The Valley Vanguard (Vol. 51, No. 19)

Monday, February 25, 2019

Inside A8

Inside A5

Inside A6

Move-a-Thon raises money for Amber Gillespie.

Theatre department presents first winter production.

Men’s basketball wins with last-minute shot.

Saginaw Valley State University’s student newspaper since 1967

Vol. 51 No. 19

Summer job fair a success despite rescheduling

Coach Pewinski resigned after being cleared of alleged Title IX violation

Micali Gadola

er women’s basketball player told investigators “she was concerned Vanguard Editor-in-Chief that she may have been removed from practice and several games in ow-former women’s basretaliation for disclosing concerns ketball coach Jamie Pewabout the relationship,” the report inski was the subject of a stated.

Title IX investigation into whether The player in question sent a or not she had a “romantic relamen’s basketball player a text mestionship” with a student, accordsage on Oct. 20 stating “Pewinski ing to university documents. was dating a player on the team,” Pewinski resigned on Nov. 14, the report stated. It also stated that two games into the 2018-19 seathe player who raised concerns son. In an email the day before to about retaliation against her had SVSU Athletic Director John Deckconfessed her feelings to the men’s er, she cited a lack of support and basketball player, “at which point guidance from administration as the male player told her that he reasons she would not take Decker was interested” in the player referup on an offer to return to the team enced as havafter the invesing an alleged tigation, which re l a t i o n s h i p cleared her of with Pewinsany Title IX viki. olations.

The report The report stated evidetailing the dence indicatinvestigation, ed the womobtained by en’s player The Valley who sent the Va n g u a r d , text “made the stated that on statements to Oct. 21, 2018, explain to the SVSU “bemale playcame aware of er why she concerns” that thought (the Pewinski “may player alleged have engaged to have been in a romantic romantically or sexual relainvolved with tionship with Pewinski) an SVSU stuwould not be dent who was interested in also a member him, and not of the womto indicate she en’s basketball felt either part team.” was engaging Subsequent concerns were Former women’s0 basketball coach Jamie Pewinski resigned, citing a in a Policy vibrought forth lack of support following a Title IX investigation. Vanguard Photo | Kyle Will olation.”

The report that then-asdetermined Trevithick “did not eninterviewed, the report stated. Witsistant coach and now-interim gage in prohibited retaliation and nesses said consistently that they head coach Ryan Trevithick had did not violate the Policy.” had no concerns about a roman“engaged in retaliation against the Both Pewinski and Trevithick tic relationship between Pewinski women’s basketball team member were determined not to have viand a player, the report stated. who disclosed the concerns about olated Title IX through the preThe report stated it was “clear” Coach Pewinski by suspending ponderance of evidence standard, that the concerns about a potenthat player from certain team acaccording to Human Resources Ditial relationship between Pewinski tivities,” the report stated. rector Ellen Crane. and a player “were based on favorBoth allegations would have The standard requires “the initism-type treatment” and “not on constituted violations of Title IX, formation supporting a finding of any actual romantic or sexual bewhich is a federal law mandatresponsibility be more convincing havior that was observed.” ing that no one be discriminated than the information in opposition The report determined Pewinski against in the education system on to it,” the report stated. “did not engage in prohibited sexthe basis of sex, sexual orientation It also states that, in the case that ual misconduct and did not violate or gender identity. the Policy.”

The investigation into Pewinski See PEWINSKI, A2 During the investigation, anothwas conducted by an outside ven-

Vanguard Reporter

On Wednesday, Feb. 20, the Career Services Summer Job and Internship Fair took place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the second-floor banquet rooms in Curtiss Hall.

The fair was rescheduled two times due to poor weather conditions.

To accommodate the changing dates, Bill Stec, the interim director of Career Services, and his team coordinated with employers, designed and printed new marketing materials and communicated with all parties involved including Dining Services and the Conference Center.

While it was not an easy process, there were some benefits in the end.

“The positive to this was we were able to get some new companies to attend, as the new date favored their availability,” Stec said.

This year’s event was sponsored

by Bavarian Inn Restaurant & Lodge, Independent Bank, Morley Companies, Rocket Mortgage by Quicken Loans, Saginaw Bay Underwriters and Walmart. Over 100 companies from various industries were in attendance.

Rachel Daley, an occupational therapy sophomore, came to the fair hoping to make new connections.

“I thought (coming to the job fair) would be a good way to explore new opportunities and network with people who could be helpful to me in the future,” she said.

For Stec, introducing students to employers with whom they could secure jobs and internships was the best part of the fair.

“It is a great feeling when students look up to you and you are able to make a difference in their career endeavors,” he said.

For exercise science sophomore Hannah Balbaugh, the fair provided an opportunity to pursue her career interests.

“I’m glad I came to the event (Wednesday),” Balbaugh said. “It felt like an accomplishment and a smart step to take towards my professional future.”

Career Services will also be hosting the Spring University-Wide Employment Fair on Friday, March 29, from noon to 3 p.m.

dor, according to J.J. Boehm, the director of media and community relations.

Concerns of a relationship between Pewinski and a women’s basketball player were raised because of “favoritism behavior” the player received from Pewinski, the amount of time the player and Pewinski spent together and the “affectionate things” they said to each other in text messages, including “I love you,” the report stated.

During the investigation, the entire women’s basketball team, Pewinski and assistant coaches Luke Lloyd and Trevithick were

Kaitlyn Farley

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Students, Bachand talk snow days, longer semester Hannah Beach Vanguard A&E Editor

Students got the opportunity to ask President Don Bachand questions at the President’s Forum held in the Unity Room at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 20.

Bachand began the forum by asking students how they felt about having a full week of classes.

This led to several students voicing concerns over the school year being extended.

Bachand had no easy answer.

“The situation is very complicated,” he said. “It takes time to figure out where people are in their classes. There are a lot of moving parts to consider.”

Students wondered if the class time missed would have to be made up over spring break or during exam week.

Bachand admitted that even if exams were to be pushed back, it would not affect the spring semester or graduation ceremonies.

“It’s not uncommon for students walking in May to still have spring and summer classes,” said J.J. Boehm, the director of Media and Community Relations.

It was also discussed how class time would have to be considered on a course-by-course basis.

“There are hundreds of conversations going on to make sure everyone gets done what they need to get done,” Bachand said. “There isn’t one single solution that will work for everyone.”

Conversation next went to the havoc the cold weather wreaked on the Campus Facilities, specifically burst pipes and icy sidewalks.

“If there are spots that are bad, call campus facilities,” Boehm said. “We’ll work to adjust the schedule to try to get to it as soon as possible.”

Bachand assured students that logs are kept so Campus Facilities knows where the problem areas are. He said the covered golf carts often seen around campus are making rounds to spot-check such areas.

