Inside A2
Inside A3
Inside A4
Opinion: Science isn’t something you can choose to believe in
A&E: Forever Red hosts student talent show
Sports: Women’s basketball goes 1-2 at weekend games
Monday, Feb. 21, 2022
Vol. 54 No. 20
Saginaw Valley State University’s student newspaper
thevalleyvanguard.com
POLICE BRIEFS Suspicious Situation On Feb. 15 at 2:17 a.m., officers were dispatched for a suspicious situation that had just occurred in the J parking lots. The 18-yearold female resident student said she thought she was being followed through the parking lot by a smaller, dark-colored vehicle. Police located the driver of the vehicle, and it was determined he was not following anyone and was just looking for a parking space.
Harassment SVSU mascots Coop and Scarlet wave to all the students attending Coop’s birthday celebration in the TSAR on Feb. 17. Vanguard Photographer | Justin Kruskie
Coop’s birthday celebration brings students together Emily Burke Vanguard Reporter
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n Feb. 17, Forever Red hosted Coop’s birthday in the TSAR. There was a variety of performances and contests. Coop, Scarlet and Sammy, the mascot for the Saginaw Spirit Hockey Team, were there to celebrate with students and the community. The party kicked off with a singing performance from the International Student Club. Next, there was a limbo contest. Many people competed, but Yolhie Monchery, an international law senior, a fuzzy blanket. The Hip Hop Club performed a dance number, and the International Student Club did a drum performance before the next contest occurred. There was also a piñata as well as the events. Participants lined up to smash the piñata, with Sammy the Eagle going first.
Sammy broke the piñata in one hit, and students scrambled to grab candy. Coop’s Cakewalk Contest took place, where students claimed numbers in a musical-chairs fashion. Numbers were called out one by one, and whoever was on the number called, was eliminated. Dylan Murphy, a mechanical engineering freshman, was the last man standing and won a pair of Beats headphones. Red Royalty performed a dance number, leading up to Forever Red’s trivia contest. The trivia contest was a Kahoot, where anyone who wanted could compete for the top spot by answering questions about SVSU. Hip Hop Club performed again, and then the Musical Chairs Contest took place. Starting with about 40 competitors, having to do things such as skip, dance, and power-walk during music, there was a race to get to available chairs.
About the last 10 people left won cupcakes when they were eliminated. Performances from the SVSU Pep Band, Hip Hop Club and Cardinal Grace led up to the final, and most awaited contest. The Saran Wrap Prize Contest, with over $200 worth of prizes wrapped in the ball, attracted many competitors. Prizes included Amazon gift
cards, Squishmallows, candy and more. Cardinal Rhythm performed, and then the birthday party ended with a Dance Party. Emily Schueren, a social work senior and member of Forever Red, was at the event. “My favorite events were the Hip Hop Club and Pep Band Performances, however I do wish there were more cupcakes,” she said.
Students celebrate Coop’s birthday. Vanguard Photographer | Justin Kruskie
On Feb. 16 at 3:07 p.m., officers spoke with a 24-year-old commuter student regarding some harassing messages she had received on Facebook Messenger from a former student. Police learned the suspect has a disability and sometimes does not understand what they are saying. Officers spoke with the person’s guardian and explained the situation.
Conflicting Engagement On Feb. 11 at 7:28 p.m., officers spoke with two resident students who reported that an older white male was yelling at them as they walked to University Village West. The resident students reported the man was driving on the sidewalk and began to yell at them when he exited his Chevy Malibu. Police determined the vehicle was an SVSU maintenance employee vehicle. Officers’ investigation determined this was a noncriminal investigation. Both parties had conflicting accounts of what occurred.
