at the board meeting on Friday, states that the Campus Development Fund will be used to finance the purchase, and tuition will not be raised to offset expenses. “The Campus Development Fund has been around for years,” McLogan said. “It is a source of funds for making campus improvements.” McLogan said most of the revenue stream that goes into it comes from the general fund’s ongoing operations, which can include left-over money from departments’ budgets. Residents of the property that GVSU purchased will be allowed to remain in their homes until the project actually begins, which isn’t expected for another five years. University officials said the residents would have at least one year’s notice before they would have to leave their homes.

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13% 3% VS

APPROVAL RATE AT GVSU

APPROVAL RATE AT OTHERS

GVL | ROSS TANNER

BOT to purchase land for commuter lot

COMPARISON

GV limits faculty sabbaticals BY CARLY SIMPSON ORIGINALLY POSTED DEC. 2, 2013

For the first time in Grand Valley State University’s history, the number of sabbaticals granted to faculty is being restricted due to financing. Over the past five years, there has been an average of 65 sabbatical proposals submitted each year, said Gayle Davis, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at GVSU. This year, there were 77 new proposals, along with four that were carried over from 2012. “I’m scrounging to find if we can keep our finances working in our division,” Davis said. “Why would the lowest funded place in the universe give out two or three times the number of sabbaticals that other schools do?” Most schools limit the number of sabbaticals granted to 3 or 4 percent of the faculty. GVSU is at 7.7 percent. “If we had gone ahead with the 81 sabbatical proposals this year, that’s nearly one-tenth of our faculty gone either one or two semesters next year,” Davis said. GVSU’s peer schools granted sabbaticals to a smaller faculty population. Appalachian State University came closest by granting 5 percent. Eastern Michigan University is at 3. 5 percent, and Ferris State University gave sabbaticals to 2.75 percent of faculty. “I think in terms of our comparison universities, we want to be better than them. We don’t want to be as good,” said Brian Lakey, professor of psychology at GVSU. “I realize finances constrain that, but I think sabbaticals prove the quality of the university if they are going to the right people.”

The additional 16 sabbaticals would cost the university about $180,000, Davis said. When a professor takes a sabbatical, adjunct faculty must be hired to cover their courses, which costs $3,000 to $4,000 per course, depending on the discipline. “I’m not going to cut back from the benchmark of 65, but this infinitely growing number is just not sustainable,” Davis said. Robert Hollister, the chair of the Faculty Salary and Budget Committee, said there is money to be given, but it’s just a matter of priority. The cost must be measured in another way, too. GVSU’s goal is to have 70 to 75 percent of the total credit hours taught by tenured faculty or affiliates; in other words, classes should be led by returning, full-time professors. More than 300 faculty members have been hired in the past decade, and the university is continuing to hire, but GVSU is still not close to reaching that goal, Davis said. “It’s a puzzle, a Rubik’s Cube,” she said. “There are many pieces that work for and against our goals, and we need to get them working all for our goal.” This year, a new selection process for sabbaticals will be used as specified in the Administrative Manual, which provides instructions for when the number of sabbaticals recommended requires greater funding than what’s available. Proposals will first be ranked by the appropriate College Personnel Committee. They will then be sent to the Research and Development Committee to determine an overall ranking to be sent to the provost for approval.

Kleiner to add 18,000 square feet BY STEPHANIE BRZEZINSKI ORIGINALLY POSTED FEB. 17, 2014

The site plan for the expansion and renovation of Kleiner Commons was approved by the Grand Valley State University Board of Trustees during its meeting on Friday. James Moyer, associate vice president for Facilities Planning, said his offices originally brought the plan before the board back in November. At this meeting, the board approved the architect and construction manager, as well as a $7.5 million budget for the project. The University General Fund and proceeds from Aramark will both contribute to the funding. “We have attempted to make the most of university land,” Moyer said. He proposed a construction site plan that will add 18,000 square feet to the dining facility. A second floor will be added that will

include twice as many food venues, 5 percent more seating, additional study space for students, and room for faculty and administrative support offices. The project will be a challenge, but Moyer said the expansion should help reduce some of the boredom many students feel with the food currently served at Kleiner. “The intent with this project is to attack something known as ‘menu fatigue,’” Moyer said. “It’s when students begin to get tired of the food that’s made available to them.” This year campus dining plans reached an all-time high with 7,761 students purchasing meal plans. Kleiner Commons, located on north campus, is sitting in the midst of freshman housing units. Moyer said his offices created the plan in a way that ensures that the renovation does not detract from the surroundings.

“The project is very, very similar to the housing around it,” he said. “It will fit into the neighborhood, itself.” In addition, the expansion will have sidewalks surrounding the building for service drives and for students to have access into the building from multiple directions. Moyer said the plan is to have south, west and east entrances, and the east door will have access to the second floor. He added that his offices developed the plan so that certain visual features of the building, such as the plaza to the south, will remain in place. “We tried to maintain as much of the good structure as possible with the design, itself,” he said. Construction is expected to begin later this month and is scheduled to be completed in time for the new school year in August.

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YEAR IN REVIEW

GVL | ROBERT MATHEWS

APRIL 21, 2014 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN

Band together: Laker students cheer in the stands during the Battle of the Valleys football game against Saginaw Valley State University, which won the fundraising battle.

SV tops GV in BOTV fundraising competition for sixth year straight BY RYAN JARVI

DON’T MISS A SINGLE MOMENT

ORIGINALLY POSTED NOV. 18, 2013

Commencement doesn’t happen often. Be sure to cherish this moment.

Find commencement photos at LanthornPhotos. smugmug.com

Battle of the Valleys is over, and after counting up all the donated money, Grand Valley State University fell short once again to Saginaw Valley State University, bumping its losing streak up to six years running. Though the Lakers earned a victory on the football field, SVSU took the fundraising win with its $25,185 effort, which more than doubled GVSU’s $11,137. SVSU has out-fundraised GVSU eight out of the last 11 years that the battle has taken place. Though his university took the loss, Ricardo Benavidez, GVSU’s Student Senate president, said he was still pleased with the effort. “The fundraising effort this year was nothing short of amazing,” Benavidez said.“We raised $10,000 more than last year.” Some of that success could be attributed to the redesigned process and the participation of the Laker Traditions Team.

“The entire process has been overhauled,” Benavidez said. “Instead of assigning BOTV to one or two senators and having them plan the entire week—as was the old practice—the Laker Traditions Team really took the reins and collaborated with the Student Senate. The LTT really did the majority of the leg work for this entire week.” Alica Arnold from the LTT coordinated the events for the BOTV week, which she started planning months ago. “Overall I am very happy with how fundraising turned out,” she said. “Numerous people have said this is the most they’ve seen and heard about BOTV. To me, this year was a huge building year for years to come.” Arnold said she wasn’t sure about plans for next year but was confident that GVSU could double what was raised this year. All the expenses for BOTV events and T-shirts were covered so that the total funds raised could be do-

nated. “None of the donations are spent to cover the costs of the fundraising,” Benavidez said. “The way we cover the shirts with the bookstore is that we charge $10 but receive only $6 from each purchase. That covers the taxes and the printing/shipping costs for the shirts.” This year, GVSU chose to donate to the nonprofit SPORTS (Students Providing Opportunities and Recreation Through Sports), an organization run by GVSU student Tyler Kinch. “We were not concerned about the amount raised because anything helps,” Kinch said. “The bigger win for us is that our organization has been the huge promotions to so many people over the past couple weeks. So the support from GVSU and all that they have done has really helped us spread the word. To be a mentor to children is something that money cannot purchase, and that has been a huge success for us to have GVSU help spread that idea.”

APRIL 21, 2014 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN

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YEAR IN REVIEW

Faculty recall their 45 years at GV ORIGINALLY POSTED OCT. 31, 2013

Grand Valley State University has many faculty and staff who have worked for the university for many years. For the first time in GVSU history, several staff members will be recognized for 45 years of service. “When I started it was a very small school, and then it got a little bigger and a little bigger so every ten years or so it seemed like a whole new school,” said Lynn Blue, vice provost and dean of academic services and information technology. Both Blue and Samir IsHak, professor of management and international business, have worked for GVSU for 45 years and have seen the university grow drastically over this time. “There were only 1,000 students when I first started working here,” Blue said. “We went through a recession and a time when they were going to turn us into a prison.” Blue added that GVSU has expanded more than she thought was possible when she first came to the university. “One of the biggest changes I’ve seen is size. The virtual size of the student body is huge and there was no thought of a Holland or Grand Rapids campus, or Traverse City,”

she said. “The reach is so much different now. (GVSU was) a rather small school and in the beginning was never intended to be a major university.” IsHak has also witnessed GVSU’s evolution over the years, the least of which includes the name – going from college to university. “The name was GVSC, ‘c’ for college that changed later to colleges, then only GVS and finally to university,” he said. “I enjoyed being interviewed by first president James Zumberge and the challenge of initiating new programs and courses. The promise of contributing to creating a new institution.” Blue and IsHak had different opinions about where they hope to see GVSU in the future and the university’s past evolution. “I hope it’s just as fine a school as it is today,” Blue said. “That’s our niche and that’s what makes us different from others. We want to make sure that what students have is as good as we can make it and I hope we always keep that student focus.” IsHak’s hopes for the future at GVSU were very different, including for the university to stop expanding. SEE REST OF STORY ONLINE AT WWW.LANTHORN.COM

GVL | HANNAH MICO

BY SARAH HILLENBRAND

Living legacy: Lynn “Chick” Blue has been working at Grand Valley State University for 45 years,and is the second longest-standing employee with the school.

GVL | MICHELE COFFILL

To f l e s r u Treat Yo

First of many: James Moore was the first African American man to graduate from the college. He returned to campus this year for the “Pioneering Pathways for Students of Color” event.

GV remembers its first African American alumni BY SARAH HILLENBRAND

ORIGINALLY POSTED FEB. 6, 2014

James Moore, the first African American man to graduate from Grand Valley State University in 1967, came back to campus as a part of the “Pioneering Pathways for Students of Color” event put on by the Division of Inclusion and Equity. “I hope that (students) have the opportunity to appreciate the rich history of diversity and inclusion that GVSU has had, and I hope they take away the idea that they should try and find ways to create their own pathways and legacies here,” said Sean Huddleston, assistant vice president for strategic implementation in the Inclusion and Equity Division. Moore graduated from GVSU with a political science degree and an intent to go to law school. These plans changed after he got married and served in the Vietnam War. Currently, Moore is semi-retired — now working on a part-time basis in the security, parking and transportation department at Spectrum Health — after serving many different places such as the 126th Michigan National Guard Band, the Urban League, Smiths Industries, Grand Rapids Community College, Davenport University, GR Job Corps, Goodwill Industries and Jubilee Jobs. “GVSU is today much larger,” he said. “In comparison, we started with 226 students, one building and an unpaved parking lot. I was one of five African American students in

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that first class of 226.” Moore still remembers his earliest days on campus. “My favorite memory from GVSU was the first day on campus when I saw for the first time all 226 members of the Pioneer Class, along with the faculty, staff and our brand new building as we all began this exciting trip to our future,” he said. Upon reflection of his time at GVSU, he had some advice for current students. “My advice to the current students would be to seek a career for which there is current demand with prospects for future growth for which you have a passion and the pay will provide you with a good lifestyle,” he said. The idea for the event stemmed from an award being given out for the first time this year — the Burch, Jacobs and Moore Diversity Teaching Excellence Award. The faculty member who receives the award is “recognized for fostering awareness about diversity issues, promoting cultural competence and helping to advance a campus environment that is welcoming and supportive of differences through his/her teaching,” Huddleston said. The award is named in Moore’s honor along with two of his other classmates. “He made history here at Grand Valley,” Huddleston said. “We wanted students to have the opportunity to hear from him and have access to him.”

CONGRATS

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Gioia Johnson Major: Journalism with an Emphasis in Film Studies Position: Business Associate/Laker Life and News Writer After Graduation: I plan on returning to Chicago to pursue a career in Entertainment Journalism. How did the Lanthorn help you: Working at the Lanthorn gave me the experience in writing entertainment pieces and provided me with a sense of what working within the journalism field would be like.

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Jeffrey Sorensen Major: Advertising and Public Relations Emphasis in PR Position: Promotions Manager After Graduation: I plan to work at a Public Relations agency in the city of Grand Rapids. In the near future I also plan on pursuing a masters degree in Public Relations. How did the Lanthorn help you: The Lanthorn provided me with experience in planning and implementing various marketing campaigns that help promote the Lanthorn newspaper and other local businesses and also gave me sales experience that will help me in the future as a public relations practitioner.