Students also voiced concerns about the state of the residential parking lots. They said that after heavy snowfalls, the plows pile up snow behind residents’ cars, making it difficult to get in and out of

See FORUM A2

OBU hosts Hustle Party for Black History Month Sierra Masson Vanguard Reporter

The Organization of Black Unity (OBU) hosted their first Hustle Party on Tuesday, Feb. 19, from 10 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. in the Student Life Center.

Indigo Dudley, a music and communication senior, saw the event as a way to bring everyone together.

“We wanted to do something for Black History Month,” Dudley said. “Being able to combine everything with the culture jams week and collaborating with the Latino Awareness Association and African Students Union was really beneficial. This event is a fun way to bring everyone together and show our culture with midterm season closing in.”

Dudley hopes that the Hustle

Party will soon be an annual party that gets people excited during Black History Month.

“We are considering what people like and don’t like, as well as attendance,” she said. “We are trying to make something like this last so people will say, ‘Oh, it’s February, OBU hosts Hustle Night around this time.”

Tayler Williams, a business fifthyear, enjoyed attending the party with her friends.

“Seeing everyone dancing and laughing together was my favorite part,” Williams said.

Williams expressed her desire for increased OBU awareness in order to get more people to come out and participate.

“It’s a nice event,” she said.

“Having more people come out is all I would change.”

Henrietta Nwokeabia, a

Send news tips and press releases to: Email: vanguard@svsu.edu Call: (989) 964-4482

pre-nursing sophomore, helped host the event and attended the party to show her support.

“I’m part of the African Students Union, and we decided to do this event with OBU, so I came to support my fellow organizations,” she said.

Nwokeabia’s favorite part was the dancing, and she wishes for more events like the Hustle Party.

“I wish events like this would happen more frequently because, as an international student, we only get to dance once in a while,” she said.

Dudley hopes by collaborating with other organizations, there will be more programs like the previous African Dance Party and the Hustle Party in the future.

“One of the goals we had was to reach out to other organizations and collaborate more with them,”

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Indigo Dudley (right) dances with attendees during the Hustle Party on Feb. 19 in the Student Life Center. Vanguard Photo | Jolie Wyse

Dudley said. “With more changes like this, we will have more events like this in the future. This was

one of our most successful collaborations yet, and I am looking forward to culture fest.”

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News

Page A2 | Monday, February 25, 2019 | thevalleyvanguard.com | The Valley Vanguard

POLICE BRIEFS

PEWINSKI, continued from A1

Police briefs are written according to reports from University Police. They indicate preliminary descriptions of events and not necessarily actual incidents.

Suspicious situation At 7:15 p.m. on Feb. 17, a 20-year-old female student reported she found a parking citation envelope and a Meijer receipt on the windshield of her vehicle parked in K-Lot. She reported the incident because of previously seeing that this was a way to abduct Students participate in turbo kick class to raise money for Gillespie. Vanguard Photo | Kyle Will people for human trafficking and wanted campus officials to be aware.

Move-a-Thon raises money for car crash survivor

At 3 a.m. on Feb. 17, a 20-year-old female student called to report a possible attempted abduction. She said she was at a party in Campus Village and drove back to campus to drop off her friends near Living Center Southwest.

While standing outside of her car, a male came toward her and told her to come with him back to the party. She got back in the car and drove to J-3 Lot to park and go to her dorm. He followed her there as well and approached again.

Another male in the parking lot told him to back off and said she was with him. He then got back into the passenger side of a dark colored Tahoe and left. The student said if that male was not around, she believes she could have been taken.

Kaitlyn Farley

S

Vanguard Editor-in-Chief

VSU’s Health and Wellness hosted a Move-a-Thon fundraiser for Amber Gillespie on Friday, Feb. 22, in the Ryder Center from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Gillespie is a 23-year-old who was injured in a crash while driving to SVSU to take a final exam on Friday, Dec. 14, about 7 a.m. She collided head-on with a truck, according to a GoFundMe page set up by Gillespie’s family.

The jaws of life were used to extract Gillespie from the vehicle, and “her entire left side was broken,” the GoFundMe page states. She suffered from internal bleeding, liver damage and several broken bones, and the family was told that she also suffered from a head injury.

She had five surgeries in three days after the incident, according to Haley McVannel, an exercise science sophomore and friend of Gillespie.

Gillespie’s condition is improving, according to McVannel.

“At first, (Gillespie) wasn’t responding to anyone,” she said. “Then, she started responding to her family. Now, she is doing well and responding to everyone.”

McVannel organized the Move-a-Thon

through her role as a Health and Wellness coordinator and intern.

The event was created to help fund Gillespie’s expenses for the next few years.

At the event, six classes were offered. The day started with an 11 a.m. boot camp, followed by HIIT/Interval, cycling, guts and glutes, turbo kick and PiYo. Anyone was welcome to take the classes.

They were simply asked to have donated to Gillespie’s GoFundMe page, AmberStrong, before attending.

“I wanted to create an event to get people moving and raise awareness and money for Amber,” McVannel said.

The GoFundMe page’s goal amount is $20,000. As of Sunday, Feb. 24, it has $18,450.

“The money will cover insurance and transportation,” McVannel said. “This will allow her to focus on getting better and on her schooling.”

Kinesiology staff helped organize and fund the classes, she said. The fitness staff helped with the event by volunteering their time and running the programs offered.

McVannel was pleased with the event turnout and with the classes offered through their volunteer teachers, but she is not looking to host more fundraisers at this time.

Taste of Soul brings new flavor to Marketplace Marq Williams Vanguard Reporter

SVSU hosted its annual Taste of Soul event on Wednesday, Feb. 20, in the Marketplace.

The event was part of SVSU’s Black History Month events.

Students and members of the community were invited to attend, eat soul food and watch live music performances.

Mamie Thorns, the chief diversity officer and the special assistant to the president for Diversity Programs, was pleased with the turnout for this year’s event.

“We emphasized expanding the celebration to the entire Saginaw community this year,” Thorns said.

Several community members were invited to the event this year.

“The Men of Bethel from the Bethel AME Church in Saginaw also came and prepared all of the food for us as well,” Thorns said. “We were very thankful.”

The Men of Bethel prepared fried fish, chicken, mac and cheese, gumbo and baked beans.

For dessert, there was cake, sweet potato pie and Thorns’ homemade pecan delights.

Several students and members of the outside community attended.

Several alumni also came back to celebrate.

Alumnus George Copland said he returns every year to enjoy the wide variety of food offered at Taste of Soul.

He also liked to engage with the on-campus community.

“This has always been my favorite school event of the year,” Copland said.

“The fried ribs were my favorite food, and Dr. Thorns’ homemade treats were my favorite desserts.”