Travel Program encourages international travel Alumni speak at 5 under 5 panel Connor Rousseau Vanguard Reporter
On Feb. 15, Travel Program held a new event that aims to encourage international travel and expose students to the diverse cultures and experiences offered by foreign nations. Emily Sanders is a nursing senior who helped arrange and host the event. She is the president of the Residential Housing Association and worked alongside Vivian Messerschmidt, Vice President of Programming, to execute the event. Sanders said the Travel Program was a great opportunity for students to learn more about different nations all around the world. “We [presented] information
about each country, and we [also gave] out prepackaged snacks related to each country. Students got to participate in a craft where they could create their own travel fund boxes.” Sanders said the event also included raffle prizes, snacks and crafts for those who attended. “I hope students leave with new knowledge and curiosity about other parts of the world,” she said. “Hopefully, they will get the chance to experience traveling to another country at some time in their life.” Nursing major Anna Castillo attended the event. She said was just walking by when she saw crafts and candy and felt like stopping by to see what event was going on.
Freshman Kimberly Salto decorates a box. Vanguard Photographer | Sarah Brege
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COVID-19 got between many people and their traveling plans, and Castillo said she is still interested in visiting faraway places. “I was supposed to go to Spain and Africa before COVID and would love to go there,” she said. “I am mostly interested in going to Spain to learn more about the culture since I had ancestors from there.” Siona Beaudoin is a computer science freshman who said traveling fascinates her and she hopes to study abroad at some point in her college career. “I thought that this would be a good opportunity to learn about other places that I could potentially visit,” she said. “Additionally, I have always been interested in other areas of the world and thought that this would be a great opportunity to learn about other cultures.” Beaudoin said she learned a lot about foreign nations from the event, and that the event only increased her interest in doing so. She said she is even more fascinated with Lebanon. “I learned about other countries such as Switzerland, Greece and Lebanon,” she said. “One thing in particular that I found interesting was some of the basics of Lebanese.”
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Trinity Sullivan Vanguard Reporter
SVSU’s Forever Red organization hosted a 5 under 5 panel of recently graduated alumni on Tuesday. The event offered alumni who graduated within the past five years a chance to speak to students about their time at SVSU. The speakers included Vanessa Swain and Danny Newton, who went on to pursue work in the engineering field, as well as Amber Hadley, who is currently an admissions representative at SVSU. The speakers encouraged the students in attendance to branch out into the cardinal community in joining RSO’s and getting active in volunteer opportunities. They drew parallels between doing so and gaining valuable experience in networking, personal research and other marketable skills. The speakers were also adamant on how positive the social aspects of on-campus participation are later in life. Each speaker shared a personal story as to how the relationships they formed in their time at SVSU carried with them into their current lives. Public health junior Macy Docken, Forever Red’s Vice President
Opinion...................A2 A&E..........................A3 Sports.......................A4
of Enhance, elaborated on Forever Red’s hopes for the event and others like it. “I’m hoping that students can benefit from the alumni experience not only in ways which affect their future careers, but also in ways that build student connection and friendships,” Docken said. Docken touched on the ways that the event tied into the heart of Forever Red “It’s a very accepting club,” Docken said. “I encourage people to attend events like this for the positive benefits that it can bring to their college experience that they can take with them further in life.” Following the questions which Forever Red prepared for the event, the floor was opened to questions from students in attendance. Docken weighed in on the technical aspects of organizing such an involved event, stating the organization’s challenges in setting up the event. “I think that marketing, with everything that goes on at campus, is very difficult,” she said. “I would say that we have a lot of events that are open to students and connect them to their future career, and I would really love to see it reach more students.”