2

Alison Supron Major: Graphic Design with a minor in Advertising/Public Relations After Graduation: I plan to move to NYC to intent at Vimeo How did the Lanthorn help you: Allowed me to prove to employers that I was capable of working on a deadline and on a team.

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Michelle L. Guinyard Major: Political Science Position: Business Manager After Graduation: After graduation I plan on moving to California to pursue a masters degree in Business Administration a.k.a the 3 letters of recommendation... MBA!!! Ha! How did the Lanthorn help you: Working at the GV Lanthorn gave me practical experience in supervising and in running a "real" business, especially when dealing with financial responsibilities. I was able to get hands-on professional experience in general business management and operations that I believe are easily transferable when working in today's workforce.

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Lizzy Balboa Major: Journalism, biomedical sciences, religious studies major Position: Editor-in-chief After Graduation: I plan to take a year off before attending graduate school for peace studies How did the Lanthorn help you: My editor-in-chief position helped me develop fortitude and leadership skills to walk where others will not.

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Ashton Huzarski Major: Advertising/Studio Art minor Position: Advertising Account Executive After Graduation: After graduation I am hoping to become an Account Executive with MLIVE in Grand Rapids. How did the Lanthorn help you: The Lanthorn gave me real world experience in the advertising industry and has helped me to gain a stronger network.

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Peter Chhum Major: Broadcasting and a Writing minor. Position: Staff Writer After Graduation: I will be actively pursuing a career in news reporting, ideally regarding entertainment news. My passion for television is deeply rooted in the role reporters play to both inform and entertain audiences. How the Lanthorn has helped: Writing for the lanthorn has been both a beneficial and enlightening experience. The paper covers such a diverse range of stories that I have been able to diversify my catalogue of news stories and have been able to dabble between investigative stories to feature pieces. The experience has also allowed me to train and flex my skills in interviewing and communicating. While my emphasis is in television, I can also add my experience and background in print. Of course, it's also been a pleasure to be surrounded by such a talented staff that has given me a taste of what it is like to work in news.

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Angela Carollo Major: Advertising and Public Relations After Graduation: I'm going to graduate school at Central Michigan University and working at their student newspaper, CM-Life. How did the Lanthorn help you: Working at the Lanthorn is a priceless experience that can't be summarized in one or two sentences. It helped me grow and practice everything I learned in my classes. I was able to work with a variety of clients, both locally and nationally, and built numerous connections with others in the industry. Furthermore, the people I work with are incredible and extremely supportive. Because of the Lanthorn, I have so many more opportunities. I also have the confidence to take advantage of them.

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Emily Hahn Major: Art & Design with an Illustration Emphasis Position: Advertising Design After Graduation: I plan on pursing a masters degree in Art Therapy. How did the Lanthorn help you: The Lanthorn gave me a great sense of how it is to work with various clients which is experience I did not have prior to this job. I also became more familiar with different software programs, especially The Adobe Suite.

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Nikki Fisher Major: Writing major, applied linguistics and philosophy minor Position: Columnist After Graduation: I plan to attend graduate school for rhetoric and composition How did the Lanthorn help you:Being a columnist for the Lanthorn taught me how to solidify and express my ideas to a general readership, an invaluable skill for a writing major.

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Joe Hogan Major: English and Film Position: Columnist After Graduation: After GVSU, I'm working in Grand Rapids for a year or two before I go to grad school, hopefully to study rhetoric and literature. How did the Lanthorn help you: As a columnist, I had to develop my ability to write for a large and diverse audience. That made me think more deeply and critically about everything I wrote. If I wasn't able to have done that, there's no way I would have chosen to study rhetoric at all!

YEAR IN REVIEW

APRIL 21, 2014 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN

GV’s wrecking ball Sexual assault ORIGINALLY POSTED OCT. 3, 2013

Following the removal of Grand Valley State University’s pendulum ball outside of Henry Hall, students engaged in protests both at the former site of the ball, as well as on social media sites—where the hoopla first began. Many gathered Tuesday night at the now-empty sand pit to sing rounds of Miley Cyrus’ “Wrecking Ball,” whose music video of a nude Cyrus swinging on a wrecking ball inspired GVSU students to create parodies. Those parodies, which were uploaded to social media sites, caught the attention of university officials, who promptly removed the ball as a safety precaution. “For the past couple of weeks, we have had photos and videos forwarded of students on the pendulum,” said Tim Thimmesch, associate vice president of Facilities Services. “That is what prompted the discussion as to safety of the installation and the decision to remove the ball for now, reassess the structural integrity and develop improved safety features before reinstallation at this site

raises question of victim blaming

or another on campus.” Before coming to the final decision of taking the pendulum down—which was collectively decided by Facilities Services, Facilities Planning and GVSU’s Risk Management Department—there were other options discussed. “We considered just raising the height of the ball, but in the end determined it would be best to remove it at this time,” Thimmesch said. “The pendulum ball will be stored at this time pending improvements to the existing site or a new, future location that it might be better accommodated.”

BY PETER CHHUM ORIGINALLY POSTED APRIL 10, 2014

LI G HT CO N SEQ U EN C E S

Although swinging on the ball has been a university pastime since 1995 and is not an offense in itself, the public nudity expressed in some of the social media videos could call for legal ramifications. However, this is not a subject of concern at present time. Capt. Brandon DeHaan, assistant director of the Department of Public Safety, said that he doesn’t believe the activity seen in the videos constitute a criminal offense. “This matter is not being investigated by the

GVL | BO ANDERSON

BY CLAIRE FODELL AND SARAH HILLENBRAND

A11

Showing disapproval: Students protest the removal of the GVSU pendulum, nicknamed the ‘Wrecking Ball,’ in October.

Earlier this year on Jan. 8, students were notified of a sexual assault that took place on Grand Valley State University’s Pew Campus in an email from the GVSU Police Department. This email later became a topic of conversation at the March 26 Teach-In between a student presenter and the officer who penned it. The Teach-In session, “The Power of Language in Campus Rape Culture,” led by GVSU junior Megan Prangley, expanded on the power of language and its effect on college rape culture. The concept attributes the idea of rape and sexual assault to being a part of a society that teaches how to avoid being raped rather than condemning the act, itself. Prangley cited the email in her presentation to illustrate a GVSU-specific example as well as showcase language that she found to be problematic, saying that it placed fault on the victim. The email Prangley referenced reads, “The Grand Rapids Police Department has received a complaint of

an alleged sexual assault that took place during the holiday break in a GVSU Pew Campus Residence Hall. The people involved became acquainted after meeting at a downtown establishment, after which time they returned to the on-campus residence. The suspect has not yet been identified. Alcohol was a factor. GVSU reminds all students to always practice situational awareness and only stay with people well known to you. Our goal in promoting student awareness is to provide the safest environment possible for our campus community.” Chief of Police Renee Freeman, who authored the email, was present during the Teach-In session and openly shared her reasoning behind the tone and language she used in the notification. Freeman publicly stated, “I have to stay neutral, and I have a job to do. This email was meant to say, ‘Hey this happened, and please be mindful so it doesn’t happen to you.’” Prangley had several complaints about the wording of the message, though. “The email used

Police thank campus community for help with investigation BY CARLY SIMPSON ORIGINALLY POSTED FEB. 6, 2014

The Grand Valley Police Department has received a confession from a Grand Valley State University student for the vandalism at the Mary Idema Pew Library. During an interview with police on Tuesday morning, the in-

dividual claimed responsibility for the five incidents. “The individual said he was remorseful for his actions,” said Capt. Brandon DeHaan, assistant director of the Department of Public Safety. “Once the information was brought forward, he understood the implications of his actions.” Police released video footage

of the individual on Monday. It was played throughout the day in the Kirkhof Center and the library. “Police began receiving tips from the student body following the release of the video,” DeHaan said. “Community members stepped forward in helping to identify this individual. We ap-

plaud those that contacted police to aid and assist this investigation.” The case is now being referred to the Dean of Students Office for a violation of student code and will be reported to the Ottawa County Prosecutors Office. The university will be seeking criminal charges for malicious destruction of property and is still

assessing the cost of the damages. “Based on the police department’s investigations, the prosecutor’s office will determine the charges, if any,” DeHaan said. The student’s name will not be released pending criminal charges. If there is an arraignment the name will become available to the public.

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A12 GV receives $1 million for leadership center YEAR IN REVIEW

BY SARAH HILLENBRAND ORIGINALLY POSTED NOV. 11, 2013

Grand Valley State University receives much of its financial support from outside donors, and one of them issued a large donation to the school this week. President Thomas Haas announced that Ralph W. Hauenstein, who made the initial investment in the GVSU Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies, has donated $1 million to the center. The center’s purpose is to teach students about ethical leadership skills while also engaging them and the community in conversations about history, politics and the greater civic good. The donation will aid in expanding and enhancing the academic and eventbased learning opportunities for the leaders

of tomorrow. “I have ample opportunities to invest in many worthwhile programs and projects, but I can think of no better investment than the one to ensure our future leaders are wise and ethical,” Hauenstein said in a press release. “And there’s no better place for me to find that kind of program for our emerging leaders than the one Gleaves Whitney is so ably running at Grand Valley State University. I’m incredibly proud of the work he and the center are doing. We’re seeing the fruits in the young people who have been mentored in the program and are out taking their place in the world.” The Hauenstein Center, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary, has hosted hundreds

of programs ranging from Hitchens vs. Hitchens to presentations by several first ladies, Madeleine Albright, General Brent Scowcroft, and others. Upcoming events that the center is hosting include a presentation by former U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe and a leadership discussion led by George Heartwell, mayor of Grand Rapids. “The Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies is an incubator for leaders of the future, and Colonel Hauenstein’s investment into the Center for Presidential Studies ensures our ability to continue to do good, meaningful work in the world of leadership and ethics,” Haas said in a press release. “On top of his initial gift, this is a very substantial commitment to the center on its 10th anni-

APRIL 21, 2014 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN

versary from a very involved philanthropist and friend.” Hauenstein’s background explains his commitment to the center and giving back to the community. He served under General Dwight D. Eisenhower in an intelligence role in World War II and was one of the first Americans into liberated Paris. He was awarded the French Croix de Guerre with Palm and Legion of Honor, and the U.K. awarded him its Order of the British Empire. Before WWII, Hauenstein was the editor of the Grand Rapids Herald, and after the war, he became successful in business. At the age of 101, Hauenstein continues his philanthropic endeavors throughout West Michigan and has never retired.

BY RYAN JARVI ORIGINALLY POSTED ON NOV. 11, 2014

No doubt many Grand Valley State University students have heard or uttered the phrase “T. Haas” before. When Thomas J. Haas, GVSU’s president, first heard the nickname years ago, he said it was humbling and that it shows a connection among the university community. “And now faculty and staff are calling me T. Haas, people in the community and the mayor were calling me T. Haas the other day,” he said, chuckling. “Marcia’s calling me T. Haas—I’m even getting it from my kids now.” Before “T. Haas” and coming to GVSU, he was the president and provost of other colleges around the states. Prior to that, he retired from the Coast Guard as a captain—the equivalent of a full colonel in the Air Force or Army—after 23 years of commissioned service. But before all of that, he was just Tom Haas, a kid who grew up in New York City’s Staten Island. HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

“Some people have a New York accent, but he is a Midwesterner,” said Haas’ wife, Marcia. “He just happened to be born in New York.” Neither of his parents graduated from high school. His father earned a GED, which allowed him to work as a patrolman for the NYPD, and his mother—the daughter of two Polish immigrants—became a stay-at-home mom. “We were a family of modest means,” Haas said. “So I had to seek ways to try to help fund my education.” During World War II, his father served in the Navy as a cook in the Pacific Theater.

“I aspired to join, or really follow my dad’s footsteps,” he said. “I was very pleased to look at some options from my high school days, and I was either hoping to go to the Naval Academy or do a Navy ROTC scholarship.” However, to get accepted in the U.S. Naval Academy, an applicant must be nominated by a prominent U.S. source. “Father Gannon at my high school, who was my counselor, suggested that maybe I look at the Coast Guard Academy because it was an academy that did not need a congressional appointment,” Haas said. “You could get in on your own merits.” So he joined the academy in 1969 after getting in on his own. Growing up, Haas had to work for what he got, which he understands is something many students still face today.

Robert Mathews | GVL

Day in the life of T.Haas

From humble beginnings: Before becoming president of Grand Valley State University, Thomas Haas was just a kid from Staten Island. Now, he’s the big man on campus and coolly goes by his nickname, T.Haas.