Additional upcoming Black History Month events at SVSU include guest speaker Areva Martin on Tuesday, Feb. 26, and Organization of Black Unity’s Black at SVSU event on Wednesday, Feb. 27.

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110A Curtiss Hall

“the weight of evidence suggesting a violation is equal to or less than the weight of evidence suggesting no violation occurred, the determination will be that no violation occurred.”

“From my experience, it’s the more-standard level of review that’s assigned,” Crane said.

“There’s standards that go up to guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, so this is a far-lower standard. I think this is the standard for most universities. … That’s the standard we put into our policy and use in any investigation.”

Pewinski indicated in the email to Decker, which the Vanguard obtained through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), that she was concerned with administrators’ lack of support following the investigation’s closure.

She cited a “hostile work environment” with an “administration that still does not give the impression to me or anyone else that I am innocent of charges, even though I have been verbally cleared through the Title IX investigation,” the email stated.

She also felt there was a lack of “future pledge of support if one or more players decides to bring forth another unfounded retaliation claim down the road for any perceived slight that may arise during the season,” the email stated.

Pewinski also wrote she did not want to return to the team because, she wrote, the administration “has said to me my accuser was correct in her allegation in implying that I had a romantic relationship with a player, when documentary and other evidence plainly establish that no such thing occurred and I have been verbally cleared through the Title IX investigation.”

Crane said she could not comment on Pewinski’s statements.

“She wrote it, so we can’t speculate on what she was thinking when she wrote it,” Crane said.

Boehm said, “We have her characterization of how she interpreted the situation,” but he offered no further commentary.

Pewinski’s email also stated the administration “has given me no guidance and no evaluation, but continues to say they are concerned with the direction of the program.”

According to Pewinski’s evaluations, which the Vanguard also obtained through FOIA, she was last evaluated by former Athletic Director Mike Watson on June 4, 2015. He did not reference concerns with women’s basketball.

Crane said SVSU’s departmental procedures process “calls for annual evaluations, and they have a follow-up roughly six months after that evaluation.

“Sometimes, supervisors don’t complete that process, or they have a verbal conversation that they don’t document,” Crane said.

When asked about Pewinski’s concerns about not being evaluated, Decker said, “We follow our departmental procedures.”

He did not elaborate or comment further on Pewinski’s concerns.

Pewinski’s email also mentions that SVSU’s women’s basketball program was the “one program that is not involved in the NCAA investigation into compliance violations.” The NCAA released a report on Feb. 7 stating that SVSU had 137 “record-keeping violations involving multiple sports and spanning several years.”

Decker said “(Pewinski’s) report is inaccurate” and would not comment further on why or how it was inaccurate.

“That may have been Coach Pewinski’s understanding at the time,” Boehm said. “There has been additional fact-finding since, and there will be more to come, as we work with the NCAA during the 45-day window that has been established. Until the next round of review is complete, we cannot confirm which programs are affected.”

Pewinski ended her email writing that she wanted an “amicable break” from SVSU. Decker and other administrators said they thought that was achieved.

“I took her at her word that she wanted an amicable split and treated her in a way that I thought was amicable,” Crane said. “I tried to respect her and her decisions and achieve what she requested.”

FORUM, continued from A1 parking spots.

Students were also curious about the university’s policies for delays.

“If we know a storm is coming, the conversation starts the night before,” Bachand said. “We then make another judgment in the morning, if necessary.”

Bachand talked about how delays and closings are taken very seriously.

“We can’t open if the parking lots and sidewalks can’t be cleared,” he said. “It comes down to getting students here safe. … We talk to other schools and the regional road commissions before making decisions.”

Bachand and students then discussed the differences in traffic abroad, leading to a thinly veiled reference to the presumed road rage incident at Pierce and Bay roads on Sunday, Feb. 17.

The forum concluded with a discussion about Friday’s Cardinal Ball.

News Editor Taylor Stockton | E-mail tmstockt@svsu.edu | Office (989) 964-4482 | Twitter @VVanguardNews

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The Valley Vanguard | thevalleyvanguard.com | Monday, February 25, 2019 | Page A3

Students dance the night away at ball Hannah Beach Vanguard A&E Editor

Interior and exterior renovations to central Pine Grove will begin at the end of the semester. Vanguard Photo | Kyle Will

Major renovations set for Pine Grove central apartments Shelby Mott

P

Vanguard Reporter

ine Grove central apartments will be undergoing major renovations totaling approximately $1.8 million once the winter semester ends. The project is expected to be completed by early August in time for the fall semester.

While the apartments have received maintenance, they have not undergone a renovation of this capacity.

“The Pine Grove Central housing complex was constructed in 1986,” said Jim Muladore, the executive vice president for Administration and Business Affairs.

“Although the complex has received routine maintenance, new roofing and various other updates throughout its existence, at 33 years of age, it is time for a major renovation.”

The goal of the project is to keep the living areas up to date.

“All of SVSU’s facilities, including student housing, are highly maintained,” Muladore said. “Our strategy has been and will continue to emphasize the commitment of adequate resources to prevent any significant backlog of deferred maintenance on our campus. We believe this approach is less costly to SVSU in the long run. Additionally, maintaining state-of-the-art facilities is a major point of emphasis in the University’s strategic plan.”

According to Muladore, it is important to the University that students have the best

living environment possible.

“The University is committed to providing its residential students well-designed, functional, safe and affordable housing,” he said.

A benefit of the commitment is that SVSU can continue to be highly ranked for its housing.

“Projects of this scope are one element which contributes to maintaining the recognition SVSU has received for its 2019 Best Dorms ranking,” Muladore said.

The project will be funded through Auxiliary reserves.

“The renovations are funded from Auxiliary System capital and deferred maintenance reserves,” Muladore said.

“The Auxiliary System comprises activities that are self-supporting, such as Student Housing, Campus Dining, the bookstore and Conferencing.”

According to Dawn Iseler, the director of Auxiliary Operations, there will be two bedrooms in the apartments both capable of fitting two beds.

“Rooms will be configured using the shared bedroom model, two bedrooms with four people,” Iseler said. “However, the capacity of the rooms fluctuates with demand for housing each academic year. In recent years, we have been able to rent some of the units as two-person single bedroom units.”

The renovations will take place on the interiors and exteriors of the apartments.

“On the interior, we are refreshing a great deal of the space, including hard flooring in the common areas, carpeting in bedrooms, painting, removing built-in features and installing modular furniture in bedrooms, … LED lighting, soft seating, … and other minor improvements,” Iseler said. “On the exterior, new siding, balconies, LED lighting and stairwells will be addressed. Other items within heating/cooling systems will be evaluated, such as water heaters, furnaces and air conditioning for replacement as needed.”

According to Iseler, it is important for SVSU to maintain housing because it helps attract students.