Opinion
Page A2 | Monday, Feb. 21, 2022 | thevalleyvanguard.com | The Valley Vanguard
SVSU NEST Plan’s 5-day Quarantine is chaotic and confusing Audrey Bergey Photo & Design Editor Music Education arbergey@svsu.edu
I tested positive for COVID on Monday, Feb. 7 after going to Meijer Pharmacy for testing. Once I returned to my dorm, I emailed COVID Report with my positive results at 3:02 p.m. I quarantined in my bedroom awaiting an email just to receive a reply on Feb. 8 at 9:26 a.m., a day later after testing positive. Later I was emailed again about my five day quarantine with an isolation guideline from the NEST Plan. I was instructed to be in quarantine until Friday, Feb. 10 at 11:59 p.m. I was allowed to return to campus as long as I was fever-free on Feb. 11. I received another email from Residential Life at 12:35 p.m. to schedule a time to do a key exchange. Around an hour later, I met someone at the door to do a contact-free exchange and leave for the isolation dorm. At this point, I was confused because according to the isolation guidelines, I was to be observed going to my isolation dorm.
Either I was too sick to remember anything said during the key exchange or instructions were not made clear. After waiting a few minutes, I decided to pack my car and move to the isolation dorm. I expected, again, for the dorm to be unlocked as stated in the isolation guidelines. It was not. I unlocked it, brought in my belongings and the food and toiletries given to me during the key exchange. The bedroom had two top sheets (no fitted sheet), a blue blanket, a pillow with a case, two towels and a wash cloth. I found multiple wrapped cups in the room and the bathroom. At this point, I was glad that I had packed my own pillow and blanket for my own comfort. I gave up on the sheets because they would not stay on the bed. The food provided was not great. Being sick, I did not want ramen, mac and cheese and pop tarts. I really should have had healthier and more substantial options. I received an email with a follow-up on policies and a dining order sheet, which to me made no sense in terms of their delivery. I made an order on Wednesday to get me through Thursday into Friday morning.
I could at least order a salad, fruit and orange juice which were healthier options. Dining services only delivered food on Mondays and Thursday. To me, depending when you enter isolation, doesn’t really make sense. All orders are due before noon on those days. If I had entered an isolation dorm on Monday, I still wouldn’t have been able to order food. Of course, there are other ways like ordering food from off-campus or emailing Residential Life for more food. However, I was worried that communication was not going to come across well. Throughout quarantine, I woke up every day at around 8 a.m. to see if anyone would come check on me as stated in the guidelines. Not once did someone physically come to check on my health, only to drop off food. I was worried if someone did, because if they knocked on the door and I didn’t hear it by the third knock, they’d call 9-1-1. Another guideline sheet said someone would contact me every day for a health check-in. This was not the case. I received one email on Wednesday to see if I was alright.
After four days in an isolation dorm, I was ready to leave. I woke up at 8 a.m. on Friday morning, packed, and was ready to go. I assumed that another key exchange would be made just like before and someone would check on me to make sure I was feverfree. I waited for someone to show up in person or at least get an email and nothing. The only email I received that morning was from COVID Report saying I was cleared. By noon, I emailed Residential Life to figure out what I was supposed to do. Turns out, I was supposed to meet housing at their office to go get my dorm key. Nothing in the guidelines makes it clear how your exit procedure was going to work. By the end of this mess of getting me into isolation, helping me during isolation, and exiting isolation, I never want to do this again. I would much rather drive the two hours home just to avoid disorganized nonsense. Nest Plan needs to update it policies on quarantine and provide more clear information on all parts of quarantine, and communication needs to be quicker between the student, COVID Report and Residential Life.
Science and religion can coexist with one another Alyssa McMillan News Editor Psychology anmcmill@svsu.edu
One thing I remember about going to church growing up is that there always seemed to be a separation between church and science. The church members talked as if just because they believed in God, science couldn’t be real. They forced you into believing one or the other. One example of this that was very relevant in my life was the evolution issue. I remember it becoming a huge debate in the United States. Many parents refused to let their children learn about it because it went directly against what they had been taught in the church, even though there was evidence to help
support this theory. They didn’t even want to give their children the chance to learn about it and make the decision for themselves. They made them leave the classroom during that lesson. This wasn’t something I had to do. I was allowed to stay in the room and learn. It got me wondering- why can’t the two things exist together? Why does the existence of one mean the other can’t exist? I’ve personally always believed in science. It has never been a question in my head of whether or not it’s real. I know that it is. I also know that a lot of people feel that way about religion. They grew up with it and they see it as fact. Something I also wondered when I was in the church growing up, was how can these people not see that the two things can go
together? Sure, the main reason many religious people don’t believe in science is because it contradicts God, but why does it? If God created everything and everyone, wouldn’t that mean he created science and the people who do the research into it? Going back to evolution, who is to say that God didn’t create that? Why is it impossible to think that God created it as a process? Another reason I often hear against evolution specifically is that it can’t exist because the origin story of humans is told in the Bible through the story of Adam and Eve. But, from my experience anyway, the stories in the Old Testament are meant to be parables. They are just stories that help people understand the lessons God was trying to teach. The story of Adam and Eve and evolution can go together.