MISSION: AFFORDABLE

Being the first-generation of his family to attend higher education, Haas has no doubt that his upbringing plays a part in his mission to keep college costs low for students. “It’s important to me because I can see myself in many of the students that we attract here, and knowing that their families need to

COMPLIMENTARY MOVIE PASSES INVITE YOU AND A GUEST TO SEE

UNIVERSAL PICTURES PRESENTS A POINT GREY/GOOD UNIVERSE PRODUCTION A NICHOLAS STOLLER FILM SETH ROGENZAC EFRON “NEIGHBORS” ROSE BYRNE CHRISTOPHER MINTZ-PLASSEDAVE FRANCO MUSICBY MICHAEL ANDREWS EXECUTIVE COSTUME PRODUCTION DIRECTOR OF DESIGNER LEESA EVANS EDITOR ZENE BAKER DESIGNER JULIE BERGHOFF PHOTOGRAPHY BRANDON TROST PRODUCERS NATHAN KAHANE JOE DRAKE BRIAN BELL ANDREW JAY COHEN BRENDAN O’BRIEN DIRECTED PRODUCED WRITTEN A UNIVERSAL RELEASE BY SETH ROGEN EVAN GOLDBERGJAMES WEAVER BY ANDREW JAY COHEN & BRENDAN O’BRIEN BY NICHOLAS STOLLER SOUNDTRACK ON ATLANTIC RECORDS

MAY 9

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have the pathways that we can afford them to get them through to achieve their goal,” he said. According to GVSU’s Institutional Analysis, 43.1 percent of all undergraduates enrolled in the fall 2013 semester are first-generation students. “It’s scary for the first-generation students, and their moms and dads, and interacting with the financial aid—and these moms and dads never were involved in that,” Haas said. “So we have to make sure that we create the trust that’s necessary, and the pathways to get there.” While college affordability is one of Haas’ main missions, another is accessibility. In addition to the Pew Campus of downtown Grand Rapids, GVSU has regional campuses including Traverse City—a special place for Haas. “When I was in between my freshman and sophomore years (at the academy), I was stationed on the Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw here in the Great Lakes,” Haas said. “And at that time we were to stop in Traverse City, Mich., for the Cherry Festival.” DECISIONS OR DESTINY? Marcia was a former beauty queen. She won Miss Branch County in 1970, the year she graduated from Union City High School. “My history teacher talked me into trying out for that, and I did everything my history teacher told me,” Marcia said. “I loved her in high school.” After winning the Miss Branch crown, Marcia’s next step should have been competing in the Miss Michigan pageant, but fate

stepped in. “Usually with that kind of thing—it’s part of the Miss America pageant—you go directly to your next competition, which is Miss Michigan,” Marcia said. “(But) they said let’s hold it another year and give the queen another opportunity to be part of that. So they sent me up to Traverse City, which was out of the norm.” Her first trip to Traverse City was a preliminary round where Marcia was selected to be part of the National Cherry Festival court. Two weeks later, in early July, she went back up north for the festival. “That second trip up there was when I met Tom,” she said. “He was coming off of the Mackinaw in his whites and I was in my little cherry-dotted Swiss outfit. It was really picturesque.” The night before, the Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw came to port while Haas was on duty, so he had to stay on the ship. His commanding officers came along looking for volunteers. “They said, ‘would you be an escort for one of the Cherry Festival queens?’” Marcia said. “And he said, ‘Sure, what’s involved with it?’” Free pizza, they replied. “Free pizza,” Marcia said. “Okay, you know, for an 18-year-old boy that’s all right, (but) I thought it was pretty neat that they asked him to do something, and he said yes. That meant that he was willing to serve. He wanted to be with other people. He was all about expanding his horizons.” SEE REST OF STORY ONLINE AT WWW.LANTHORN.COM

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A13

YEAR IN REVIEW

GVL | ROBERT MATHEWS

APRIL 21, 2014 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN

Modern revival: Grand Valley State University students rehearse the fall production of “Much Ado About Nothing.”

GVL | ROBERT MATHEWS

Redefining art: Young children climb the famous Calder art scuplture during a sunny day at ArtPrize.

GVL | HANNAH MICO

Bringing the heat: Renaissance Faire performers juggle fire during a cold October Family Weekend.

GVL | LAINE GIRARD

GVL | NATHAN KALINOWSKI

Stark-raving mad: Popular DJ Steve Aoki looks out on the Grand Valley State University crowd during Homecoming week. Aoki then baptized the rave-happy crowd with a mix of electronic dance music and birthday cake.

GVL | LAINE GIRARD

GVL | HANNAH MICO

Untold story: Two actresses perform ‘Kindertransport,’ a play that focused on the lasting effects of the Holocaust and the relocation of Jewish children to England for their safety.

Jazzin’ out: Ryan Wallace of Brad Fritcher + Trois plays the bass during the Jammy Awards this year. His band was nominated for three awards, but did not take any home.

GV jazz group snags three Jammy nominations BY MARY MATTINGLY ORIGINALLY POSTED FEB. 23, 2014

Brad Fritcher plus+ trois, a jazz quartet made up of several students from Grand Valley State University, attended for the first time and in doing so only added to its growing reputation. “I thought it was really cool that (as) a group that had only been around for a year, and we’d only played on WYCE once, that the community was already supporting us (among) the huge amount of other groups,” said Dutcher Snedeker, pianist of the group. “It was really cool we got that support and that people put us up for more than one category.” This year, Brad Fritcher plus trois was nominated for three Jammy awards: Best Album by a New Artist, Best Jazz Album and Album of the Year. The band includes Brad Fritcher on trumpet, Christian VanDuinen on drums, and GVSU students Dutcher Snedeker on piano and Ryan Wallace on bass. From the release of its first studio album, “Blue Lake Studio Sessions,” to a win in the jazz category of the 2013 ArtPrize/St. Cecilia song competition, the group has gained nothing but accolades since its formation last year. The quartet does not plan on slowing

down either; with three nominations at the 2014 Jammies, the band shows a lot for the short time it’s been together. The Jammies are an annual awards show put on by WYCE, a Grand Rapids-based independent, community radio station. The event, which celebrated its 15th year Friday night, recognizes the work put out by local musicians and gives out prizes for categories such as Album of the Year and Best Album By A New Artist. “Grand Rapids’ jazz scene is more vibrant than some might believe, boasting a bevy of veteran, talented musicians. But Brad Fritcher plus trois really stands out as young, boundary-pushing players who churn out tasty contemporary jazz, which still pays homage to some traditional jazz greats,” said John Sinkevics, editor and publisher of LocalSpins.com. “I’ve rarely seen guys this young who’ve jelled so fast and made the kind of impact they’ve had in such a short time period.” Snedeker said he appreciated that the quartet was nominated for awards that were not limited to jazz, and he was honored to be in the same categories as other Grand Rapids’ greats. “Especially with established jazz icons of Grand Rapids, to

see our group name among Randy March, organissimo and the Grand Rapids Jazz Orchestra with Edye Evans Hyde — that was really cool to see,” Snedeker said. “To have our album in that mix was awesome. We’re fresh out of the gate and it’s cool to have those nominations come our way.” The group kicked off its first Jammy appearance playing the first slot of The Stache stage lineup. The group played songs from its upcoming album, including “Mind the Gap,” which was written by Wallace, and “Foolin’,” written by Snedeker. It also covered “Mhmm” by The Flying Lotus featuring Thundercat. The dimly-lit stage showed off members’ effortless improvisation, onstage communication and instruments’ contrasting textures. “We came up with (the set) about five minutes before playing,” Fritcher said. Although the band ultimately did not take home any Jammies this year, the band’s experience just serves as fuel to continue its hard work. “We’re just gonna keep trying to win a category, keep outdoing ourselves,” Snedeker said after the show. “We hope to play it again next year and continue to be a part of the Grand Rapids scene.”

Jammin’ out: Laker student Jacob Guajardo takes the stage with his stand-up comedy set. Guajardo performed at this year’s LaughFest in downtown Grand Rapids.

GV student performs in LaughFest

BY SHELBY PENDOWSKI ORIGINALLY POSTED MARCH 19, 2014

The comedy career for Grand Valley State University student Jacob Guajardo began on an impulse. In 2012, Guajardo decided to audition for Spotlight Production’s Last Laker Standing competition and try comedy for the first time. “He had some of the best performances during that competition that I have ever seen from any student comedian in my years at GVSU,” said Tim Hartland, president of Spotlight Comedy. “He easily won the competition that year and was overwhelmingly the crowd favorite.” The crown of victory came with more than the 50-inch flat screen TV he was awardedGuajardo also was awarded recognition from the comedic community. A creative writing and gender studies double major at GVSU, Guajardo has been seen performing in several shows on campus and in Grand Rapids. Several of his performances include a well-received opening set for the fall semester’s comedian Hal Sparks and most recently, “Our Diversity Show” as a part of LaughFest. “I actually first saw Jacob when I stopped by the Last Laker Standing competition back in the fall of 2012,” said award-winning director, writer and comedian Joe Anderson. “I was there to see another friend perform. I was just really impressed by how solid Jacob’s set was. He was very new to it but his voice was so strong and his jokes were great.” Anderson, a LaughFest comedian, invited Guajardo to perform at last year’s LaughFest and following a well-received performance, decided to invite him back for LaughFest 2014. “He killed it, so when I was helping put to-

gether a different show for LaughFest 2014, I obviously wanted to see if Jacob could do it again,” Anderson said. “So many people are doing stand-up relentlessly who probably shouldn’t be that when you meet someone who should definitely keep at it, I think it’s important to let them know.” On March 15, Guajardo took the stage at the Wealthy Theatre for “Our Diversity Show,” which featured other comedians such as Sarah Jean Anderson, Don’t We Boys, Jan Griffith, DK Hamilton, Dave Jones and Ben Wilke. “It was such a great crowd. There was an open bar so I think that might have influenced how people reacted,” said Guajardo. “All the comedians in the group did a good job. There (were) a lot of local comedians there that I knew and I look up to because they have been in the game a lot longer than I have.” Performing with some of his comedian idols came with a bit of nerves, but newly 21-year-old Guajardo said that with a little liquid courage he was ready to perform and even worked his way through a joke that was not well-received by the audience. “I made a pretty terrible joke about red heads, like not in a negative way, but nobody laughed,” Guajardo said. “I had (written) it the same day and I thought, ‘I will just throw it in there.’ They laughed when I said I wrote it that day and it flopped.” Although the joke didn’t impress, Guajardo continued on to finish his set to a raucous audience. With two years of LaughFest under his belt and countless new experiences he hopes to be invited back in the years to come, Guajardo said.

A14

YEAR IN REVIEW

Fraternity walks 160 miles for MS fundraiser BY AUDRA GAMBLE ORIGINALLY POSTED FEB. 23, 2014

While the vast majority of students at Grand Valley State University are preparing for a relaxing week off at home or enjoying warmer weather, the men of Alpha Tau Omega are beginning their 160-mile onfoot trek from Kirkhof Center up to Traverse City. The fraternity will walk along trails in the winter weather to raise money for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Last year, the fraternity raised just over $15,000. It has already surpassed its total from last year and has raised more than its goal of $25,000. As of Wednesday night, Alpha Tau Omega has raised $25,437.77. The 20 participating walkers will begin their journey this morning at 10 a.m. in the Kirkhof Center with a kickoff event featuring a speaker from the Michigan chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and a couple that have written a book about their experiences with MS. This year will be the second year the fraternity participates in the MS fundraiser, and the members of the fraternity planned all aspects of the walk. “The timing of our spring break is in the middle of winter, so it took about three to four months of solid planning around the clock,” said Alpha Tau Omega member James Zyrek. “We had to grow from square one. A lot more went in to it than we thought, and the whole time we were flying by the seat of our pants, hoping that we’d get good weather and all these things would work out.” The walk itself takes place over eight days, with the walk-

ers averaging around 20 miles a day. After walking all day, the fraternity brothers sleep in churches and begin walking again the next morning. “We kind of just rough it out for eight days, no showers,” Zyrek said. Though the fraternity members are just walking, their bodies take a significant beating. “The walk itself, on paper it seems challenging, but not that hard,” Zyrek said. “Only five out of the 15 of us that walked last year made it the whole way without having to stop for injuries. Apparently your body can only take 60 to 80 miles of repetitive impact, and we go 100 miles over that.” Several of the participants had to stop walking due to injury, including a broken foot and micro tears in another member’s Achilles tendon. “It’s very much worth every blister, cut, hospital trip or whatever,” Zyrek said. “I was literally dragging my leg because I couldn’t bend my knee without feeling like a knife was in there. It’s not the easiest thing, but it’s worth it for every dollar we raise. “We see this walk as this eight-day journey and there’s quite a bit of struggle and pain, but at the same time, it’s temporary,” he said. “People with MS, their symptoms are not only every single day, but they get progressively worse. That motivates us to push aside life’s struggles and have a positive attitude.” When trying to create a signature philanthropy event, the members of Alpha Tau Omega found that one of their brother’s mom had been recently diagnosed with MS. SEE REST OF STORY ONLINE AT WWW.LANTHORN.COM