“Living on campus is a choice; however, residents continue to desire the convenience, community and college experience of living close to resources,” she said. “….

By continually investing back into the facilities and services offered, living on campus continues to be a popular option and reinforces the vision of Auxiliary Operations.”

Having students live on campus benefits not only SVSU but also the students themselves.

“By offering state-of-the-art facilities and providing first-class service, we attract residents, new and returners, who benefit from the residential experience that supports their collegiate success on campus,” Iseler said.

Student Association hosted the fourth annual Cardinal Ball on Friday, Feb 22, at 8 p.m. at the Golden Glow Ballroom.

Caitlin Coulter, the president of Student Association, noted there were several changes to the event this year.

They hired a student DJ who was willing to take song requests, which was a popular complaint from previous years.

The menu was also changed this year to include chicken tenders to please more students.

Coulter also said registration was sped up this year by both selling tickets earlier and registering students by a ticket number rather than a last name.

“We’ve spent the last month selling tickets,” Coulter said. “It was hectic trying to get volunteers for table sits, but all the hassle was definitely worth it.”

Over 390 tickets were sold, an increase from last year.

Coulter wanted the ball to be more than just another college party.

“It’s an opportunity to socialize,” she said. “It gives students a formal setting to hang out in, which most don’t get if they aren’t part of a sorority or fraternity.”

Kayla Pia, a biochemistry freshman, was also happy to get a chance to socialize.

“I enjoyed dancing and hanging out with my friends,” Pia said. “It was nice to get dressed up and go out.”

Dani Toth, a psychology sophomore, also appreciated the event.

“I thought that it was fun because you get to spend time with friends and you get to see so many familiar faces,” Toth said. “It was nice that they had snacks and drinks, as well as fun activities like the photo booth.”

Despite the slight alteration to the music, many students were still not satisfied with the variety.

“The music was nice, but I wish that the genres were mixed together and not as segregated,” Toth said. “The first two hours was all dance music, then classic rock songs and slow songs at the very end. It would’ve been nice to have a variety throughout the night.”

BOC honors Survey gauges police officer engagement

Kaitlyn Farley Vanguard Editor-in-Chief

The Valley Vanguard

110A Curtiss Hall

Kaitlyn Farley

Kaitlyn Farley

Vanguard Editor-in-Chief

Vanguard Editor-in-Chief

The SVSU Board of Control met on Monday, Feb. 18, at 1:30 p.m.

A number of items were on the agenda, including honoring the February staff member of the month, Ryan Persails.

Persails, an SVSU police officer, was the first on the scene on Tuesday, Jan. 22, after Saginaw Township Police Officer Jeff Koenig was shot. Koenig pulled over a car for not having its lights on near Tittabawassee Road and Bay Road about 2:15 a.m. The suspect shot Koenig in the face and right arm.

Persails responded to Koenig’s distress call and helped give life-saving first aid with two other Saginaw Township officers as they drove him to the hospital.

Persails’ wife and children, as well as several student University Police workers, came to the meeting to show their support.

SVSU Police Chief Leo Mioduszewski gave him an accommodation.

“His quick thinking, as well as the two Saginaw Township officers’ actions, most likely saved Officer Koenig’s life,” Mioduszewski said.

SVSU President Don Bachand shared his appreciation for SVSU police officers.

“We’ve got an outstanding police department here at SVSU,” he said. “They do a spectacular job on our campus and the surrounding community.”

Bachand said it was an honor to name Persails the staff member of the month.

“If you can imagine what it takes to deal with the situation that (Persails was part of) and all the details associated with it, and take the action that he did spur of the moment, it’s an unbelievable tactful, professional response to an extremely chaotic situation,” he said.

Persails said he was doing his job.

“I think that any police officer in the whole county would have done the same thing that we did,” Persails said.

The Board also honored January’s staff member of the month, Andy Sharrow, an event and theatre technology specialist.

Sharrow was responsible for the technology at commencements and the MLK ceremony with Valerie Jarrett.

SVSU will complete its third National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE).

NSSE is a nation wide standardized survey of student engagement and experience. It takes about 15 minutes to complete online. All freshmen and seniors are invited to take it.

“NSSE is a survey that evaluates and assesses a variety of a student’s engagement experience on campus,” said Josh Ode, the associate vice president of Academic Affairs.

Nicholas Wagner, the director of Institutional Research, said NSSE measures two critical features of collegiate quality.

“It’s looking at the amount of time and effort that students are putting into their studies,” he said. “The second thing it measures is how the institution deploys its resources and organizes learning opportunities to get students to participate in. Decades of research shows it’s linked to student learning.”

The survey breaks down questions into five categories: participation in educationally purposeful activities, institutional requirements and the challenging nature of coursework, perceptions of the college environment, estimates of educational and personal growth since starting college and background and demographic information.

With the survey results, SVSU can benchmark itself against other institutions.

“We have some ability to decide who we’re going to compare ourselves to,” Ode said. “We will compare ourselves nationally to everyone who has taken the survey. We will compare ourselves to other institutions like ours.”

In the past, SVSU has made improvements based on the survey.

They created additional events for the Center of Community Engagement, such as the Cards Vote initiative.

“We also use the data to showcase some of the things we are doing well, and we market that to students and folks,” Ode said. “I think it’s what makes us unique as an institution.”

News Editor Taylor Stockton | E-mail tmstockt@svsu.edu | Office (989) 964-4482 | Twitter @VVanguardNews

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Opinion

Page A4 | Monday, February 25, 2019 | thevalleyvanguard.com | The Valley Vanguard

Criticize their policies, not their appearance or personal life Maria Ranger Reporter Creative Writing mcranger@svsu.edu

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a 29-year-old Congresswoman from New York, has faced all sorts of backlash since her congressional campaign.

Much of it hasn’t even been related to her ideology.

Instead, they have been thinly veiled racist and sexist jabs at her for being a young woman in politics.

I’ve seen countless memes on social media making jabs at her where the punchline is basically, “AOC is a millennial, and millennials are dumb and eat Tide Pods.”

That’s ridiculous.

You can’t judge one person based off of an entire generation.

On top of that, the whole Tide Pod thing

was blown way out of a proportion. A few idiotic middle and high school kids (who are technically Generation Z) ate them, and suddenly everyone assumed it was an epidemic.

In January, a video went viral from 2010, when Ocasio-Cortez was in college.

It showed her participating in a popular trend where people would dance in the style of characters from popular John Hughes movies to the song “Lisztomania”

by Phoenix.

People seemed very critical of it, as if it somehow painted her in a bad light, but it was simply a video of a college student dancing and being happy.

I don’t really see the problem with that.