Adam and Eve are meant to teach, and God could have used evolution to create. I think that by making younger kids and adults choose between the two, the church loses a lot of members they maybe didn’t have to lose. If the church could acknowledge that “believing” in science isn’t bad, they might be able to keep the younger generation. Science also isn’t something that you can “believe” in like you believe in religion. It isn’t this abstract idea that you have to just put your faith into and hope. Science is based off of facts – facts that have hours of research behind them. It isn’t something that you can choose to not believe in. It’s just something that is. How can you dispute things that can be proven? Even if it goes against your beliefs? Science is inarguably and undeniably real. So, why can’t the two exist together?
Students should be encouraged to write at a collegiate level Rebekah Williams
Reporter
PTW rswilli1@svsu.edu
SVSU students should be encouraged to compose written works at a collegiate level, rather than utilize diction understood by less educated individuals. We should not “dumb down” our communicating, but rather use our language to elevate our understanding. As a society, we push students from kindergarten until they graduate college too learn to read better but we are not as persistent when it comes to writing. During my time at SVSU my professors have always encouraged me to write to the reading level of the user, professor or person reading the work I was writing. This seems self-explanatory. If you are writing to a professor, you can use more wordy language than those who are in high school, or young kids. By setting this as the standard, we have
created a disconnect where students are never reading things above their reading level. For me, when I read an article that uses words I don’t know, I look them up and learn how to use the word in context. When we encourage students to dumb down their writing, we discourage learning. There are times when it might be appropriate to write using simple language, like when you are writing a text message. However, academic writing is different. The goal is to grow and build your creative mind. Yet we still “dumb down” to lower reading levels in many academic settings. We have set the bar so low as a society that the average person has a seventh grade reading level (and most professors now are saying that has dropped to a fifth grade reading level). As a university, I believe it is our call to set the bar higher than the average reading level, rather than at that average level. I’m not saying we should write third grade textbooks to a high school reading level. Rather, we should write at a college level to college kids, instead of expecting them to have such a low reading level.
By doing this we push them to learn new words and understand the documents they are studying. My professor for Advanced Rhetorical Theory expects us to read Plato and understand Plato’s works. It is considered an advanced reading level material, but that does not negate its importance for understanding. There are times where I don’t understand the readings and times where I do. If I don’t understand, I look it up and break it down into smaller pieces and read summaries. Right now, Wordle is the game everyone is playing. You must use your word puzzle skills and think outside the box. This game illustrates that people are hungry to learn and grow their vocabulary. My Facebook feed is full of friends posting their scores in the morning and the comments back and forth about how everyone did. I am a big proponent of word games. One of my current favorites is called, “A Little Wordy.” It’s a new two-player board game by the same people who made the popular
“Exploding Kittens” game and inspires creative word writing. Choosing to “write down” and not push towards something better only encourages the reading level of our society to drop lower and lower. I had a professor tell me once that I must assume everyone cannot read or understand what I write. This can be a true assumption. However, am I also supposed to assume that they are incapable of learning to read and write better than the level they are at right now? This is what we see in news stories, articles, etc. We write so “low” about topics that need more precise language to convey the seriousness or technical expertise of the topic. I urge professors and students to set higher expectations for each other. I encourage them to write at a level slightly above the reading level of the audience they are writing to. Otherwise, we are just contributors towards a continually dropping reading level in our society.