GV Grindylows head to World Cup Quidditch match BY KATELYN MUDD ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED NOV. 11, 2014

Some students may think Quidditch is just a fictional game that is confined to J.K. Rowling’s popular ”Harry Potter” books, but to the students on this year’s Grand Valley State University Quidditch team, it is their passion. “(Quidditch) is definitely a very physical and active sport,” said junior Samantha Hageman, club financial officer and one of the team’s keepers. “It keeps me very busy, fit, and active. I’ve made a boatload of friends all over the country that I would have never met without Quidditch.” The “muggle” or nonwizard version of Quidditch is an adaption of the fictional sport. It is seen as a cross between rugby, dodgeball and lacrosse. There are four main groups of positions for the sport: chasers, keepers, beaters and seekers. And although the participants can’t physically fly, players run around the field with their broomsticks ready. This year’s team, the Grand Valley Grindylows, had such a successful season that it is planning to head out to the World Cup in 2014. “Most recently, the team went to Midwest regionals and qualified for (the) World Cup for the first time in team history,” captain and head coach John Alexander said. “The World Cup is taking place at Myrtle Beach, SC, April 5 and 6 of next year.” Members stress the legitimacy of Quidditch as a challenging, physical sport. “What people don’t realize about Quidditch is that it is a club sport at Grand Valley,” Alexander said. “We play other universities, and many

people on the team haven’t watched or played Harry Potter at all. It’s a hard, athletic, full-contact sport. We are spending the winter doing conditioning and training so we can prepare for tournaments in the spring as well as for World Cup. We are also doing a bunch of fundraisers so we can raise money to go to World Cup.” For those unfamiliar with the Harry Potter version of the sport, the World Cup is the Quidditch version of the Super Bowl. “It is the biggest competition of the year,” said Amber Eaton, one of the team’s beaters. “It’s where teams from all over the world come and strut their stuff. It’s the biggest one of the year, and it’s what we work so hard for.” The team members have been fundraising and planning future fundraising events to make their dream of World Cup a reality. “We are fundraising through an Indiegogo account, where you can donate money and then we can give out perks like ‘thank you’ cards,” Hageman said. “We had a dunk tank fundraiser that went well. (We also) have an upcoming Pokémon tournament and are making T-shirts.” The Grand Valley Grindylows are excited about making it to the World Cup. “Five months ago I broke my ankle, so my personal goal is to get back on my feet and surpass my past ability,” Eaton said. “Personally, I am super proud of my team. Since I’ve been out so long, they have really carried the team to the World Cup, and it gives me a vengeance to want to come back and make the team even stronger.”

APRIL 21, 2014 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN

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lanthorn lesson #1

Visit lanthorn.com/housing to find your perfect fit. We make it that easy!

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TRAIN YOUR BRAIN Life is like a marathon. Without the proper training, you’ll get left in the dust. Don’t let it happen to you. Pick up a copy of the Lanthorn and complete some brain busters today!

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THE YEAR

IN SPORTS

GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN

F O O T B A L L

GVL | HANNAH MICO

B2

YEAR IN REVIEW

APRIL 21, 2014

Sweet victory: A Grand Valley State University football player celebrates with GVSU fans after a playoff win. The Lakers entered the postseason on a five-game win streak and went on to beat Saginaw Valley State University (40-7), Colorado State University-Pueblo (34-30), and West Texas A&M University (35-28) before losing to Northwest Missouri State University (27-13).

Parling, Lakers advance to final four

BY BRYCE DEROUIN ORIGINALLY POSTED DEC. 8, 2013

With the game on the line, Grand Valley State University’s junior quarterback Heath Parling knew what he was going to do, even before the snap. Up seven and facing a third-and-7 with less than two minutes left in the fourth quarter. GVSU decided to go for the win and call a pass, but it was Parling’s legs — not his arm — that sealed the Laker win. Parling rolled out right and took off running for the first down. He cut to his left, ran through a couple of arm tackles, and eventually gained 12 yards, which was more than enough for the first down. Parling’s run sealed

GVSU’s first trip to the Division II semifinals since 2009, as the Lakers (12-2) defeated West Texas A&M University (11-3) 35-28. “I was pretty much running no matter what, to be honest with you,” Parling said. “I can’t sit up here and lie and say I saw coverage, but I was just running. Coach Ginn (quarterback’s coach) came over and told me if nothing’s there, just run the ball, so I was like, ‘Alright, sounds good.”’ While Parling and GVSU got the last laugh on Saturday, it was West Texas A&M quarterback Dustin Vaughan and the Buffalo offense that looked impressive early on. Although it was snowing, cold and

a little windy, Vaughan was on fire in the first half. The senior completed 23 of 31 passes for 293 yards passing and four touchdowns to give the Buffaloes a quick 14-0 lead and, eventually, a 2814 advantage at halftime. He made every throw when it mattered, and at times, the GVSU defense looked helpless. West Texas A&M did not punt in the first half and was 9 of 11 on third down conversions. “The first half, it was rough,” senior cornerback Reggie Williams said. “He was throwing some amazing balls. He looked like Tom Brady out there, honestly.” The second half was a different story.

Entering Saturday’s contest, Vaughan had just seven interceptions on 619 pass attempts. In the third quarter alone, he threw three picks on seven attempted passes. Junior Deonte’ Hurst was the recipient of the first errant pass from the senior quarterback. Junior DeVonte’ Jones caught the second, and Williams came up with the third miscue by Vaughan. “Honestly, (on) the first one he made a great play,” Vaughan said. “Second one, ball came out wrong and just didn’t go where I wanted it to, (and) made a bad decision on the last one. Shouldn’t have thrown that ball, should’ve just taken the sack and went

to the next play. I’ll take those three, but Grand Valley is a great defense.” In addition to forcing turnovers, GVSU limited West Texas A&M’s yardage. The Buffaloes were only able to rack up 124 yards of total offense in the second half. “Heading into halftime, we made some defensive adjustments, but not that many, not as many as you might think based on the second half outcome,” GVSU head coach Matt Mitchell said. “I tell you, we weren’t getting much pressure out of our three-man rush at all.” SEE REST OF STORY ONLINE AT WWW.LANTHORN.COM

GV eliminates rival SV after back-to-back wins ORIGINALLY POSTED NOV. 24, 2013

“Defense wins championships” is a commonly used adage in sports. If it rings true, the Grand Valley State University football team (10-2, 7-2 GLIAC) seems to have potential. With a little help from the inclement weather, the GVSU defense completely shut down Saginaw Valley State University (9-3, 9-1 GLIAC) and its GLIAC-leading offense in a 40-7 victory in the first round of the Division II playoffs. “Can’t say enough about our guys,” GVSU head coach Matt Mitchell said. “We just stick together. This team has turned into a team. There’s really no individuals, no stars that are out there making plays. We got a bunch of guys that keep fighting and battling.” SVSU finished the regular season averaging 40.5 points per game, and it boasted the conference’s top quarterback in Jonathon Jennings and wide receiver in Jeff Janis. But you wouldn’t have been able to tell from watching the Cardinals on Saturday. SVSU’s league-leading aerial attack (298.5 yards passing per game) was never able to take off. The Cardinals struggled with the 25 mph winds and cold weather all day long. Jennings’ first completion of the game didn’t come until midway through the second quarter, and the 2013 GLIAC Football Player of the Year finished the day completing 13 of 28 passes for 156 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. “We didn’t take advantage of some of those

opportunities in the first quarter when we had the wind at our back and great field position,” SVSU head coach Jim Collins said. “I think then we battled two quarters into the wind, and we weren’t able to throw the ball as effectively as you need to in a game like this against a good defense… The conditions were tough, and we couldn’t overcome them.” Even though the conditions weren’t friendly for a pass-happy offense, it was the adjustments Mitchell and his staff made from last week’s game that were a major factor in limiting the Cardinals’ offensive attack. Unlike last week, when Jennings ran for three touchdowns, the GVSU defense made a stronger effort to contain him and swarm him when he dropped back to pass. Frozen tundra: Grand Valley State University running back Chris Robinson dashes toward the goal line “As defensive coaches, we came during a game against Northern Michigan University. GVSU finished No. 3 in the final AFCA poll. up with a few more things, espetackle Isiah Dunning was the other Laker in dou- as a unit, so we got it done today.” cially regarding pressuring Jennings,” Mitchell ble digit tackles, racking up 10. While Jennings, struggled in the wind and said. “I felt like our defensive line provided more Senior linebacker Jordan Kaufman and soph- cold, his quarterback counterpart enjoyed much pressure. We got some of our linebackers more omore De’Ondre Hogan hauled in interceptions more success through the air. involved in the pressure schemes, and so I think of their own, as well. GVSU junior quarterback Heath Parling conthat was the biggest thing that you saw was us “As a whole defensive unit, we felt like we had verted 15 of 27 passes for 205 yards and threw for pressuring more.” something to prove even though we did win last three touchdowns, including two into the wind. Junior cornerback Deonte’ Hurst was the first week,” Hurst said. “We still made a lot of misLaker to intercept Jennings, and he led GVSU takes, and we just wanted to come out and prove SEE REST OF STORY ONLINE AT with 12 tackles on the game. Junior defensive ourselves and improve as a team and get it done WWW.LANTHORN.COM GVL | ROBERT MATHEWS

BY BRYCE DEROUIN

X - C O U N T R Y

Laker runners win third NCAA title in four years ORIGINALLY POSTED NOV. 24, 2013

Winning national championships two of the past three years tends to put an immense amount of pressure on a program to continue that same type of success. Most programs often fall off after having such fruitful seasons. The thought of becoming complacent doesn’t distract the GVSU cross country programs, though, as they have shown to reload, coming back year after year with as much talent and ability as the last. That theme proved to be true this weekend as the women’s cross country team defended its title by claiming yet another national championship, while the men put forth another gutsy performance, finishing the race as runners-up. “Everything fell into place perfectly. It was supposed to end this way,” sophomore Jessica Janecke said. “It was such a great feeling to finish out on top, where we aimed to be at all year long. Being able to celebrate the guys’ success was a feeling all in its own.” The women’s cross country team made a statement, proving that it is a dominant force in Division II cross country by winning its third national championship in four years. “They have been working all year long for this. It was great to see this all come together,” head coach Jerry Baltes said. “This really solidifies us as a whole. To be able to come back after the year we had last season and repeat all the same successes really shows how much work this team has put in.” The Lakers were led by Janecke and junior Allyson Winchester, who both posted top 10 finishes. Winchester came in at third place overall with a time of 21 minutes, 5 seconds, while Janecke finished ninth with a time of

21:18.9. “We talked about it earlier; everyone just needed to run their race,” Janecke said. “We’ve been here before. There wasn’t as much nerves as there was in the past. It’s a great feeling to see everyone come together and accomplish this for the program.” Overall, the Laker women’s cross country team finished with six girls finishing in the top 40, earning All-American honors. Freshman Kendra Foley made her national championship debut as she posted a time of 21:21.5 to earn herself an 11th place finish. “We continued to run the same way that we have all year, feeding off of each others’ momentum,” Janecke said. “I couldn’t be more proud of how our entire team raced not only this past weekend, but really the Celebration: The Grand Valley State University women’s cross country team celebrates after winning the NCAA Division II national title. Meanwhile, the Laker men finished as the runners-up in the event. entire season.” Coming off a disappointing The Laker men’s cross country team finished seventh place finish from a year ago, the Laker standards,” senior Brent Showerman said. “This men’s cross country team came into nationals performance was really something that we can with four runners earing All-American accolades. Sophomore Chad Cini and senior Josh with a chip on its shoulder, wanting to prove that all be proud of.” Showerman led the Lakers by coming in at Moskalewski joined Showerman and Peterson in it belonged among the top teams of Division II. 14th place with a time of 30:46. Closely behind the top 40 as Cini crossed the line in 22nd place The Laker men proved just that as they accomplished the best finish in school history Showerman was junior Alan Peterson, who with a time of 30:59, while Moskalewski finished in 26th place with a time of 31:03. and ended their season with a second place finish finished 16th overall with a time of 30:56. “Having this type of finish to my career really “This was a great day for our programs,” Baltes with a total team score of 104, narrowly beating leaves me satisfied, ” Showerman said. “It shows said. “We have to continue to stay focused and out third place Augustana (122). “We really left last season with a bad feeling. that our program is in the right direction, which driven. Becoming complacent would diminish all the success we have seen this season.” Finishing seventh a year ago wasn’t up to our is ultimately winning national championships.” COURTESY | GVSU ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT

BY TATE BAKER

B3

YEAR IN REVIEW

APRIL 21, 2014 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN

GVL | ROBERT MATHEWS

W. S O C C E R

Simply the best: The Grand Valley State University women’s soccer team celebrates after winning the NCAA Division II National Championship. The program set a Division II record in the GLIAC Tournament when it beat Michigan Technological University—its 62nd straight victory at home. The Lakers allowed just four goals all season before beating West Florida in the final.