Ocasio-Cortez spoke about how she wasn’t sure how she could afford living in D.C. until she started receiving her Congress salary, as she’d have to live roughly three months without a paycheck and instead lived off her savings from her previous job as a bartender.

For many young people entering the job market, this is a common reality, and

nothing to be ashamed of. Housing is expensive, many of us have student loans and it can be hard to find a job in your degree field.

There’s nothing to be ashamed of there, It’s just part of being a young adult.

She was also criticized for wearing nice clothes, being told they didn’t look like something that someone who claimed to be lower-income could afford.

However, you can find name-brand and high-end clothing cheap at thrift stores, vintage stores and stores like TJ Maxx and Marshall’s.

Additionally, what would they say if she hadn’t worn nice clothes? That she looked poor or cheap? It seems like you can’t win there.

There’s also the democratic socialism factor.

Ocasio-Cortez is a self-proclaimed democratic socialist, with views similar to those of Bernie Sanders.

While many attacked Sanders for his views, it seems that even more are coming after Ocasio-Cortez.

I’m not sure if it’s because America has gotten more conservative the last few years, or if she gets more criticism because she is a woman and Hispanic.

Critiquing someone’s policy is much more valid than going after them for their age or for a video of them dancing in college.

But it seems like so many people don’t understand her policies.

Billionaires are not your friend.

The fact that someone can hoard that amount of wealth, especially when there are people starving to death, people without clean water and people dying because they can’t afford healthcare, is proof that our economic structure is both a failure and morally wrong.

If you want to critique a politician or public figure, then go ahead, by all means.

However, make sure that you’re criticizing them for the right reasons and that you understand their policies.

Don’t criticize them just because you’re angry and because you misinterpreted a buzzword.

Celebrities should be held accountable like the rest of us Abby Welsh Reporter Professional and Technical Writing acwelsh@svsu.edu Rapper 6ix9ine is all over the news, trending on Twitter, being turned into memes and getting a lot of attention shone on his plea deal for nine felonies.

He was supposed to serve a minimum of 47 years but is looking at a much, much shorter sentence.

This seems to happen a lot in the media: a celeb is facing jail or prison time, ends up going for a short while, only to resurface on platforms once again.

It sort of places them above the law – and under the rule of law, everyone is supposed to be equal.

Motley Crue singer Vince Neil drunkenly crashed into a car and left two victims with brain damage. He only served 30 days in jail.

Actor Matthew Broderick collided headon with a vehicle and killed a mother and

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daughter. His sentence went from five years in prison to a $175 fine.

Lindsay Lohan went to jail for an expected 90 days for violating probation terms. She got out after 14 days and got to order special foods as well as have special visiting hours within those days.

Celebrities, especially big-name celebrities, are almost treated like gods because of how much power and influence they have.

The theory? If you have a large sum of cash, you can get out of almost anything.

This is kind of skewed in the sense that everyone below them has to serve appropriate amounts of jail time for the same crimes they commit.

I’m sure fans play a big part in this, too.

Fans can be crazy sometimes.

From trending the hashtag “Free ‘Insert Name Here’” to protesting literally outside the trials, they have to have some influence on what the end result is.

The reason? Money.

Fans make celebs money, which in turn makes their whole team money, and then everyone is happy.

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So, let’s keep that celeb out of jail to generate more money.

Celebrities also have a huge amount of prejudice on their side.

Primped and posh Paris Hilton could never purposefully carry cocaine on her, drive under the influence or leave the scene of an accident twice. She has too many fans; she could never set that example. Right?

These celebrities know exactly what they’re doing, and they know exactly how to get out of these incidents scot-free – expensive lawyers, multiple deals floating around and coins in someone’s pocket.

This raises the question: why even follow laws? They’re obviously not meant for everyone, so why do we, normal people, have to abide by them? Laws must be pointless.

These examples create horrible perspectives.

Look, I’m sure if my favorite celebrity got some jail time, I’d be pretty shocked.

But it’s a basic understanding of how the law works. If they got out earlier than expected and had a charge hanging over

Publishing The Vanguard is published by the students of Saginaw Valley State University weekly in the fall and winter semesters, with one issue published in the summer. Our office is located in Curtiss 110A on the campus of SVSU, at 7400 Bay Road, University Center, MI, 48710.

their head, it’d be a little less comforting to know they got away with so much.

So, from my understanding, we all have to be rich and powerful to do literally anything we want. Innocent lives could be taken, but it’s OK if I’m on a big movie screen. I could crack a bottle open behind the wheel, but it’s OK because I sell out arenas.

This is not what celebrities, of all people, should be doing by example.

Celebrities have big fan bases, often including young fans, who are easily influenced by what their idols do. In some respect, celebrities can have an evenbigger impact on a young fan than anyone else in their lives.

So why teach these fans that it’s OK to get in copious amounts of trouble knowing they’ll be in a heap more trouble?

It boggles my mind what people of power can get away with. It can affect so many people, and they don’t get any consequences for it.

Celebrities are untouchable, and it is unfair.

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A&E

The Valley Vanguard | thevalleyvanguard.com | Monday, February 25, 2019 | Page A5

Jared Kaufman (center, in red) portrays Christopher Boone during a dress rehearsal of “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time” on Tuesday, Feb. 19.

Christopher finds letters from his deceased mother Judy, played by Hannah Ducolon (far right, in orange), who read the letters aloud. Vanguard Photo | Kyle Will

Theatre’s first winter show explores life with a disability Abby Welsh

T

Vanguard Reporter

he theatre department premiered the play “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time” on Wednesday, Feb. 20, at 7:30 p.m. in the Malcolm Field Theatre.

The show ran up until Sunday, Feb. 24, with a special sensory-adapted version at 3 p.m.

“The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time” is about a young boy named Christopher Boone, who is on the autism spectrum.

He stumbles upon his neighbor’s murdered dog, which piques his interest in

finding out who did it.

During his investigation, he discovers secrets about his neighbors, his own family and himself.

The lead role of Christopher was played

by Jared Kaufman, a first-year student.

“To prepare for this role, I did lots of research on people who identify as being on the autism spectrum,” Kaufman said. “I also had excellent guidance from our director, Tommy Wedge, on how to portray the character in an accurate way that also brings an authentic originality to it.”

The play shows Christopher’s emotions through various lights and sounds, making the show unique on the technical side.

Brianne Dolney played Siobhan, the

narrator of Christopher’s story.

“There are times where the symphony acted as Christopher’s sensory symptoms,” Dolney said. “There aren’t a lot of shows that are so tech-heavy.”

The play had many scenes with bright visuals, small acrobatic stunts involving the whole crew and intricate choreographed moves.

The cast never left the stage; they sat on blocks to the side when it wasn’t their time to be in the spotlight.

The show also used multiple dialects, including Irish and British, as well as profound language.