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A&E
The Valley Vanguard | thevalleyvanguard.com | Monday, Feb. 21, 2022 | Page A3
Forever Red hosts student talent show for ‘I Heart SV’ week Emily Burke
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Vanguard Reporter
n Wed., Feb. 16, Forever Red hosted a talent show as part of the festivities for “I Heart SV” week. Students with a variety of talents, including dancing, singing and poetry, performed in the Rotunda. Toni Gjerkaj, a political science sophomore, performed a stand-up comedy act in the show. He told dad jokes. Gjerkaj was impressed by the amount of SVSU pride at the event. “The experience was so great,” Gjerkaj said. “Red Pride was 100% [there]... It was such a happy, SVSU-proud environment.” RJ Key, the President of Forever Red and a social studies education senior, attended the event and watched the talent show. “The performances at the talent show were awesome, showcasing the wide variety of talent we have at SVSU,” Key said. Key enjoyed all the performances and had a difficult time choosing a favorite event. “They were all my favorite, however I am a sucker for some good dad jokes,” Key said. “But I was moved by the poetry performance and the musical acts as well... you can never go wrong with the Macarena.” The winner of the talent show, Betsy
Political science sophomore Toni Gjerkaj performs a comedy act at the Forever Red talent show for “I Heart SV” week. Vanguard Photographer | Ryan Pelletier Nieman, a secondary education freshman, played guitar and sang a cover of “Home” by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes. “[It] was just a spur of the moment, impulsive fun thing that my friends hyped
me up to do and I’m glad I did,” Nieman said. Nieman won a Sony speaker. “Winning to me wasn’t even really the intent more to just perform and have fun,
so I was pleasantly surprised when they announced that I had won,” Nieman said. The talent show had a great turnout and Forever Red is happy the event was successful.
OBU’s Black @ SVSU showcases Black businesses and performers Sadie Shepherd Vanguard Sports Editor
The bleachers were filled in the Hamilton Gymnasium on Friday night when the Organization of Black Unity (OBU) hosted its annual Black @ SVSU showcase. The event is held annually in February by the RSO to commemorate Black History Month. Last year’s Black @ SVSU festivities were held virtually through daily social media posts to highlight the talent and achievements of Black students on campus. Laila Boggan, nursing junior and president of OBU, said the lack of a live showcase last year made the success of this year’s event even more important. “Coming back from all of the guidelines that limited many students and organizations from meeting and planning events, we knew that whatever we did for Black @ SVSU had to be big,” she said. “We knew that OBU hosted a fashion show in
the past and with all the Black businesses that are starting to grow on campus, we knew that this would be an amazing opportunity for them to get their name out while allowing other students to show off their talents.” The event gave a platform to several businesses run by SVSU students, including KJ Apparel and Jaja Closet, with other students modeling their products for the audience to admire. In between the fashion show portions of the event, RSOs Red Royalty and HipHop Crew entertained the crowd through dance. The members of OBU emceeing for the night also encouraged audience participation, leading group dance numbers to classics like ‘Crank That (Soulja Boy),’ ‘Stanky Legg’ and ‘The Hustle.’ Boggan said this element of togetherness highlights a defining principle of Kwanzaa called Umoja. “Umoja is the first principle of Kwanzaa,
a holiday created by our African ancestors, that involves celebrating unity within our family and community,” Boggan said. “To me, Black @ SVSU is a clear-cut example of Umoja and its definition in action. It’s seeing everyone come out and celebrate one another as we do what we do best and continue to succeed.” Boggan also took time during the event to acknowledge all that OBU has accomplished since the publishing of their 2020 Manifesto, outlining what students on campus wanted to see change to make SVSU more inclusive for all students. The manifesto managed to drive change in several major ways. The outcry for more accessible resources for Black students on campus helped to push for the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs to be moved to its new, more prominent location in the Student Center. Another point in the manifesto called for the addition of a Black Studies major.