Lakers win 62 straight home games to set NCAA Division II record BY PETE BARROWS ORIGINALLY POSTED NOV. 10, 2013

The Grand Valley State University women’s soccer team kit does not include red cleats, but if it did, the Lakers would click their heels together often. With a 2-0 victory over Michigan Technological University (14-5-1), GVSU captured its seventh consecutive GLIAC title, stretched a home streak at the GVSU Soccer Field to an NCAA Division II record-setting 62 straight games without a loss, and will

maintain home-field advantage for at least another week as it embarks into NCAA Tournament play. “Our kids feel great about playing at our field and we feel really good about how we’re going to play,” GVSU head coach Dave Dilanni said. “It doesn’t mean we’re never going to lose, but we feel very comfortable in our chances to compete and get a good win when we’re here.” GVSU opened the GLIAC Tournament Friday and played inspired soccer from whistle-

to-whistle in a 7-0 rout against Ferris State University. It was the fifth time this season the Lakers netted at least six goals in a game. Freshman midfielder Marti Corby started the scoring in minute eight with a shot to the upper left of the FSU crease before she returned less than a minute later to bend a ball from the center of the box. Junior forward Jenny Shaba, who received GLIAC “Offensive Player of the Year” honors prior to the semifinal match,

assisted on both goals. Shaba, the GLIAC leader in points this season, led GVSU with two goals and four assists in the match. “That was probably a career day for Jenny,” Dilanni said. “Not just because of the points, but because of how she played, how she approached the game. And we need Jenny Shaba, who puts a lot of pressure on teams because of her strength and her speed, just as we need lots of other players to keep playing the way they are to continue

our run.” Junior defender Juane Odendaal became Laker No. 17 to score this season with a strike in minute 17. Senior midfielder Shelby Humphries extended the Lakers’ lead to four at half, and Shaba effectively put the match out of reach. Junior midfielder Charlie Socia connected on a cross from Shaba in minute 58 for goal No. 6, and Shaba concluded the game with a strike off a cross from sophomore forward Katie Bounds in minute 66.

“It’s not every game that you’re going to score seven goals, but we had really struggled to score goals for three or four games in a row,” Dilanni said. “All the credit goes to the kids. We give them information and they just seem to play very fast and very aggressive. The ball movement we saw this weekend was some of the best I’ve seen in my career here, and Friday, it resulted in some really nice goals.” SEE REST OF STORY ONLINE AT WWW.LANTHORN.COM

GVL | ROBERT MATHEWS

GVL | HANNAH MICO

V O L L E Y B A L L

Winning: Grand Valley State University soccer players embrace after winning the NCAA Division II National Championship against the University of West Florida. The Lakers, who gave up just four goals all season long, closed out the campaign on a 24-game win streak.

NATIONAL CHAMPS!

Lakers outlast West Florida 2-0 for third title in five years BY PETE BARROWS ORIGINALLY POSTED DEC. 8, 2013

It rolled across 25 yards of mud and slick grass, over 25 games without a loss, through soccer careers years in the making and a season spanning months, and three seconds of the 5,400 played in the Division II women’s soccer title game. And then it rolled past Argonaut keeper Sara Story’s lowered finger tips into the bottommost corner of the University of West Florida crease, like a car off the highway 800 miles away from home finally arriving at an intended and much desired destination. Like it belonged there. The NCAA regulation ball rolled, taking a favorable Laker bounce, until it grazed woven white nylon netting. A conclusive peace emanated from the orb across Blanchard Woods Park in Evans, Ga., all the way back to Allendale, Mich., in minute 59 of a 0-0 game. The 2013 Grand Valley State University women’s soccer team that had rolled past every obstacle, through every practice and every game placed in front of them this season, across state lines and into the title game, had just won a third national championship in five

years. “Prior to that goal, I don’t know that our body language was negative, but we had not done what we had wanted to do,” GVSU coach Dave Dilanni said. “I thought you saw our body language change almost immediately, so did theirs. The game is cruel sometimes, but at the end of the day, (if) you don’t shoot, you don’t score. I don’t know that we deserved that goal, but I thought that it stirred us for the final 25 minutes and gave us an opportunity to drive it home.” Forward Marti Corby had a direction in mind when she teed off the slow-rolling shot that didn’t appear to have a chance of breaking the scoreless tie. The Lakers had mapped out goals at the beginning of the season, the final and most prominent of which was to win a national championship, but Corby, a freshman, could not have known how far her and her teammates would travel or when the trip would come to a close. "(Winning a national championship) was one of our goals at the beginning of the season, and we knew if we just worked hard for it, we could get here, but it just seemed so imagin-

able at the time,” Corby said. “It was a hard journey, but we stayed together throughout, pushed through all the games, and we got here. We made it.” She closed out the season with six goals and three assists in GVSU’s final seven matches, but Corby, who fired 109 shots this season, could not have known in that slow-rolling moment that she had just made the most important strike of her career to-date. Like a soccer ball and a team in the midst of a historic season, a body in motion tends to stay in motion. “Right when I hit it, I looked down and I didn’t think it was going in it at all, but right when I looked up, I saw it trickle in,” Corby said. “It was crazy.” A MATCH-UP FOR THE BOOKS

Entering Saturday’s Division II women’s soccer grand finale, GVSU had won 23 consecutive matches. Defending national champion UWF had not lost in 34. One of the two teams had been a part of every Division II championship since 2009. It was only a matter of time — and travel — before the perennial powers crossed paths. SEE REST OF STORY ONLINE AT WWW.LANTHORN.COM

Elevated: Grand Valley State University setter Kaitlyn Wolters (7) sets the ball to Kaleigh Lound (15), as Betsy Ronda (6) rushes in as back up against Ashland University.

Aiken, Wolters lead GV to outright GLIAC Championship

She led the charge with 17 kills and 17 digs as GVSU rallied to win in four sets (22-25, The Grand Valley State University women’s 25-22, 25-16, 25-21) to advance to the GLIAC volleyball team proved it not only had the best Championship. player and coach in the GLIAC this season, “Obviously it was a team effort,” she said. but also the best team. “They only had one person and we have six. GVSU claimed its first GLIAC Tourna- That’s all that matters.” ment Championship since 2008 by edging Pakhomenko finished with 27 kills on 75 Ashland University at home over the week- attempts for a hitting-percentage mark of end in a five-set thriller that pushed the team’s .240, while Aiken connected on 17 of 52 for winning streak to 19 games. a .250 clip. “They just keep finding a way to win,” said Aiken was named the 2013 GLIAC Athlete head coach Deanne Scanlon, the 2013 GLIAC of the Year after the match. Coach of the Year. “They just go with the flow.” “I’m on cloud nine,” she said. “The coaches GVSU took the league by storm this sea- really believed in me and my teammates beson after being tabbed as the North Division’s lieved in me. They kept telling me positive third-best team in the GLIAC Volleyball Pre- things even when I didn’t want to hear it.” season Coaches’ Poll. GVSU was in for another battle on Sunday A lot has changed since last in the title match against secondseason. seeded Ashland. Junior outside hitter Abby AiThe Lakers took the first set, ken went from being an All-GLIbut the Eagles looked like the AC Second Team player to being We are very better team for the next two. The voted the best in the conference, Eagles seemed to have all of the Scanlon recruited NJCAA All- capable of momentum and held a 2-1 lead American junior setter Kaitlyn making it to heading into the fourth frame. Wolters, and a close-knit team GVSU quickly got things gofound a way to turn its off-court nationals. ing back in its direction behind chemistry into on-court success. KAITLYN WOLTERS the defensive efforts of Wolters “We are very capable of mak- JUNIOR SETTER and sophomore middle blocker ing it to nationals,” Wolters said. Kaleigh Lound, who combined “I believe this team can make it for seven blocks in the set. all the way.” “It’s awesome to have Kaleigh by me—she She and Aiken were both named to the All- can jump,” Wolters said. “It definitely moGLIAC First Team and the All-Tournament tivates the whole team when we get a good Team. Sophomore outside hitter Betsy Ronda block. It fires everybody up.” was also named to the All-Tournament squad. Wolters finished the match with 46 assists, The Lakers came into the tournament 22 digs and eight blocks while Lound posted a knowing they had a big-time target on their team-high 16 kills to go with 10 blocks. backs after posting a 17-1 record in conferThe final stanza was a back-and-forth ence play. battle between the league’s top teams, but ulThat was certainly the case in the semifi- timately it was the tournament MVP who renals against the 2012 regular season and tour- corded the game-winning point. nament champions of Northwood University Aiken fittingly capped off the thrilling fiveand the reigning Player of the Year, senior out- set victory (25-22, 19-25, 23-25, 25-18, 19-17) side hitter Julia Pakhomenko. with a kill. Pakhomenko led the TImberwolves to a The milestones continued to pile up for victory in the opening frame and was giving the Onsted, Mich., native, as she also tallied GVSU all it could handle until Aiken started her 1,000th career dig at the start of the final to do what she has done all season—come up frame. with big swings at key moments. BY JAY BUSHEN

ORIGINALLY POSTED NOV. 24, 2013

B4 Lakers finish fourth, sixth at NCAA Division II meet YEAR IN REVIEW T R A C K

ORIGINALLY POSTED MARCH 16, 2014

The Grand Valley State University teams came up just short of meeting their goals at the 2014 Division II Indoor Track and Field National Championships in Winston-Salem, N.C. The No. 2 Laker women and No. 4 Laker men began the two-day event with high expectations on Friday, and although both teams finished lower than they had expected, they still finished as a top-tier program. The women finished in fourth place; the men came in sixth. “It was a little bit disappointing, however that doesn’t take away from what these kids have accomplished all year,” coach Jerry Baltes said. “We have lofty expectations in this program — a pair of top-10 performances is pretty impressive anyway you look at it.” The Lakers struggled to put it all together in the women’s meet with 44 points. Adams State University claimed the national title by tallying 67 points. “I don’t think it was necessarily what we expected to come out with,” said GVSU senior Courtney Brewis, who finished as the runner-up in the 5,000-meter run. “It’s not something we are going to hang our heads on. “A fourth place finish at nationals is a great performance. Plus, we still have (the outdoor season) ahead of us.” Senior Kalena Franklin, who was named the

F I E L D

Midwest Region Track Athlete of the Year on March 10, stood out for GVSU. Franklin earned three All-American accolades. She began the weekend with a third-place finish in the 60-meter hurdles, followed that up with a seventh-place finish in the 200-meter dash, and concluded the campaign by anchoring the 4x400 relay team to a fourth-place finish. “She continues to accomplish more each and every weekend,” Baltes said. “We are all really excited for her in the spring season as well.” Senior Kristen Hixson came into the national meet as the favorite in the pole vault after a record-breaking season, but she was unable to clear the bar in all three attempts. She was unable to reach the podium as a result. “It was just one of those days for her,” Baltes said. “Unfortunately it came at the national meet. The bar just wouldn’t stay on in her attempts.” On the men’s side, it was a neck-and-neck race for the championship with St. Augustine University edged Adams State University (84.5 to 83). GVSU finished with 29.5 points. “I know a sixth-place performance wasn’t something that we necessarily wanted to finish with, but overall it’s a finish that we can be proud of right now,” sophomore Blake Donson said. SEE REST OF STORY ONLINE AT WWW.LANTHORN.COM

GVL | EMILY FRYE

BY TATE BAKER

&

APRIL 21, 2014 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN

Perseverance: Sophomore Casey Routledge (3) and freshman Peter Tomkiewicz (7) compete at the NCAA Division II Championships in the 5,000 meter run. The men’s team placed sixth.

B A S K E T B A L L

Huskies oust GV from GLIAC tourney

GVL | ROBERT MATHEWS

ORIGINALLY POSTED MARCH 9, 2014

Lane change: Sophomore guard Darren Kapustka dribbles the ball during a home game against Michigan Tech.