“Playing this certain character was difficult and fun,” Dolney said. “I’m the only

person in the show with a dialect different than the others, so it was hard to learn that before my lines.”

Wedge saw the play as challenging yet rewarding.

“It’s a lovely piece of writing,” Wedge said. “I have two sons on the spectrum, so it’s lovely to see a play tailored to that. But it raises the bar because of that good writing.”

The show tackled the theme of treating those with developmental disorders the same as everyone else.

“I hoped the audience felt empathy,” Wedge said. “You’re trying to see someone else’s experience through their eyes and it’s a particular truthful way to see a life through Asperger’s.”

Music majors perform together Dance night raises awareness Melissa Vennix Vanguard Reporter

Music majors preformed in a department recital on Tuesday, Feb. 19, at 7:30 p.m. in the Rhea Miller Recital Hall.

Eight students showcased their talents on several different instruments. There were several vocalists at the event as well.

The featured students got the chance to show off their skills and what they have been working on over the course of the winter semester.

Vocalist Vincent Frank sang “He is There!” from “3 Songs of War.” “I chose ‘He is There!’ because it is a fun, exciting, and upbeat song,” Frank said.

“Charles Ives, the composer, is one of my favorites.”

Josette Born performed the piccolo while Frank sang.

“I asked Josie to play piccolo with me because there is an obbligato – a part of a piece of music that should not be omitted – The Valley Vanguard

110A Curtiss Hall

written in the refrain for fife, flute, or violin,” Frank said. “I’ve known Josie for a while through our music classes together, and I knew she would do a great job.”

Students frequently perform solo or as part of a large group, but being able to perform with others with different talents provided a new experience.

“It was really fun to collaborate on this project,” Frank said.

Other performers included Matthew Ingersoll on the trumpet, Holly Finch on the saxophone, Sam Lawrence on the vibraphone and Kylie Hawkins on the flute.

In addition to Frank’s performance, Adam Coggins sang baritone and Alyvia Combs sang mezzo soprano.

Students were able to choose songs that they were comfortable playing in front of an audience.

The students also were encouraged by staff to showcase their skills as well as demonstrate what they had learned in the music program.

Marq Williams Vanguard Reporter

In celebration of Black History Month, Latino Awareness Association held a dance night on Wednesday, Feb. 20, at 8 p.m. in the TSAR. Students were invited to join and learn some Hispanic dance moves to legendary Latin music.

Kathy Perez, an executive board member for the association, had a lot to say about the event. “(We) are so happy to put on this dance as a part of Black History Month,” Perez said. “I am extremely grateful to be able to host this event. I hope everyone enjoys themselves and can appreciate Latino culture as well.”

Perez led students through a series of dances that involved dancing as an entire group, in couples and individually.

She also played many different Latin songs, each featuring a culturally distinct upbeat tempo.

Students worked up a sweat as they had fun with each other.

Roberto Garcia, the director of Multicultural Student Affairs, also attended the event.

He was very pleased with the turnout and talked about how the event is pushing diversity in our culture.

“It is great that students are accepting diversity,” Garcia said. “Uniting the student body in this way is great for everyone. I think it is progress that we can celebrate Latino diversity while Black History Month is going on.”

The event ran until 11 p.m., and students enjoyed every minute of it.

Whether students came in just to hang out or actually engaged in the dance moves being demonstrated, the event created a warm, welcoming environment for students of every race.

A similar event was hosted by African Student Union on Monday, Feb. 18, at 9 p.m. in the Student Life programming room.

A&E Editor Hannah Beach | E-mail hnbeach@svsu.edu | Office (989) 964-4482 | Twitter @VVanguardA_E

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Sports

Page A6 | Monday, February 25, 2019 | valleyvanguardonline.com | The Valley Vanguard

Women’s tennis continues to find its early footing Melissa Vennix Vanguard Reporter

The women’s tennis team fell 6-1 to Walsh University on Sunday, Feb. 17. The team started strong in each of their matches but still lost in the end.

In doubles, both SV teams played hard, but only one team won their set.

Maddie Miller and Joanne Gao fell 6-3, while Maya Campbell and Taylor Mclaughlin won 7-5.

The team focused on their energy going into the match and despite Maya Campbell losing, Campbell felt their energy was their best yet.

“The match was fun and exciting,” Campbell said. “On each court, it was a grind, and every person gave it everything they had. The energy that we had as a team was definitely our best yet.”

The team went into the singles matches down 2-0, and would have had to win four out of the five matches to secure a win.

“I was impressed by our tenacity and confidence as I looked up and down the courts,” head coach Jennifer Boehm said.

“We swung the momentum back in our favor in those first sets.”

Walsh put pressure on SVSU and drove some of the matches to tiebreakers.

Although the team only won one out of the five matches, Boehm said that it was still a distinct improvement from last week’s 7-0 loss to Oakland on Sunday, Feb. 10.

“Credit to Walsh because they responded well in the second sets and pushed us to a few tiebreakers,” Boehm said. “They all came down to the wire, and although we lost four of the five singles courts, our team left it all on the court. It was definitely an improvement from (the Oakland match), which is a good sign.”

As singles matches began, all players started strong. Miller put heat on her opponent, winning her first set but falling in the next two.

“My strengths were my stamina and my shot placement,” Miller said. “I moved my opponent around, and by the end of the match, I could tell she was exhausted.”

In singles, Gao came out victorious 6-4, 1-6 and 10-5. McLaughlin fell in a close tie breaker 10-8 while Nicole Johnson lost 6-4 and 7-5. Campbell also fell in singles with scores of 7-6 and 6-3.

“Each of us have been working on new things and taking it out onto the court,” Campbell said. “We’ve already made an improvement as a team in many areas from last season, and each of us are open to trying new things, which will only benefit us. As a team, we will continue working on improving our energy for each match and we will keep improving on each aspect of our game.”

The team traveled to Lawrence Technological University for a match on Sunday, Feb. 24, that concluded before The Valley Vanguard went to press.

Freshman guard Myles Belyeu makes a strong drive during the Cards’ game against Ashland on Saturday, Feb. 23. The team defeated the Eagles with a last-second game-winner from sophomore guard Darnell Hoskins Jr. Vanguard Photo | Kyle Will

Last-second shot seals victory for Cardinals Marq Williams

T

Vanguard Reporter

he Cardinals continued GLIAC play on Saturday, Feb. 23, as they took on the Ashland Eagles at home. They looked to complete a weekend sweep after defeating the Wayne State Warriors two days prior by a score of 72-59.

The Ashland contest was a very defensive game, as neither of the teams scored over 60 points.

The first half saw a lot of back-and-forth scoring from both sides.

Sophomore guard Darnell Hoskins Jr. led the Cards in scoring the first half with 10 points, shooting 50 percent from the field.