Previously only offered as a minor, a Black Studies major will now be available for students to pursue as soon as next semester. Boggan hopes attendees took away a sense of pride and appreciation for the Black community on campus. “Our primary goal was for this event to expose the beauty of the Black community within SVSU […],” Boggan said. “With this, we hope that those that attend[ed] [had] the opportunity to see everything amazing that lies within the Black community at SVSU the way we have.” OBU has several events left to celebrate Black History Month. On Wednesday, the RSO will host a Black Alumni Meet and Greet in the Alumni Lounge at 5 p.m. On Saturday,, the RSO will hold a rally outside Curtiss Hall at 1 p.m. to commemorate 10 years since the Trayvon Martin shooting and the founding of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Review: ‘Dying Light 2’ was well worth the wait Connor Rousseau Vanguard Reporter
“Dying Light 2” finally released on Feb. 4 after years of anticipation as gamers wondered whether the title would ever release. The pandemic has delayed many video games from releasing according to schedule over the past few years. However, the official release of “Dying Light” was well worth the wait. “Dying Light 2” is the sequel to “Dying Light,” a first-person zombie game with innovative elements of parkour and verticality in an open world. Developed by Techland, “Dying Light 2” expands the “Dying Light” universe. It offers a new and intriguing story along with more advanced parkour, graphics, combat, music, a compelling storyline and upgrade system. After several disappointing video game releases and game developers rushing to put new titles out, Techland took its time to develop and release “Dying Light 2.” This resulted in a masterpiece of a video game that the gaming community has waited a long time for. Music defines the mood and atmosphere of a movie or video game.
For instance, “Star Wars” wouldn’t have been as popular if it didn’t have John William’s brilliance to complement it. “Dying Light 2” is the same way in that it offers a musical score that is just as captivating as the first. The music even changes as the player traverses obstacles and hops around rooftops, matching the thrill of the parkour itself. Additionally, like most video games of the 2020s, the graphics are brilliant, as is the map design. “Dying Light 2” offers a map in a large city after a zombie apocalypse. Nature has taken over and grass and trees dominate the rooftops. The protagonist hops from roof to roof or, if he dares, navigates the dilapidated and overgrown roads festering with zombies and bandits. The video game has also given the zombies more diverse designs, whereas the original title had similar designs reused for zombie types. As the player hops from rooftop to rooftop, enjoying a smooth sixty frames per second on consoles, they enjoy the verticality of an open world that offers climbing, traversing, jumping, sliding and more. “Dying Light 2” is an open-world game,
meaning the player can travel wherever they wish on the map with few boundaries. If you can see it, you can climb it. “Dying Light 2” expands its open-world by offering unique encounters a player may come across when traveling. The player may run into bandits, zombie hordes or chests filled with crystals and other goods. As the title suggests, things get scary when the sun goes down. “Dying Light 2” offers an entirely different experience for those who traverse the city after the sun goes down. It is as if the player steps into an entirely different world offering different zombies, quests and encounters for players to enjoy. When it comes to leveling up and progressing through the story, “Dying Light 2” is unique. A skill tree is provided that offers skills for players to purchase when a character levels up and gains experience. Such skills improve health, character speed, parkour abilities, combat effectiveness and more. Additionally, players have the ability to find materials They can then use these materials to craft items. These include weapon upgrades or
modifications, such as a flaming sword or poisoned hammer. Different materials can also be used to craft grenades and Molotov cocktails. The story itself offers players the ability to change the way events unfold depending on the decisions they make throughout the game. There are several factions which the player must work with. They must choose an allegiance to assist in quests and other objectives. Essentially, the story is for the player to create. The will of the gamer will dictate the course of events throughout the story. Overall, Techland is a devoted gaming company that puts tons of effort into their games and truly listens to its fans. As time goes on, Techland will listen to gamers and give their latest game the care and attention it needs to rid itself of bugs and glitches. “Dying Light 2” is just what the gaming industry needed in a time of disappointing titles. Anyone who enjoyed “Dying Light” will experience the same thrill they once felt when they pick up a controller and fight to restore civilization in one of its best titles yet.