The fourth-seeded Michigan Technological University men’s basketball team and its sharpshooters earned the right to play on their home court — and they protected it. MTU, which beat Grand Valley State University twice in the regular season, made all five of its shots in the final minute to break a 72-72 tie and eliminate the Lakers from the 2014 GLIAC Tournament on March 5 at the SDC Gym in Houghton, Mich. The first-round matchup featured seven tie scores and seven lead changes, but the experience of the seasoned Husky backcourt was on full display when it mattered most. “It was a great game on both sides, a hard-fought game,” GVSU junior forward

Chaz Rollins said. “Everybody played their heart out; they just made a couple more plays down the stretch.” MTU senior guard Austin Armga buried a 15-foot jump shot with 47 seconds left and followed it up with a steal on the other end before junior guard Ben Stelzer sealed the game with four straight free throws. Stelzer finished with a career-high 34 points on 8-of-10 from the 3-point line to go with five assists and four rebounds. “We knew he was a good player — he had 29 points against us in the first two games combined,” Rollins said. “He was hitting fade-away threes with a hand in his face. He probably had the game of his life.” Rollins finished with 16 points and a game-high 13 re-

bounds. All four GVSU reserves scored in double figures, but it wasn’t enough to upstage the play of Stelzer who may as well have been shooting from the Keweenaw Waterway. “He was just on fire,” GVSU coach Ric Wesley said. “We probably didn’t do as good of a job as we could have done in the first four or five minutes when we were a little late in our coverage. From that point on, we made the adjustments and were doing everything we could do to limit his touches and looks at the basket. He was just in a zone.” Wesley said fifth-year senior point guard Rob Woodson was finding ways to limit Stelzer in the second half, but the turning point came when Woodson suffered an ankle injury.

Woodson, who helped the Lakers clinch the fifth seed by hitting a pair free throws with 16 seconds left in an overtime win at Ferris State University on Feb. 27, still managed to play through the pain. He finished with 11 points and a game-high six assists. “I’ve seen it before with guys who have had great years,” Wesley said. “They’re bruised, they’re battered, they’re limping, and it’s just an indicator that they’ve given it their all. It sort of summed up Rob’s season.” This is a special guy — you don’t get a chance to be around a guy like Rob very often. He hung in there through the tough times, persevered when it wasn’t easy and set a tremendous standard for our program.” SEE REST OF STORY ONLINE AT WWW.LANTHORN.COM

GVL | ROBERT MATHEWS

BY JAY BUSHEN

Laker leader: Grand Valley State University guard Dani Crandall, the team’s only senior, lines up a shot during the 2013-2014 season. She led the team in a number of statistical categories.

Lone senior sets example for young Laker women BY PETE BARROWS ORIGINALLY POSTED FEB. 20, 2014

Dani Crandall joined the Grand Valley State University women’s basketball team in 2010 with dreams — winning a national championship, for one — and the right to chase them. Crandall also packed a smile that she brought with her from Eaton Rapids, Mich., as a freshman. A smile that was never crooked. Not even after that it caught an errant elbow from a teammate in practice and lost a tooth. She kept smiling, and perhaps more than anything else, that smile will mark her tenure as a four-year contributor at GVSU. “What Dani will leave at this program is a beautiful smile that she gives to everybody all the time,” GVSU coach Janel Burgess said. “During our win Saturday against Michigan Tech, she smiled during every minute. “She has smiled ever since

she came here, whatever she was asked to do. She has been able to smile through adversity, and she’s been able to stay true to the course — which is commendable. Through it all, Dani has smiled, and we’re better as a program because she did.” As a freshman, Crandall averaged 16.7 minutes, five points and three rebounds per contest and played in 22 games. As a sophomore, Crandall played in all 26 games, started two and averaged 22 minutes, four points and four rebounds per contest as the team’s sixth man. Last year as a junior, Crandall saw time in all 27 games, started 18 and averaged 25 minutes, eight points and four rebounds per contest. As Crandall’s minutes have grown, so has her production and her role on the team. Like a smile spreading from smirk-togrin-to-beam. “She has really matured, especially being the only se-

nior now, as both a player and a person,” junior center Daina Grazulis said. “Dani has always been able to score and get to the basket, but now can finish around the rim, and that’s something she has developed over the years. She’s made finishing a priority and can make virtually any shot. “Dani has also facilitated our growth as a team this season and has been there for us through all the trying times. We owe it to her that we are such a cohesive unit this year.” Now a senior and the lone four-year player at GVSU, Crandall leads the Lakers in most statistical categories, including minutes (28.3), points (12.7), rebounds (5.8), assists (3.09) and field-goal percentage (51.6 percent). Crandall also ranks second in blocks (8), steals (19), and free throws attempted (100). SEE REST OF STORY ONLINE AT WWW.LANTHORN.COM

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YEAR IN REVIEW

APRIL 21, 2014 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN

B A S E B A L L

Brugnoni blasts 33rd career home run, sets GV record ORIGINALLY POSTED FEB 23, 2014

Senior first baseman Giancarlo Brugnoni of the Grand Valley State University baseball team didn’t wait long to blast his way into Laker history. Brugnoni crushed his 33rd career home run just three games into the 2014 campaign on Sunday at the University of Southern Indiana to become the school’s all-time home run leader, and GVSU took a 2-1 series edge in the early-season battle between the nationally-ranked teams. “I had more of a groundball approach today, so I was trying to drive the ball the other way,” he said. “He gave me a good pitch in my first at-bat and I struck it good. I wasn’t sure it was good enough to get out, but it did.” The pre-season NCBWA First Team All-American smashed the record-setting jack in the top of the first, and it seemed to open the floodgates for the Laker offense. The GVSU bats came alive in the top of the third, as the Lakers hammered USI with nine runs to take an

11-2 lead on their way to an eventual 12-6 top to the three-game set. “It’s a good feeling today, but we’ve got to keep it going,” said Brugnoni, who finished the game with five RBIs. “The record won’t matter if we don’t have a good season, so hopefully we can set some more records as a team.” The matchup had been dictated by superior pitching and defense through two games. In game one, USI managed to scrape together the first run of the tilt in the fourth inning after a walk, stolen base and wild pitch put a runner on third. A one-out single to left field pushed across the game’s first score. The Lakers had to find a way stay alive in the top of the ninth as the score was still 1-0 with two outs, and senior catcher Taylor Banks obliged by roping a single into left field for his third hit of the game. Senior pinch runner Ariel Aracena-Sanchez sped home from second to tie the game. The Screaming Eagles still had one final opportunity to walk off, however, and they took advantage.

GVSU head coach Jamie Detillion removed junior starter Aaron Jensen from the game following a double and an intentional walk, but the bullpen failed to strand the runner on second. USI drew two consecutive walks, pushed the winning run across home plate and took game one 2-1. “Jensen was outstanding,” Detillion said. “He definitely deserved the win. It’s always disappointing when you lose, but all things considered, we played pretty well for not playing outside prior to this game.” Game two was similar, but this time, the score flipped in GVSU’s favor. With the game tied at 1-1 in the seventh, junior infielder Aaron Overbeck singled Banks home to nudge the Lakers ahead with a one-run lead. GVSU got another dominant pitching performance from the sophomore duo of Patrick Kelly and Russell Griffin, who combined to allow just one run off five hits in the 2-1 victory. SEE REST OF STORY ONLINE AT WWW.LANTHORN.COM

COURTESY | KYLE SCHWERIN

BY ADAM KNORR

HR king: Senior first baseman Giancarlo Brugnoni, who set the Laker record for career home runs in 2014, fields a ball during a recent game.

Baseball team advances to College World Series over summer BY PETE BARROWS ORIGINALLY POSTED MAY 21, 2013

In poker, nobody wants to quit when they’re losing and nobody wants you to quit when you’re ahead. In many ways, baseball works the same way. Grand Valley State University baseball began its 2013 campaign losing six of its first 13 contests and on Mar. 17, boasted an uninspiring 6-7 record. Two months later, GVSU is NCAA Division II World Series bound for the sixth time in 11 years (second berth in three years) after dropping only eight of their last 31 regular season games (.742) and winning seven of their last 10 GLIAC and NCAA Division II Midwest Regional tournament competitions. On Thursday afternoon, GVSU opened play in Springfield, Mo. with a 6-5 come-from-behind victory over No. 4 seeded Saint Joseph’s of Indiana. A pair of pocket three-run homers, one from sophomore Jesse Abel in the sixth and one from junior slugger Giancarlo Brugnoni (his 13th of the season, 32nd of his career, tying him with GVSU career record holder Dustin Vugteveen) in the seventh was enough to make GLVC Pitcher of the Year Jordan Peterson, who allowed 10 hits and five earned runs in seven innings, fold for only the second time this season.

In the quarterfinals on Friday, No. 5 seeded we match up really well with anyone we face Lewis University fell 9-3 to GVSU after junior because I don’t think there’s three good starters Taylor Banks laid down a five RBI straight to like we have on any other team and it is nice to couple with sophomore Mike Nadratowski’s know that we’re going to have those guys going three of a kind, 3-for-6, triple and three stolen deep into games. We’re just so deep and getting base outing. around tournament time, postseason time, I In what was perhaps the 2013 season’s royal think that’s really important.” flush, GVSU had saved a 25-hit As solid as Teague and the other (25-of-48, .521) game, the Lakers starting pitchers have been – it highest single game hit total of the takes a team to win games in such a season, 18-run outpour for Saturcomplete manner. day’s match up against No. 6 seed “Kyle Teague was very domi...that’s what nating Bellarmine. with 14 strikeouts – it’s acSophomore Kevin Zak set a new (our pitchers) tually one of the most dominating GVSU single game record with six do, keep runs performances I’ve seen a pitcher hits and tied the single-game record have,” said GVSU head coach Jamie for runs at five while senior starter off the board... Detillion. “They had no chance Kyle Teague delved into the record against him. With his confidence book himself, striking out a Laker JAMIE DETILLION level and when he has his good COACH record 14-batters on the day, allowstuff going, he’s as good as anybody ing only six hits, one run and no I’ve seen at the college level. That’s walks in nine innings of work – arguably the best what they (our pitchers) do, keep runs off the performances in GVSU baseball history from the board and at the end of the day, it’s about who plate and mound, respectively. scores more – that’s how the winner’s defined. “The pitching has been strong and Patrick (That said) there’s been a lot of things that don’t Kelly (redshirt freshman) is another one of the go on the stat line, too on some key plays. Some guys that’s been pitching extremely well,” said guys have made some great defensive plays that GVSU senior closer Brad Zambron. “He kind have kept the team in the game and help some of gets lost behind Camp and Teague, but those pitchers avoid putting runs on the board for the three guys give us a really good rotation. I think opposing team.”

GVL | ROBERT MATHEWS

S O F T B A L L

Slap happy: Laker 2013 softball players celebrate a victory during their 2013 campaign. The team finished its season as the third-ranked team in the NCAA Division II.