Sophomore center Sebastiano Lamanato also helped the Cards with six points and three rebounds in the first.

The Eagles only shot 28 percent in the first

half, but they got to the free throw line 12 times, netting 11 shots, sending them into the locker room with a 10-point lead over the Cardinals.

The second half saw a much better scoring output from the Cardinals.

They shot 60 percent from the field behind Hoskins, who added 18 points to complete his career-high 28 on the night.

Freshman guard Myles Belyeu also came alive in the second half. After going 1-11 in the first, he came back with 10 points, shooting 5-7 from the field. He also grabbed two defensive rebounds and had two assists and two steals to help the Cardinals stay in the game.

The Cardinals had to fight back from a 14-point deficit that the Eagles created.

Hoskins netted a triple to give the Cardinals a 56-53 lead with just over a minute remaining.

After a few free throws, including a

technical, the game was tied at 56 with about 10 seconds remaining in the game.

Hoskins got the inbound, dribbled up the court and drilled the go-ahead three with only a couple of seconds remaining.

The last second heave by the Eagles did not fall, and the Cardinals came out victorious.

Head coach Randy Baruth was proud of his team for playing until the final whistle and competing every play.

“I am really happy with the way (we) played in both games this weekend,” Baruth said. “Today was a great game, and (Hoskins) continues to shine for us as a leader, carrying a huge workload on both sides of the ball.

Great game, and I am very proud of these guys.”

The Cardinals look to finish the season with a win, as they head on the road to take on their rival Northwood on Thursday, Feb. 28, at 8 p.m. for the final game of the season.

Women’s basketball falls to No. 10 Ashland Marq Williams Vanguard Reporter

This week in GLIAC play, the SVSU Lady Cardinals took on the No. 10-ranked Ashland Eagles at home on Saturday, Feb. 23, after getting a win against Wayne State on Thursday, Feb. 21.

The Lady Cards looked to gain some momentum in the final stretch of the season and improve their record to seven wins on the year.

This proved to be a tough test for the Lady Cards, as the Eagles came in with only two losses total on the year.

The first quarter saw a lot of offense from both teams, with junior forward Aaliyah Hill leading the Cards with eight points in the first. But the Eagles pulled away in the first quarter, shooting just under 62 percent. They

finished leading the Cards 31-20.

The second quarter saw a much closer score between the two teams. Maddie Maloney led the Cards in the quarter with eight points as she drained two threes to keep the Cardinals in the game. Mariah Cook also came off the bench and contributed solid minutes, scoring four points and dishing one assist and grabbing her fair share of rebounds.

Still, the Eagles held a 10-point lead going into halftime.

The second half saw even more competitive basketball from the Cardinals.

They outscored the Eagles by seven while only holding them to 18 points in the quarter.

The Lady Cards even cut the lead to one after a layup by Kyndall Spires and a three-pointer

by Maddie Barrie. The Eagles held on tight to their lead and kept the Lady Cards within three points after three quarters of play.

The Eagles pulled away in the fourth quarter. They shot over 57 percent and held the Lady Cards to only 14 points total in the quarter to win the game with a score of 9984.

Hill finished the game with 23 points, seven rebounds and four assists.

Interim head coach Ryan Trevithick credited his team with having outstanding resolve not only Saturday, but the entire season.

“It was a great game overall for us,” Trevithick said. “Credit to Ashland for playing well; they made a few plays here and there that decided the game in the end, but overall, I am proud of my group.”

The Lady Cards will look to finish the regular season with a win on the road at Northwood University on Thursday, Feb. 28, with a 6 p.m tip-off.

Baseball earns first win of the season against McKendree Connor Doyle Vanguard Reporter

The SVSU baseball team earned its first win of the season over the weekend, as it split the first two games of a three-game set with McKendree University.

Sunday’s rubber match was still underway when The Valley Vanguard went to press.

SVSU earned an emphatic 22-3 win over the Bearcats in the second game of the series on Saturday, Feb. Steve Jaksa 23.

“It was really nice to be able to break loose and get a win and get a lot of guys in and have a good feeling about ourselves (Saturday),” first-year head coach Steve Jaksa said.

The offensive onslaught began in the first inning, as SVSU put up seven runs on McKendree starting pitcher Connor Gilles, who allowed seven runs in just two-thirds of an inning. Only two of those runs were earned, however, as two Bearcat errors led to five unearned runs.

The SVSU offensive domination continued, as the Cardinals put up one in the second, seven more in the third, one in the fifth, two

in the seventh and four in the ninth.

Leading the SVSU charge at the plate was freshman infielder Martin Money, who had four of SVSU’s 18 hits. Money had two doubles and a triple to go along with two runs scored, four RBIs and two walks.

Senior infielder Jordan Swiss had two hits, two runs and two RBIs while rightfielder Joshua Riggs added two hits, two runs and four RBIs. Centerfielder Craig Wilson also had two hits and an RBI and scored two runs.

Swiss was also named last week’s GLIAC Player of the Week.

On the mound, junior Amani Godfrey earned his first win of the season, lasting five innings while allowing just two runs and striking out eight.

On Friday, the Cardinals opened the series with a 5-3 loss despite holding an early lead over McKendree.

Following a scoreless first inning, SVSU jumped out to a 3-0 advantage in the top of the second when senior infielder Derrek Clyde doubled down the left-field line to score catcher Gerrit Eding and designated hitter Jacob Mansfield. Clyde advanced to third on the play and then scored on a wild pitch during the next at-bat.

On the mound, Camden Dice had a much improved second outing of the season. He threw three scoreless innings but ran into trouble in the bottom of the fourth, when a

walk, two stolen bases and a wild pitch led to McKendree’s Drake Hampton crossing the plate and making it 3-1.

Things got worse in the fifth for SVSU, as Bearcat Cal Kossina led the inning off with a single.

A would-be sacrifice bunt from Hayden Schaefer moved Kossina to third on a throwing error from Eding that left runners on the corners with no outs. After Schaefer stole second, McKendree’s Matt Kosterman singled, scoring Kossina.

Following the run, Dice was relieved by sophomore Jacob Crossan but was charged with two additional runs in the inning, giving the Bearcats a 4-3 lead.

Dice took the loss and finished with four innings pitched, allowing three hits and four runs, only two of which were earned. He struck out five but walked four.

Crossan finished strong on the mound for SVSU, allowing just four hits and one additional run over the game’s final four innings. He struck out three and walked just one.

However, the SVSU bats were unable to mount a comeback, as they managed only one hit over the game’s final four innings and ultimately fell 5-3.

“There was a little frustration probably during the game,” Jaksa said. “Then I think we started fighting ourselves a little bit, and

that’s a bad combination. When things don’t go quite the way you map them out, you have to figure out how to stop thinking about the negative things that are happening. (Friday), we weren’t able to do as good of a job as we are going to in that area.”