The Valley Vanguard A&E Editor Madeline Bruessow | E-mail mpbruess@svsu.edu | Office 989-964-4482 | Instagram @TheValleyVanguard 110A Curtiss Hall
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Sports
Page A4 | Monday, Feb. 21, 2022 | thevalleyvanguard.com | The Valley Vanguard
Junior Kaitlyn Zarycki gains control of the ball (left). Junior Jessica Massey makes her way down the court (top). Senior Maddie Maloney struggles to pass (bottom). Vanguard Photographer | Justin Kruskie
Women’s basketball claims win following losses Rebekah Williams
S
Vanguard Reporter
VSU women’s basketball played three games this week going 1-2. The team lost to Northern Michigan University (NMU) on Monday and fell to Michigan Tech on Thursday but came back to beat the Wildcats on Saturday. These games place the team at 9-7 in the GLIAC and 14-9 overall. The team started off the week playing NMU at home where the Cardinals lost 59-39. Junior Tyler Scheid led the team in points, scoring nine while junior Tori DePerry had eight rebounds. SVSU came out slow at the beginning of the game with NMU having a 16-0 run at the close of the first quarter. In the first half, junior Kaitlyn Zarycki
had a few layups and senior Maddie Barrie a jumper. By the halftime break, NMU had an eight-point lead at 27-19. NMU held their lead into the third quarter until freshman Rachel Rustad hit a 3-pointer. NMU took the victory nearly shutting SVSU out during the fourth quarter. The team’s second game of the week brought another loss at Michigan Tech with SVSU falling 65-54. Zarycki led in scoring for the Cardinals with 23 points and eight rebounds. The Cardinals out-rebounded the Huskies 35-31 where DePerry had the game high for rebounds with nine. SVSU came out strong at the beginning with a 7-0 run until the Huskies scored with 3:20 left in the first quarter. By the end of the first quarter, the Cardinals led at 17-8.
At the second half, Michigan Tech finished on a 10-4 run while SVSU held the lead at 26-24. Coming out of the half, senior Maddie Maloney and Barrie both scored. The Huskies followed close behind eventually opening a seven-point lead. Sophomore Victoria Stafford hit a layup and Maloney had another jumper putting SVSU down by only three points. The Huskies held their own and took a 45-39 lead as the third quarter concluded. Michigan Tech opened an 11-point lead in the fourth quarter. The Cardinals did not give up, but they could not pull back the lead they opened with, giving the Huskies the win. For the Cardinals’ third game of the week, the team traveled to play NMU again and this time they took home the win. Maloney totaled 22 points for the team
including four 3-pointers. SVSU had five fast breaks, shot 22-of-50 from the field and out-rebounded NMU 35-29. NMU came out to lead in the first quarter. SVSU finally took the lead in the second quarter when Maloney scored a 3-pointer. Going into the break, SVSU led at 21-19. In the third quarter, the Cardinals came out strong with a 17-0 run. NMU did not give up, pushing the Cardinals’ lead to only eight points. Zarycki scored a buzzer-beating jumper at the end of the third, giving the Cardinals a 42-32 lead. SVSU was able to hold their lead until the end giving them the win. The Cardinals will stay at home this week, playing Michigan Tech on Tuesday, Davenport on Thursday and Grand Valley State University on Saturday.