GV plays first CWS game since 2002 in summer play BY PETE BARROWS ORIGINALLY POSTED MAY 28, 2013

Grand Valley State University softball has come a long way since they finished 2224 in 2010. In the 172 games GVSU has played since, the Lakers have won 132 – a .767 three-year win percentage, packing on a plethora of conference titles, tournament wins, broken records and individual accolades along the way. After traveling over 650 miles to Salem, Va., to participate in the schools first Division II college softball World Series tournament since 2002, the cross country journey four years in the making sputtered to a close – one game short of the desired destination. “We’re a little bit disappointed, but you have to remember how far you came, how far our team has come,” said senior Katie Martin, who at last Wednesday’s World Series banquet became the first student-athlete in the history of the award to twice be named the Daktronics National Player of the Year. “This is the first time we’ve made it to the World Series in a long time. It’s a great accomplishment, definitely, and we’re all very proud and very happy

to have been here and to have had this opportunity. Just sad to see the end.” All good things must come to an end eventually and this time around, the Lakers didn’t get the conclusion they’d hoped for. The final haul of their trip didn’t get off to the smooth start they’d hoped for, either. Opening World Series play against unranked Kutztown University Thursday afternoon, GVSU struggled to acclimate to the stage – losing to the Golden Bears 3-1. The Lakers outhit Kutztown 6-5 as Martin recorded her 20th home run of the season, but a couple of uncharacteristic errors allowed Kutztown to score three unearned runs. “We were a little nervous,” Martin said. “I think the first day we didn’t play the way we normally play. I couldn’t really name a reason why, but it just kind of happened – every team has their days.” The second act, a do-or-die death defying high dive performance, revived the Lakers collective spirit and kept their World Series hopes alive in the losers bracket. An 8-4 victory over No. 6 Texas Woman’s University was

spurred on by a four-run rally in the top of the fifth in which Martin scored junior Briauna Taylor and senior Nellie Kosola on a two-run double before senior Emily Jones slugged in a quadruple. Freshman Sara Andrasik sealed the deal in the seventh, closing down and cleaning up shop after entering the game with no-outs and bases loaded, advancing the Lakers to another elimination face-off. Friday evening, Senior Maggie Kopas started the scoring off in the Lakers second game of the day, this time against No. 27 Molloy, homering to left center in the top of the second. It wasn’t until another four-run fifth inning in which junior Miranda Clearly catapulted a three-run long ball scoring seniors Jones and Martin that the Lakers were able to safely put the Molloy Lions back in their cage by a 5-2 margin. “We came back yesterday (Saturday) and proved we were meant to be here,” Martin said. “We hit, we fielded, we pitched – everything was there.” SEE REST OF STORY ONLINE AT WWW.LANTHORN.COM

As fate would have it, Bellarmine defeated Lewis 13-1 in Saturday’s loser’s bracket elimination game to set up a rematch with the Lakers in Sunday’s championship. GVSU, like their softball counterparts on Saturday against the University of Indianapolis, would only need to win one of two games to advance to the World Series. The Lakers came out flat in the championship round with a 7-4 lapse. In game two, the ante was raised and GVSU decided to call Bellarmine’s bluff. It took a 3-for-3, three RBI performance complete with a two-out, two-RBI go-ahead single with the game tied at three in the bottom the eighth from sophomore dual sport centerfielder Jamie Potts, 108 pitches in eight innings (on only two days rest) from senior starter Anthony Campanella and a scoreless inning with a strikeout from Zambron to earn their ninth and 13th respective win and save of the season and clinch the deciding game, but a 6-3 full house final score did the trick. Following the game, Potts, first baseman Brugnoni and pitcher Teague were named to the NCAA Division II Midwest Region All-Tournament team – Potts, who went 10-of-18 (.555) over the tournament, was the decided MVP. SEE REST OF STORY ONLINE AT WWW.LANTHORN.COM

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APRIL 21, 2014 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN

R O W I N G

Women take first, men ninth in Boston BY TATE BAKER ORIGINALLY POSTED OCT. 20, 2013

With hope of making the Grand Valley State University name more recognizable in the rowing community, the Laker navy set its sights on Boston for the annual Head of the Charles Regatta. “This is the biggest event on our schedule year in and year out,” club president Costas Ciungan said. “We were really excited to get out and compete against the largest field of talent that we will see all year.” Competing in the world’s largest regatta, the GVSU rowing teams went up against a slew of competition that featured clubs from all across the country. “It’s important for us to enjoy the moment

but also look to improve with every race we compete in,” Ciungan said. “Continual improvement is something we strive for every day at Grand Valley.” In the women’s collegiate eight competition, the Laker women crossed the finish line first with a time of 17 minutes, 46 seconds to narrowly beat out Trinity College (17:48). This was the women’s first collegiate eight win in the past three years at the Head of the Charles. “It’s hard to put into words how great of a feeling this is,” senior Shelby Welbaum said. “It’s great to know that everything we worked for leading up to this point really paid off.” Unfortunately, the Laker men didn’t have the same success, but they still faired well in

the field of 40 as they finished ninth with a time of 15:56. Drexel University went on to win the race with a time of 15:22, followed by the Michigan Rowing Association and the University of Virginia Association of Rowing. “We came into the race with a goal of improving from last year’s third place finish,” Ciungan said. “It was somewhat disappointing for us to finish ninth this year, but we still competed well and will take the positives out of it.” The men’s club varsity four added another top 10 finish for the Lakers as they finished in 10th place with a time of 17:15—1:10 behind eventual winner of the club race, Union Boat Club. “I think a lot of us were really nervous because it was the biggest event of the year, but I

thought once we got to the line we responded well,” senior Mariah Edelhauser said. “It’s a big moment, especially for all of our underclassmen.” Battling choppy waters, the women’s varsity four finished ninth out of the field of 33 with a time of 19:09. Also in action, the alumni men finished in 28th with a time of 16:28, while the alumni women finished 25th with a time of 19:24. “We can really be satisfied with our performance across the board,” Ciungan said. “We will look to improve in more areas than one, but it’s reassuring to know that our hard work has paid off.” SEE REST OF STORY ONLINE AT WWW.LANTHORN.COM

D O D G E B A L L

BY ADAM KNORR ORIGINALLY POSTED APRIL 16, 2014

From 1990-1998, it was the Chicago Bulls. From 1997-2008, it was the Detroit Red Wings. For the better part of the last century, it was the New York Yankees. Since 2005, it’s been the Grand Valley State University club dodgeball team. Dynasties, all of them. GVSU won its second National Collegiate Dodgeball Association Championship (NCDA) in as many years over the weekend by beating rival Saginaw Valley State University 3-2 in the championship match on Sunday. GVSU finished the year with a 32-1 record. Its only loss came to SVSU in the regular season. “At the start of the season, we were thinking, ‘It’s time to go backto-back,’” GVSU senior and president Mark Trippiedi said. “It worked out perfectly to face (SVSU). It’s almost poetic how sports do that sometimes.” While it’s true that one good year does not make a dynasty, GVSU has plenty of other accolades on the dodgeball court to support the claim. Since the founding of the program in 2005, GVSU has won six nationals championships, including back-to-back victories in the past two years. The top-seeded Lakers had a full schedule with six games in two days

after a first-round bye, and after advancing out of pool play, they took on the University of Maryland in the quarterfinals. The Lakers found a way, then proceeded to eliminate James Madison University in the semis by a resounding 5-0 score. Then, in a scene fit for Hollywood, the Lakers were slated to take on SVSU for both in-state bragging rights and an NCDA title. In order to gain a point in an NCDA game, a team must eliminate all fifteen players on the opposing squad. The team with the most points at the end of the second half is declared the winner. In the first of two 25-minute halves that make up a game, the Lakers took a commanding 3-0 lead. GVSU notched the first point of the match just five minutes in, which seemed to set the tone. At halftime, the team adjusted its game plan to take on a more conservative stance to avoid any potential Cardinal comeback attempts. SVSU made a bid, though, and closed the gap to 3-2 before the final whistle blew. “We played really smart in the second half, not taking too many risks and staying alive,” GVSU captain Kevin Bailey said. “This is something that means a lot to us. Winning is nice, but it’s obviously nationals that’s going to define your time.”

COURTESY | NICOLE BAILEY

Lakers outlast SV, win back-to-back championships

Dynasty: The Grand Valley State University club dodgeball team celebrates its sixth National Collegiate Dodgeball Association (NCDA) championship since 2005. The Lakers took down the Cardinals 3-2 in the final.

GVSU, which won every national title from 2007 through 2010, experienced a dip in its prominence for a few years but certainly appears to have reclaimed its place atop the national dodgeball scene. The success is apparent, but what

caused the resurgence? “The majority of our success comes from having some established seniors and upperclassmen and having them be able to show the young guys the ropes and how we play here,” sophomore Aaron

Terenzi said. The seniors went out on a high note, and the leadership they provided figures to live on in the GVSU program for years to come. At least for now, the dynasty lives on.

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MAY2014

GVSU

COMMENCEMENT EDITION

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COMMENCEMENT

April 21, 2014

GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN

Lanthorn G R A N D VA L L EY

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s t n o o i t t h a e l c u t l a a s r s g n o o f C

2014

Commencement Ceremony

Van Andel Arena April 26th, 2014 10a.m. & 3 p.m.

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April 21, 2014 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN

Alison Stacy Chauvette Congratulations on your graduation! We are so proud of you, your accomplishments and the woman you have become. Believe in yourself, your talent and skills, that have brought you to this special day; let these carry you on to your glorious future. Everyone looks up to you and you are a great role model for your family and friends. In a world where you can be anything...be yourself :) We love you, Mom, Dad and David

Brian Patrick Zirbbes You’ve come a long way, Brian! When your plans work out and your dreams come true, ours do too. Wherever you are and whatever you do in the world, we are proud of you and excited for you. Congratulations! Love you, Mom and Dad

Allison,

Allison Supron

Since childhood youve been curious, enthusiastic, and had a zest for life. Your early creativity has developed into your unique and incredible design talent. You have been blessed as one of the fortunate people who have a career doing what they love. Your involvement in Sigma Kappa, success in the GRCC logo competition and internships are a testament to your love for learning. Chase your wildest dreams and spread joy. We know you will do remarkable things! Love you sooo, Dad, Mom, Lorenzo, Marley and The Nut

Christa Nicole Formberg Congratulations Christa! We are so proud of your GVSU Journey-Honors College, Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, Genesis Percussion, Laker Marching Band. God Bless You Always. Love Mom, Dad and Chad

Christian Matthew Jarvis Congratulations Christian!

Andrew Todd Rusnell Congratulations Andrew & Kelly! We’re so proud of all your accomplishments.

Way to go, we are so proud of you. God sent us a beautiful gift when he sent you to us. May you always follow your dreams. Love, Mom and Dad

Love you both, Amy & Todd Rusnell

Christina Weatherly Angela Marie Carollo Angela, You are the Bomb Diggity! We are so proud of you. Thank you for being you, you are our inspiration. Good luck in grad school.

Christina, You’ve chased your dreams hard, now claim the success you earned, take a bow, and stand tall and proud! Your family sure is! Love, Mom, Dad, Steve and Matt

Love all of us

Ashley Hamilton

Christopher Martucci

Ashley,

Congratulations, Chris.

Congratulations on your graduation from GVSU! We’re proud of you! Way to go! Dream big and do great things!

We are very proud of you. Your hard work, dedication and commitment have paid off. The best is yet to come.

Love, Mom, Dad, Jessie, Stephen, Lauren, Alex, Kelly, Antony & Drew

Love, Mom and Dad

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April 21, 2014 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN

Corinn Schodowski

James Zachary Blessman

We’re so proud of you honey! We look forward to watching you enjoy the next stage in life.

Zach, Baby. Follow your dream This Above All, To Thine Own Self Be True.

We love you, Mom, Dad, Keenan, Kayla & Cody

Elizabeth Ann Marriott Congratulations!

Jamie Shaffer Congratulations Jamie!

We are very proud of you. I know Grandma and Grandpa are both watching you and are very proud.

You worked so hard to achieve your goal and we are all so very proud of you.

Love, Dad and Norma

Elizabeth Fredericks Congratulations Elizabeth! We are so proud of you and all you have accomplished in three short years. Your future holds many great things!

Love, Mom, Dad, Angela, Josue and Gregory. Love you!

Jared Douglas Bush Jared, From diapers to diplomas, we have always been proud of you! Congratulations! We Love You!

Love always, Dad, Mom, Jessica and Rachel.

Love, Nicole, Mom and Steve, Derek and Charlie

Holly Louise Malinoski Congratulations Holly! We are so proud of you. Your dedication and hard work have paid off. Now, wherever you go, go with all your heart.

Jathan Lee Koetje Jathan, Still with a smile that melts our hearts! We are very proud of you. Praying God’s blessing and direction for your career and future.

Love, Mom, Dad & Ryan

With much love, Mom and Les, Kelly, Kortnie, and Kandra

Jamele Jordan Hughes Favorite Jamele, When I look back over your life, you have brought me so much joy. Always remember to keep God first, I am so proud of you. I love you, Mom

James Everette Howard III Congratulations Jay! We are so proud of you. Your discipline, determination, and creative spirit is awesome. You are truly a blessing from God. Love, Mom & Dad

Jeannine Rose Borso Dearest Jeannine, Through all the years and all the pain you’ve held your ground and stood the strain. Now at last the end’s in sight! Strong, beautiful woman you won the fight! We are so very proud of you. Congratulations on your outstanding achievement. All our love, Mom, Dad and Meema

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April 21, 2014 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN

Jenna Leigh Fox

Lawrence Dean Julson Jr.

Jenna,

Congratulations,

It seems like yesterday you were off to Kindergarten and already college graduation is here. We are very proud of your accomplishments. Congratulations!

We are so proud of you! All of your hard work and sacrifice has paid off. Looking forward to watching you go after your dreams.