Clyde had two hits in the leadoff spot to go along with two RBIs to lead SVSU. Swiss, junior outfielder Collin Winters, Mansfield and Eding all had one hit apiece.

Next on the schedule is SVSU’s annual spring road trip, where it will play seven games between March 1 and March 9. The first four will be against Missouri S&T between March 1 and March 3, and the rest will be against Trevecca Nazarene.

The Valley Vanguard

Dylan Powell | E-mail dipowell@svsu.edu | Office (989) 964-4482 | Twitter @VVanguardSports 110A Curtiss Hall Sports Editor

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Sports

The Valley Vanguard | thevalleyvanguard.com | Monday, February 25, 2019 | Page A7

Swim and dive compete in GLIAC championships Thomas Gallagher Vanguard Reporter

From left to right: Forward/defender Guy Soulliere, forward Justin Lacy, forward Garret Richardson and forward/ defender Steven Roberts round out some of the seniors who led the SVSU club hockey team. Vanguard Photo | Kyle Will

SVSU club hockey team wraps up season Melissa Vennix

S

Vanguard Reporter

VSU’s club hockey team went 13-133 this season, qualifying them for the national tournament.

The team ended the season ranked fourth in the east division of the Michigan Collegiate Hockey Conference. They also ranked 10th in the north region of the American Collegiate Hockey Association.

The team has four seniors graduating from the team this year.

Assistant captain and defenseman Garret Richardson is a graduating biology senior.

He has played on the team for two-and-ahalf years. He hopes to attend medical school following this sumer.

According to Richardson, the team had a great sense of camaraderie and taught him to never give up.

“The camaraderie on the team was huge.

It gave me a sense of belonging and made me want to come play hockey every day,” Richardson said. “Playing hockey at SVSU, because of this, has taught me to always do everything to the best of my ability and

never give up.”

Steven Roberts and Guy Soulliere, both seniors, passed 200 career points.

Soulliere is the team president and a captain. Roberts is the team vice president and captain. This season, Soulliere had 14 goals and 30 assists, while Roberts had 35 goals and 16 assists. Soulliere has played for SVSU’s team for all five years that he has attended SVSU. “Playing hockey at Saginaw Valley was amazing,” Soulliere said. “If it wasn’t for this team, I would have been somewhere else.

My favorite part of playing for this team was the opportunity to play with my two older brothers my freshman year.”

Justin Lacy, a business senior, scored 17 goals and had 15 assists. He has played for the team for two-and-a-half years and plans to work in financing at Gateway Financial Solutions after graduation.

Lacy noted that at SVSU he created bonds with his teammates he won’t forget.

“Hockey is such a close-knit community, but ultimately here at SVSU, I created a bond with the guys over the years and memories I’ll never forget,” Lacy said. “Every year, you

gain 20-25 new brothers, and in the end, this experience back home has been something I’ll cherish for years to come.”

The team was young this year, but they played hard.

Steven Kukla, Jon Thomas and Ricky Rayner, all sophomores and forwards on the same line, accounted for 31 goals.

Triston Jensen, a junior who will be taking over as club president, spoke about the team’s expectations for the past season and what they will be looking forward to next year.

“I think we came off a year where we didn’t hit expectations last year, so we came in with a new coach and the expectations were iffy; we didn’t really know what to expect,” Jenkins said. “We got our new coach, and we opened up right away with Oakland, which every year is a team that you see competing for a national championship, and we held our own, and that kind of brought the expectation up a little bit.”

The team competed in the MCHC openinground playoff on Friday, Feb. 22, but came up short, losing to Central Michigan University 5-1.

The Cardinal swim and dive teams competed at Cleveland State University in the GLIAC championships beginning on Wednesday, Feb. 20, and going through the weekend, with the last day of competition being Saturday, Feb. 23.

The Last Chance Qualifying Meet, where the Cardinals had a chance to gain a bid into the 2019 NCAA Division II National Championships, was set for the following day, Sunday, Feb. 24, but concluded after The Valley Vanguard went to press.

After Wednesday, the Cardinal women sat in fourth place. Freshman Sydney Shipps tallied 16 points for the Cardinals, claiming third place in the 1,000-yard freestyle with a time of 10:19.51. Senior Alexandra Davis scored 15 points in the same event, coming in fourth with a time of 10:22.62.

Senior Lydia Mattar swam the 200 IM in 2:09.40, good enough for an eighth-place finish and 11 points. Mattar also helped the 200 medley relay team to a fourth-place finish, teaming up with seniors Amanda Thielen and Taylor Grashuis and sophomore Kimble Darbee for a time of 1:46.68.

The men sat in sixth place at the end of the day. Sophomore Justin Ott finished third in the 3-meter dive, racking up 16 points.

Freshman Pedro Rezende, junior Jayden Hutchinson and senior Peter Lin added seven points collectively in the 1,000-yard freestyle, taking 13th, 15th and 16th place, respectively.

On Thursday, the women maintained their fourth-place standing. Shipps and Davis took fourth and fifth in the 200 freestyle event with times of 1:52.51 and 1:52.72, respectively.

Thielen, Darbee, Mattar and Shipps claimed fourth in the 400 medley relay with a time of 3:54.11, earning 30 points for the effort.

Sophomore Elizabeth Caird took sixth in the 1-meter dive event, gaining 13 points for the Cardinals.

The men also held their spot, ending Thursday in sixth place. In the 100 butterfly event, sophomore Mason Hooker earned 12 points with his seventh place finish with a time of 49.37 seconds. Senior teammate Dylan Kopacki finished one place behind with a time of 50.06 seconds and 11 points.

The women remained in fourth place after the Friday events. Davis finished third in the 500 freestyle, earning 16 points with her time of 5:00.49.

Thielen took sixth in the 100 backstroke, finishing in 56.39 seconds and netting 13 for the Cardinals. In the same event, freshman Erin McDowell took 11th with a time of 58.34 seconds, collecting six points for the team.

Thielen, McDowell, Shipps and Davis finished third in the 800 freestyle relay with a time of 7:43.67, earning 32 points.

The men remained in sixth after the third day. Ott took second in the 1-meter diving event, getting 17 points for the Cardinals.

The Cardinals took fifth in the 800 freestyle relay with a time of 6:56.30. Hooker and Hutchinson teamed with senior Nick Berens and freshman Zachary Rychel to collect 28 points.

Saturday ended with the women finishing in fourth place with a total of 383 points, while the men finished in sixth with 220 points.

The Valley Vanguard

Dylan Powell | E-mail dipowell@svsu.edu | Office (989) 964-4482 | Twitter @VVanguardSports 110A Curtiss Hall Sports Editor

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