Men’s basketball falls to Michigan Tech, NMU Rebekah Williams Vanguard Reporter
SVSU men’s basketball fell to Michigan Tech and Northern Michigan University (NMU), breaking its five-game winning streak despite the massive comeback in the Michigan Tech game. Before the games, head coach Randy S. Baruth was optimistic for the team’s success. “We are excited to take the trip to the UP. We hope to play good basketball and put ourselves in the best position possible to win the games,” Baruth said. The Cardinals, however, were not able to win either of their games. At Michigan Tech on Thursday, the Cardinals shot 28-of-60 from the field and had three fast breaks.
Senior Delano Smith scored 27 points, including four 3-pointers, followed by senior Darnell Hoskins Jr. with 17 points. The Cardinals were out-rebounded by the Huskies 34-31. The Huskies began with a massive lead at 37-12 with 6:36 left to play in the first half. SVSU came back into the game ready and started making progress against the 25-point deficit. By the halftime break, SVSU brought the score to 41-28. Smith began SVSU’s comeback in the second half, bringing the deficit to 43-36. With 2:15 left, Hoskins hit a jumper putting SVSU a single point away. With 40 seconds left to go, the Huskies scored a 3-pointer and hit their closing free throws, securing their win.
The second game of the week brought yet another loss for the Cardinals and concluded their last regular season road game. Smith, the reigning GLIAC Player of the week, scored 15 points for the team. Sophomore Tre Garret brought in 15 points and seven rebounds, while senior Tyler Witz had nine points and 10 rebounds. Leading the Wildcats was Nick Wagner with 22 points and John Kerr with 18 points. During the game, Kerr also scored his 2,000th career point. SVSU lost the rebounding battle 43-38. NMU opened the game with a 14-5 lead against the Cardinals. Later, freshman Freddie McIntosh hit a layup bringing the Cardinals within six points of NMU. NMU pushed back and went on a 17-2
run, including multiple three pointers giving them 31-10. Smith attempted to heat things up on the court and scored five points, but NMU continued in their lead. At the half, things did not look good for the Cardinals with NMU leading 46-22. The Cardinals could not push back from the Wildcats’ lead, giving NMU the win at 88–62. The two games this week put the team at 17-9 overall and 11-7 in the GLIAC. This week the team takes on its last two home games of the season, starting on Thursday with Davenport University at 8 p.m. On Saturday, the team will hold its senior day to honor graduating team members when playing Grand Valley State University at 3 p.m.
Track and field teams shine at final home meet Rebekah Williams Vanguard Reporter
SVSU track and field hosted the SVSU Tune-Up event on Friday, Feb. 18 in the Fieldhouse. This was the team’s last home meet of the season where they also honored the senior class. Senior Alona Olshevska placed second in the 60-meter dash with 7.53 seconds, setting a new school record. The record was previously held by
Cheyenne Williamson with 7.54 seconds at last year’s 2021 GLIAC Indoor Championship. Senior Lauren Buckner took first in the 800-meter run with 2:16.10. Sophomore Jenna Picard won the mile race for the women at 5:11.45. Senior Ciera Weber placed first in the pole vault with 3.59 meters. In the weight throw, senior Ali Aldrich took second, tossing 17.21 meters. The women won the long jump competition with junior Taylor Lucas
leaping 5.41 meters. For the men, the meet was just as successful. Freshman Corey Bowers took first in the mile race at 4:10.54. Junior Eric Niestroy was six seconds behind Bower, placing second at 4:16.07. In the 200-meter dash, junior Quin Broussard placed second with 22.41 seconds. Sophomores Cavan Wilcox and Will Aldrich placed first and second respectively in the pole vault competition. Wilcox had a vault of 4.66 meters while
Aldrich came in at 3.98 meters. In shot put, freshman Nolan Berg placed third, throwing 13.99 meters. Additionally, for the 400-meter the men took second, third and fourth all within a second of each other. Junior Nathan Furst placed second with 51.26 seconds, senior Riley Feeney third at 51.31 and sophomore Seth Oxer fourth with 51.71. On Friday the teams will begin competition at the GLIAC Indoor Championships at Grand Valley State University.
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