Love, Mom, Dad, Michael & Eric

Much Love, Mom

Kaitlyn Kendall Sorenson Dear Kaitlyn, Five successful years of college have come and gone. You’ve set into place the foundation for a bright future. Congratulations Kaitlyn! All our love, Mom, Dad and Jeremy

Lizzy Balboa & Joe Hogan “It is Jesus who stirs in you the desire to do something great with your lives, the will to follow an ideal, the refusal to allow yourselves to be ground down by mediocrity, the courage to commit yourselves humbly and patiently to improving yourselves and society, making the world more human and more fraternal.” (Bl. John Paul II) Love, Mom and Dad Balboa and Hogan

Kandace Gordon Kandace, We’re proud of the young lady you have become and thank God every day for having a wonderful daughter like you. Congratulations on this monumental accomplishment. Your Biggest Fans

Kelly Carter We’re very proud of you and your success. Your graduation with a doctorate degree in Physical Therapy is a tremendous accomplishment. We wish you the best! Love Mom & Dad

Kent Andrew Blevins Congratulations Kent! We are so proud of you. Follow your dreams. The best is yet to come. Enjoy your Journey. Love, Mom, Dan, Steven, Chelsea and Collin Nigel

Khue Dinh Congratulations, Ronn!

Lyndsay Drew Breckenridge You have made us so proud peanut! Thank you! See where hard work and dedication can take you. There is nothing that you can’t do. Lots of Love, Mom & Dad.

Mary Mattingly Congratulations in achieving your degree. You’ve excelled in both your Journalism & Music majors. We are proud of you! Good luck in your new career! Love, Mom, Dad, Laura & Paul

Meaghan Christina Brown

The last and the best of Dinhgos. May the wind blow only at your back. We’re so proud of you.

Hoping you are proud on this day for your great accomplishment and you see the beautiful woman you’ve become. You’re an inspiration to others.

Love, Mom Dad, Quyen and ‘Cottie.

We love you honey, Mom & Dad

April 21, 2014

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Megan Lucille Versluis

Neal David Beauchamp

Congratulations Megan!

Congratulations, Neal!

We are so proud of you. Wish you the best in your next journey.

“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.”

With all our love, Mom and Dad

~Robert Louis Stevenson

Patrick Anthony Wallace

Melissa and Jenna Plets Melissa and Jenna Plets were destined to reach high places in life at an early age. As they both graduate (Melissa - Masters in Bio-Medical Statistics and Jenna - Bachelors in English) we are extremly proud of who they are and what they have yet to accomplish in life. We are blessed to have 2 healthy, beautiful, caring and brave daughters moving into the next chapter of life. The world is yours! We love you, Mom and Dad

“Wow” Look how much you’ve changed, and what you’ve accomplished! All in just four years. We are all very proud of you, and hope you just keep succeeding. Love you

Peter Daniel McCrary Peter, Through twenty years of schooling, from kindergarten through Graduate school you have made us so proud. Your dedication, fortitude and perseverance were always apparent, but you did it all with kindness to others, a wonderful heart and a beautiful soul. We feel blessed to have you in our family. Your sweet, caring nature will make you a remarkable therapist. May God continue to bless you and all the 2014 Physical Therapy graduates, as you enter your field and better people’s lives! Love, Mom, Dad, Charlie, Nanna &

Melissa Bemis Congratulations, we are very proud of you. Your dedication and hard work has paid off. Love, Mom, Jim, Patrick, Nicholas & Drew

Morgan E. (Leigh) Smith Laker for Life! Congratulations on your BSW, so proud of you. Happy AT hiking starting April 28, 2014. Enjoy every moment as you make lifelong long memories. Love you, Mom, Dad, Garrett, Matthew, Amanda, Justin, Lindsay, Baxter, and Rupert Eugene.

Rachel A. Cutts Congratulations Rachel, We are so proud of your accomplishments. Love, Dad & Mom

Rachel Kopczynski Rachel, We are so proud of you graduating form GVSU this year and all your dedication and hard work you put toward your goal. Continue to work hard and believe in yourself, follow your dreams and you will be successful in everything you do! We love you and will always be there for you! You are one smart woman! Congrats, Mom and Dad

April 21, 2014 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN

Rachel L Sunday So proud of your accomplishments! You have new friends, experiences and memories to last a lifetime. You will be successful whatever your path. All Our Love, Mom & Dad

Shanee Leigh Martin

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Congratulations Shanee, we’re so proud of you! Your dedication, hardwork, creative and adventurous spirit has paid off! We never doubted your silent strengths, independent, go-getter, risk taking, loyal, honest ways; true to God and others! You absorb all knowledge and wisdom possible yet remain true to yourself! You’ve traveled only with God by your side, but we’ve kept you in our prayers! In every garden rain must fall or life’s sweetest flowers wouldn’t bloom at all. You’re that flower, and you’ve bloomed!! Follow your heart!!! Love, Mommie, Sisters & Family

Rachel Maria Najar Rachel, We are so proud of you. You are a very special young lady. Keep your dreams going and reach for the stars. Love, Mom, Dad and Amanda

Rachel Michelle Versluis Your lifelong dream has come true. Your hard work and dedication have been an inspiration to your whole family. We are so proud of you and love you. Your success is our success.

Tendo Lukwago Tendo you have accomplished a lot! You have set school records in Track. You have been a student leader and held the office of Senate Vice President. You have also made the Dean’s list for your academic achievements. We encourage you to continue rising to every challenge and to take advantage of everything that you have learned. We are very proud of you and wish your ever success. May God Bless you. Juliet, Moses, Kirabo & Sanyu Lukwago

Love, Grandma and Grandpa

Russel Anthony Cerda Congratulations Russel! We are very proud of you. Always believe in yourself and follow your dreams. Love, Mom & Todd, Siara, Nathian, Arron and Adam

Timothy Alan Layer You did it! Now it’s time to celebrate! Accept every challenge with the positive, energetic attitude you have always shown the last 4 years! We are so proud of you!

Ryan J. Malinoski Congratulations Ryan! We are so proud of you. Your dedication and hard work have paid off, now follow your dreams! Love, Dad, Mom and Holly

Sarah Ann Wojnicki Congratulations Sarah, All your efforts are now being rewarded. We are all so proud of your accomplishments earning a Masters Degree. As you transition to this new phase of your life, know you’ve prepared well. I am looking forward to this next phase with great anticipation, because I know Sarah you are a difference maker. We all Love you.

Zachary Ryan Hartzell Zachary, How proud we are of you. We have truly been blessed to have you as our son. Congratulations! YOU DID IT!!! Love, Mom, Dad, Ryan, Jenna and Abbey

April 21, 2014

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Lanthorn graduates G R A N D VA L L EY

T H E S T U D E N T- R U N N E W S PA P E R S AT G R A N D V A L L E Y. W W W. L A N T H O R N . CO M

Allison Supron Layout Editor - 1 year Allison,

Joe Hogan Columnist- 1 year

Joe. Joe Ho. Job.

Sixty-some issues later, and we’re still kicking. Thanks for being a trooper on our unbearably long sports days and for putting up with all of us news dorks. The office will definitely miss your eclectic Pandora list, but even more so your sassy humor. #AddictToTightEnds

I’m so glad I convinced you to join me at the paper. Your ideas are too pure for Riggins and me to be the only audience, and I know our community is better for having peeked into your brain. Can’t wait to see what you do with your rhetorical prowess on a grander scale. These next 80 years are gonna be fun. #JULY19YEEHAW

Love, The Lanthorn

Love, Lizzy

Ashton “Ashtoni” Huzarski Account Executive - 1 year Huzarski,

You finally learned to use your diaphragm, and now we can hear you loud and clear. Marissa Winter loud and clear. We can’t wait for you to truly start following your dreams and run the jetski company you’ve always dreamed about. Or continue building forts. You KILLED IT. DONE. #OnlyTime Love, The Lanthorn

Claire Fodell Assistant News Editor - 1 years Claire, You picked up a lot of our slack this semester and took on last-minute stories without a gripe. Eternally grateful. And way to bridge that Student Senate – Lanthorn gap! You’re a real hero in our book. #ByeClaireBear Love, The Lanthorn

Emily Hahn Graphic Designer - 1 year Emily,

You are one-of-a-kind. You laugh at everyone’s jokes, even when they’re not funny. You work on a computer, even though you are amazing at drawing. You even stick around on deadline day to help us when you have no idea what is going on. And you’re always happy, which makes us very happy. #WayToBeAwesome. Love, The Lanthorn

Nate Kalinowski Photographer - 1 year Nate,

I cannot even describe how appreciative I am for you filling in last minute who knows how many times this semester due to my airhead organizing and forgetfulness. It really seems like there was nothing you couldn’t handle. Best of luck in dental school, but don’t work TOO hard; we’re all rooting for you back here! Thanks for a great year. #ShowFloridaWhatYou’reMadeOf Love, Hannah

Gioia Johnson Business Associate - 0.5 years Gigi,

Mary Mattingly A&E Editor - 1.5 years (1 as editor) Mary, Mary, quite contrary. Actually contrary of contrary, you’ve been a real joy of an associate. We’re glad that you chose to endure the dreaded LakerLife editorship to eventually take on A&E, which you handled like a boss. The office will surely be duller without your craziness (and our funds will surely be fuller without your pizza craze). #MaryPutTheMealCardDown Love, The Lanthorn

Nikki Fisher Columnist- 1 year Nikki,

If you don’t apply to The Onion, it’s a real crime. For the good of the community, don’t withhold your wit and wisdom. Seriously. You’re that good, and it’s going to be painful to lose you. #ThatsOurGirl Love, The Lanthorn

Peter Chhum Staff Writer - 0.5 years

Peter (or, as some of us like to call you, Chhum Bucket), WHY DID YOU WAIT SO LONG TO APPLY? We could’ve used your news prowess the last four years. What a waste. So…wanna stay on? But really, we know that wherever you end up, you’ll be a real asset. #ChhumBucket4Lyfe Love, The Lanthorn

Laine Girard Photographer - 1 year Laine, Your spunkiness and overall go-getter attitude will be greatly missed next semester. I’m going to miss your cute little notes dotting my desk, but I’m sure they’ll serve much better (possibly) on Adam Bird’s desk. Thanks for being such a sweetheart this year. #GoGetEmGirl! Love, Hannah

Jeff Jeff Jeff Jeff Jeff Promotions Manager - 1.5 years Hey there Yooper,

You are wonderful. Huggable. Lovable. And you make awesome koolaid pie. And you blast Disney music. All the time. You make really cool home-made-TargetBrand sweaters. And we’re working on that movie list! #SWAGSweaters

Is there anything you don’t do? Is there anybody you don’t know? You are the human version of Facebook, but with better style and dancing skills. With that being said, never stop being Jeffalicious. #LetsHaveAKiwi

Love, The Lanthorn

Love, The Lanthorn

April 21, 2014 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN

You will be missed! Robert Matthews Photo Editor/Photographer - 3 years

Robert. Bert. Bob. Bobby. Rob. It’s been quite the year! I’m honored you handed down the photo editor reigns to me this semester, with your high expectations and standards I’m surprised you trusted anyone but yourself in the position. Though I don’t think I’ll ever live up to your legacy of amazing sports photos, I totally have you beat in everything else. You’ve put in too many hours with the Lanthorn to not be greatly missed, and you definitely will be. As much as I’d like to keep you on staff forever, that would be selfish; you left your mark here, now go show everyone else how wonderful and talented you are. #StayingPositive #Only545MilesToManassas With Love, Hannah

Angela Carollo Advertising Manager - 3 years

Angela, Your collection of ugly (and we mean UGLY) Christmas sweaters (that you wear year-round) were blinding and offensive to anyone with a sense of style. Nevertheless, we’ll miss you. The office will never be the same without you here. Know that we love you and you’ll rock CM Life, and if an advertsing career doesn’t pan out, you can always serve Pickleback shots for a living and eat BAGels. #LetsTakeAPickleBackShot Love, The Lanthorn

Best Friends Forever

Lizzy Balboa Editor-in-Chief- 3.5 years

Michelle L. Guinyard Business Manager - 1 year

Lizzy,

Michelle,

Why do you always answer the phone like that? Yes, I’m calling you from across the office. It’s the printer again, we have another problem. When are we getting ice cream? Look, I made you something (hands over skull with “Lizzy” written on it). Can we be friends? But for real, I’m really going to miss you. And even though you hate me, I think deep down (like...way deep down) you will actually miss me too. Especially because you’re going places and those places will have crazy people, but you’re used to that by now. #YouGotYourBalls

This girl means business (da-do-do-ch). You can paint nails like it’s nobody’s business (okay, enough of that now). You have a lovely singing voice and a hilarious laugh. I can’t believe you fell asleep in Kirkhof. Katie says you’re fired and that you should learn to love country music. #GetOutOfMySeat

Love, Lanthorn (and extra love from Angela)

Love, The Lanthorn

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The Lanthorn would like to thank all of our sponsors

www.beachshacktanning.com 616-662-1956

gvsu.edu/bus @GVSUbus